Stephen Kallas is running for the at large seat on McKinney City Council. This is Kallas' first time running for public office. He is running against Frederick Frazier and John Mott. Community Impact Newspaper sent Kallas a set of questions about his candidacy.  This article is part of ongoing May 4 election coverage and does not constitute an endorsement of the candidate. His responses below have been edited for publication style.

Why are you running for McKinney City Council's at large seat?

Because I believe the people of McKinney deserve to be heard. There was not a candidate in the at large race that would speak for the people. Without that “voice” how could we expect to restrain the council’s actions?

What experience—professionally or politically—do you have that would prepare you for this position?

I learned as a young sailor how to take and give orders, and later on as a manager I learned how to lead and collaborate with others to get buy-in from affected parties. I have spent the better part of my adult life dealing with some form of customer service, whether it is retention or recovery, it revolves around how to better serve your customer. Wouldn’t it be a nice change to treat constituents as you would customers? Leadership is about serving.

If elected, what would be your top priorities for the city?

1. Increase transparency with constituents about city operations and decisions.
2. Prioritize and then expedite needed infrastructure repairs and upgrades.
3. Re-evaluate the city’s plan and its long-term strategic goals aligning them with reality.

What is your stance on the proposed US 380 alignments?

This whole issue was caused by bad planning and rapid growth being ignored. My first thought would be for the Texas Department of Transportation to enlarge and improve the existing alignment; however, my understanding is that in and of itself [it] is not a long-term solution. The second improvement would be to finish building out Bloomdale Road to the six-lane artery it has been planned to be. Not to mention Wilmeth Road has not been completed, either. After those are completed, I would push for the completion of the outer loop. After completing those roads, then I would be open to the discussion if a bypass is still needed.

What should the city be doing to address the projected population growth, especially as it relates to providing city services?

Our city can look to neighboring cities such as Richardson and Garland to get a sense of what works and what does not in a mature suburban community. There should already be a plan in place, which should be updated often and adjusted with the new data. I would be interested in reading that first before I would try to determine what the priorities should be. Editors note: This article has been updated to include contesting candidates and links to their Q&As.