Q&A: Get to know the 3 candidates running for Tomball City Council Position 3 on the May 7 ballot

Why are you running for election?

Eight years ago when first elected, I’d characterize the pace of change in the area as organic and predictable. That accelerated as Tomball sat squarely in the highest growth corridor in the highest growth state. Tomball has prepared for this, financially and otherwise, and I couldn’t be more optimistic about our future. We are on a continuum of growth, and I believe the last eight years has uniquely prepared me to represent Tomball for the next three years.

What do you hope to accomplish in your term?

Tomball is now charting a post-COVID course. Our Tomball city staff is prepared and recently presented our future needs to council. I intend to continue to listen intently to residents, businesses, and staff and be part of the team that sets that new course—addressing growth, infrastructure, police and fire, and other quality-of-life elements for Tomball.

What do you see as mobility priorities for the city?

The [Texas Department of Transportation] [FM] 2920 project through Tomball is our most important mobility project as it affects the heart of Tomball. In years of preparation, City Council successfully secured the design of our section of 2920. Council set aside $500,000 [per year], and we now have $3 million earmarked to pay for the design so that our community has a voice. It’s still a negotiation with TxDOT, but we have positioned ourselves, precisely because we are paying to design their road, to balance TxDOT’s desires for traffic flow and safety with our very unique needs in downtown Tomball.

What do you see as the biggest challenge facing the city, and how would you address that?

We have large multimillion-dollar infrastructure projects on the horizon for Tomball. Tomball is financially sound and has been managed fiscally conservative, so we have the ability to address these needs, but we will, no doubt, have competing interests and priorities to sort out. I intend to bring my experience as a resident, City Council member, Tomball Economic [Development Corp.] board member and business owner as we work collectively to make these important decisions.

How do you plan to approach the rapid growth Tomball is experiencing?

With courage.

What would you do specifically as council member to involve residents and business owners in the city’s decision-making processes?

In my years on council, I’ve observed tremendous citizen involvement. We hear regularly at council meetings from citizens, business owners and stakeholders. We’ve had volunteer citizens be part of our interview process when hiring major departments heads, as an example. Our recent town hall was a great example of ways we can hear from and interact with residents on important topics.

Why are you running for election?

I love Tomball, having lived in the Tomball area since 1983. I was approached by concerned citizens to run. Listening to my neighbors, then praying about it, I decided to enter the race. I am running for the city of Tomball and its citizens.

What do you hope to accomplish in your term?

To keep Tomball a city where the citizens are heard and a place to raise a family. We need to grow, but at a controlled rate where we do not outgrow our facilities and services. Controlled, managed growth.

What do you see as mobility priorities for the city?

We need north and south of the city for east-west corridors. Medical Complex Drive needs to be from [FM] 2920 east to 2920 west some time in the future. We need to improve some of the north-south routes by improving the roads, primarily Persimmon to Holderrieth.

What do you see as the biggest challenge facing the city, and how would you address that?

Outgrowing our city services, (water, sewage and drainage). We need to drill a new water well, and sewage facilities along with updating the drainage such as Boggs Creek. We need to improve certain roads in the city such as Persimmon. The clear cutting of trees without a proper plan to save heritage trees. Replace trees with a variety of canopy trees.

How do you plan to approach the rapid growth Tomball is experiencing?

Tomball has been great at bringing in commercial business and affordable housing, but we do need controlled and managed growth. We do not need to build on every square inch of Tomball. We need to slow the development of single-family-6 homes. … We need to encourage developers to build some single-family-9 and -12. This gives people the option to stay in Tomball instead of moving to the east and north of Tomball for larger homes and lots.

What would you do specifically as a council member to involve residents and business owners in the city’s decision-making processes?

Create a quarterly mail-out of what the city has done and what they plan to do to encourage citizen input. Encourage more town hall meetings to discuss major developments to listen to our neighbors.

Why are you running for election?

After a personally unsatisfactory experience with City Council, I realized I must work for change. In this case, we opposed rezoning of property in our backyard. Decisions made by council on this issue dramatically impacted our quality of life, the value of our property and our peace of mind. Despite our vocal objections and support of the planning and zoning committee, council chose to vote against our interests.

What do you hope to accomplish in your term?

I hope to encourage citizen involvement in city decision making. Tomball is growing by leaps and bounds, and the residents need to make their voices heard as to what the future of Tomball holds. Do we want more subdivisions, apartment complexes and big retail developments? Do we want more green spaces and development that includes green spaces? How do we manage our growth so it serves the needs of current residents and businesses and benefits everyone new who comes to our city?

What do you see as mobility priorities for the city?

Traffic is already an issue, and it's not going to get any better with the number of developments in progress. I would like to see City Council be more sensitive to its citizens' concerns before approving new developments on already busy streets like Cherry [Street] and Hufsmith [Road]. TxDOT is proposing some changes to Main Street that will make a big impact on traffic flow and small businesses, and we need to make sure all stakeholders have a seat at the table.

What do you see as the biggest challenge facing the city, and how would you address that?

Growth and development, or over development, are huge challenges. I would like to see a better balance of existing community needs and priorities with the welcoming of new development. Development should enhance our quality of life, not detract from it. Tomball is a fun, charming town with beautiful trees, open spaces, friendly neighbors and safe streets, all things that are important to our residents or they would have picked somewhere else to live. Council needs to protect and retain the elements that attracted people to Tomball in the first place.

How do you plan to approach the rapid growth Tomball is experiencing?

Cautiously. We need to consider the second and third order impacts of decisions made today and consider if they will enhance or detract from the quality of life in Tomball tomorrow, in six months or years from now. We need more voices in the conversation so we aren’t blind to the potential unintended consequences of decisions we’re making today. I would encourage the community to let their feelings be known.

What would you do specifically as a council member to involve residents and business owners in the city’s decision-making processes?

I would take my campaign site and turn it into a council member site where I can update it with issues coming before council and to answer questions or concerns. I would use my social media accounts to share things that are happening in Tomball and break down some of the jargony terms used in government as well as alerting residents to meetings and issues. I would like to be the council member I wish I had.