Q&A: Pflugerville Mayor Doug Weiss talks first year priorities, water and infrastructure

Mayor Doug Weiss won the Pflugerville mayoral runoff election Dec. 13, defeating Pat McCord after the two advanced from the November general election.

Weiss and McCord finished first and second in the initial race with 47.38% and 34.55% of the vote, respectively.

Weiss brings nearly a decade of experience on the Pflugerville City Council, where he has focused on responsible planning and managed growth.

He also spent more than 10 years serving on the Pflugerville Community Development Corporation board, where he worked on job creation efforts and expanding the city’s commercial tax base..

Community Impact spoke with Weiss about his priorities as he begins his term as mayor.

Looking ahead to your first year in office, what do you want to have accomplished by the end of 2026?

By the end of 2026, I want to make sure we've got a regular cadence of communication with the citizens. [Communication] is good but we've been working with our planning and development services team to make sure we've got outreach specifically to our homeowners associations and [what they] call it these days, the influencers in our community.  So I want to make sure ... people are getting accurate information from the city, but also that I, as the mayor, am getting the information from the community. The biggest challenge we get is if someone gets upset, but we don't know about it, we can't tell them we're working on it, we can't tell them we're doing something about it even if we've already got plans in place.

Is there currently a lack of communication?

I do think that is a gap. Now, obviously we've got great communication through our relationships with Community Impact, as well as our communication staff here at the city and always getting good information out through social media. So we've got all options, but I think the more personal communication through something like a round table I think is going to really help people feel more engaged with the city and understand that the city is working in their best interest.

What are your top two or three priorities as Pflugerville’s new mayor, and why those first?

My other priorities during the campaign, I said public safety. We hired a new police chief. There's a lot going on in the world right now. And I wanna make sure that the folks in Pflugerville feel safe and represented.  Another thing I hope to accomplish I want to make sure we're making progress on our capital improvement plan, making sure we're delivering roadways. One of my biggest frustrations has been the access roads up there along 45 which we've had funded for many years, but we are working regionally with state representatives, with tech commissioners to try to get the clearance to actually build that road.

In your view, what is the single biggest challenge facing Pflugerville right now?

The single biggest challenge facing Pflugerville right now is keeping up with the infrastructure that our citizens need. During the campaign there was a lot of concern around the water bills and I think a lot of that comes down to what we're seeing statewide with access to water.  We've got a lot of water infrastructure that needs to be implemented. We're finishing some projects on that, but the infrastructure, particularly the water infrastructure that ensures that our community continues to thrive.

Pflugerville is investing heavily in water and wastewater infrastructure. What should residents expect to see improve in the near term?

We've got another wastewater plant being built. We've got the expansion of the current plant wrapping up that will open up commercial opportunities on our major corridors. We have a couple new water towers going in, which should dramatically improve people's water pressure reliability and consistency, so that we can continue to maintain our system. We've got, as we call our second straw into the lower Colorado River Authority being built, that's under construction. You can see some of the work happening out of the lake right now to make that connection. You should see the levels in Lake Pflugerville rise as we get more water in there.  And also we've got our water treatment plant, which is probably still a little ways away. I think I think we're probably a year from that being complete, maybe a year and a half. But that'll treat more water, providing more fresh, clean water to our community.

Road conditions and congestion remain a frequent concern for residents. Are there specific corridors or neighborhoods the city is prioritizing, and how soon could people see progress?

One of the things the city has been really good at—and something I’m glad I had a hand in during my time on council—is dedicating specific funds to roadway maintenance and ensuring we don’t allow our roads to fall into disrepair. We see other communities rebuild a road and then let it go, only to have to rebuild it again 30 years later. By investing in maintenance and preservation, we’re extending the life of our roads through programs like the HA5 program and other maintenance efforts. When I first joined council, the annual road maintenance budget was about $100,000.

Now we’re spending about $2 million on preservation, which saves real dollars over the long term. Across neighborhoods, we have street reconstruction projects underway to bring roads up to the best quality possible and prevent deterioration. During my term as mayor, I expect we’ll also see significant improvements along FM 685, which runs through the center of the city, drives commerce, and carries heavy traffic. In the near term, projects like the Pflugerville Parkway expansion and Kelly Lane Phase 3 are especially important. Kelly Lane Phase 3, in particular, is something I often say we should do right rather than do over, because doing it over is far more expensive. We’re making sure it’s the road it needs to be, and we should be moving on that quickly. I think residents will really enjoy the expansion and extension of Pflugerville Parkway.

What role do you see the City Council and mayor’s office playing in attracting new businesses and employers to Pflugerville?

I think what we're seeing right now is that, in the past, we may have used more incentives to get jobs to come here. But I think now we've got the foundation laid of infrastructure that those companies that we want to acquire, that we want to land here that they need in order to be successful. We can incentivize them with infrastructure more so than trying to give them cash grants for jobs. And I do believe that we need to be focusing on some more retail investment.  So what you'll see from me over the next little bit is being active in the in the recruitment process for economic development helping our teams go after restaurants and talking to companies about why it is a smart idea for them to build here in Pflugerville.

The city is in the middle of one of its largest projects to date with Downtown East. What does success look like for that project five or 10 years from now?

Success looks like a fully built-out commercial base in the heart of downtown. People often ask ‘why we don’t have a town square?' We didn’t grow up with a courthouse, but now we’ll have a square and a plaza. My vision for that commercial space includes something like a food hall, bookended by successful local businesses and restaurants—a vibrant city center with retail, frequent activities, and a place where people can gather and spend time. While nothing is officially in the works, several business owners already in Pflugerville have told me they want to move downtown, whether because their leases are ending or because they want to be in a more vibrant area. With Downtown East, I expect foot traffic—people walking by, deciding to eat, have a drink, or shop—rather than visiting only by intention. I see that as a clear benefit for local businesses choosing to locate there.

What do you want Pflugerville residents to understand about your leadership style as you begin this term?

I want residents to know that I have an inclusive leadership style and will err on the side of making sure all voices are heard. I come from an analytical background but have worked to better understand the emotional side of living in a city. Throughout the campaign, people told me how much they love living in Pflugerville, and I’ve said that my goal is to make sure they continue to love living here. I will approach issues analytically and focus on optimizing the experience for all residents, while also ensuring everyone feels they have a voice in what we’re doing.