Ron Raymaker

Occupation: Information Technology Program Manager [email protected]

What is your platform for this election?

Shenandoah has no strategic plan. How can citizens measure progress or what the city is accountable for? You can’t. I’m a leader focused on results for our citizens. I’ll ensure we not only have a strategic plan, but that we execute [according] to that plan and report our progress. Shenandoah can’t continue making things up as we go along.

Why do you think you’re the best candidate for Shenandoah City Council Position 1?

I’m a professional IT program manager with over 20 years [experience] with Fortune 500 companies, routinely managing budgets in the $17 million range—twice the size of Shenandoah’s current budget. I’ll provide desperately needed oversight of projects and spending. City staffing has grown 18 percent in one year, [and] spending has increased 40 percent in three years. Big government is a problem and controlling it starts at the local level.

What do you think is the most important issue facing Shenandoah, and how would you solve it?

Unquestionably, it’s spending. We’re still $23 million in debt. Rather than saving for future projects our residents want, or paying down that huge debt, the city is burning cash: $3 million for new parks—including $2.5 million for a new veterans park when we could simply rename our existing one to honor veterans; $1.5 million for internet infrastructure benefiting one select vendor; $1 million for non-essential projects; and $1.2 million in perks, waste and inefficiencies.

What are some things you think Shenandoah does really well as a city, and what are some things you think could be improved?

We must be better stewards of taxpayer dollars. We’ve had enough of politicians telling us how conservative they are, then increasing spending because they won’t say no to anything. I’ll aggressively challenge everything in the budget to change the culture of spending. We also need to improve our community outreach efforts: [There is] too little information, too infrequently and always too late.

Mark Hendon

Occupation: Information Technology [email protected] www.votehendon.com

What is your platform for this election?

I consider myself a conservative Republican, and I follow most of the common proposed planks which makes up a true conservative. On the issues pertaining to the office I am running for, I want to be part of the “voice of reason” when it comes to spending city dollars on items and projects. I want to see our city be more transparent and take a common-sense approach to identifying and eliminating waste.

Why do you think you’re the best candidate for Shenandoah City Council Position 1?

I am not that hubris to say I am the ultimate of all candidates for this position. What I can honestly say is that I am a person who can think logically, take many viewpoints into consideration and produce resolutions that any reasonable and prudent individual person would agree with. I see our city doing great things, but I believe our city would benefit from my ethics and integrity along with my experience in business, technology, law enforcement and strong family values.

What do you think is the most important issue facing Shenandoah, and how would you solve it?

How our city is [run] from an administrative standpoint and the transparency it offers are some of the issues our city is facing. The city is transparent by definition, but what is missing is allowing the public a chance to view and/or voice concerns before an action takes place.

What are some things you think Shenandoah does really well as a city, and what are some things you think could be improved?

Shenandoah is one of the safest places to live and work. It has a great police department and we are located within minutes from four hospitals. Our city is growing and there is a need to ensure our community remains safe and keeps its true community feel. I believe we should focus on the safety of our residents and businesses while providing more communal activities.

Gary Henson, Imcumbant

Occupation: Mortgage broker [email protected] www.shenandoahtx.us

What is your platform for this election?

[I want to] maintain a high quality of life here in this awesome city of Shenandoah while maintaining sound responsible fiscal policies. This includes continued improvement in providing excellent police and fire service, and holding our taxes and utilities to the lowest possible rates without negatively impacting the services. [I will also] continue to improve transparency between the residents and City Hall.

Why do you think you’re the best candidate for Shenandoah City Council Position 1?

I have lived in the city for 27 years and have raised my family of five children here. I am invested, and I want to see those things continue. There have been great improvements in the city since the current council formed. [It] has run more efficiently and transparently than at any time in its history. We manage revenues and expenditures to control financial areas that impact all of us, such as tax rates, home values, water and sewer rates, and quality-of-life issues.

What do you think is the most important issue facing Shenandoah, and how would you solve it?

Some of the most important issues are ongoing water concerns, mobility issues and public safety. We [need] a police department that is well-trained and properly equipped to meet new demands. We will continue to monitor [water] issues to be proactive locally and at the state level. We have made intercity changes with signal lights and improving intersections and will continue to communicate with our neighbors to address the traffic flow that impacts all of us.

What are some things you think Shenandoah does really well as a city, and what are some things you think could be improved?

We effectively are running the city and managing our revenues and expenditures to give residents a city they can be proud of. It may be small, but we don’t let that stop us from doing what we can to make it the best small city in Texas. We have a vision for the future that takes into consideration from when we came in every decision going forward. The city is a servant to all who reside or work here.