While Tomball and Magnolia city councils are both gaining new members this year, the residents in both cities will not vote for their new representatives.
The cities of Tomball and Magnolia have canceled local city elections originally scheduled for May 6, according to city officials. While a total of six positions were up for re-election on both councils, none were contested. As a result, both cities canceled their May elections and appointed new members to replace council members who did not run for re-election.

TOM-2017-4-15-2 John Ford will be sworn in as a Tomball City Council member May 15.[/caption]

Tomball City Council Member Field Hudgens announced earlier this year he would not seek re-election. Hudgens was elected in 2011 and served two terms on Tomball City Council. Magnolia City Council Member Anne Sundquist will also not seek re-election. Sundquist was also elected in 2011 and served three terms.

 

While elections are held each year for at least one council position, neither city council has had a new member elected since 2015.
John Ford will take Hudgens’ position on Tomball City Council. Ford works as a physical therapist at Tomball Regional Medical Center and has lived in the area for nearly 20 years. He also previously served as chairman on the city’s board of adjustment committee for six years.

Ford said neighbors and friends asked him to consider running for the open council seat.

“There’s not a lot of controversy going on in the city of Tomball, there’s just a lot of growth,” Ford said. “So my perspective is—since I live in Tomball—I just want to make sure the growth is managed appropriately. [The city has] a lot of good synergies, so I just want to contribute and make sure those synergies continue to build.”

Matthew “Doc” Dantzer will be sworn in as a Magnolia City Council member May 9. Matthew “Doc” Dantzer will be sworn in as a Magnolia City Council member May 9.[/caption]

In Magnolia, Matthew “Doc” Dantzer will take Sundquist’s position on the council. Dantzer has lived in the Magnolia area for 17 years and worked in the health care industry for 20 years before moving to a career in commercial real estate and small-business lending.

 

He said his main goal is to increase overall activity in the city.

“I would like to see a lot more community support and involvement, more community events and more small business as well as large businesses come into the city of Magnolia, especially with the new freeways coming through,” he said.

Dantzer said he hopes to keep Sundquist’s legacy moving forward after moving into her vacated seat.

“If I can do half the job that she does, I’ll be very content and very happy,” Dantzer said. “The staff here at the city of Magnolia are just amazing and incredibly experienced, and after I got involved, I had a real want to work with them.”

Ford will be sworn in during Tomball City Council’s May 15 meeting. Dantzer will be sworn in during the May 9 Magnolia City Council meeting.