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Learn more about the candidates running for Place 3 on the Plano City Council ahead of the May 6 election. Early voting is from April 24-May 2. Candidate responses may have been edited for length, style and clarity. The incumbent is identified with an asterisk.
Why are you running?
I am running in this race because I believe in the Plano that we have and the Plano that we can become. I am concerned about the divisiveness on the city councils and school boards in our neighboring cities and I do not want that for Plano. I have a common sense attitude to keep Plano forward thinking while also keeping an eye to our values that have made us a city of excellence.
What do you hope to accomplish if elected?
I have a couple of goals I would like to accomplish. I would like to see meaningful expansion of non-automobile transit in a way that meets the needs of residents. This includes dedicated bike lanes, expansion of bus or shuttle service, or other new technologies in their infancy. I also want to work on a collaborative program with Plano ISD to help combat the growing problem of fentanyl in our community/schools.
What are the top issues facing the city in the coming years?
One of the top issues we face is short-term rentals. They can contribute to declining enrollment in our schools and disrupt the fabric of neighborhoods. Also, our city will soon face a wave of aging infrastructure. Many of our water, sewer, and drainage lines were constructed in the 1970s and 1980s and will be due for maintenance or replacement. We must do this in a thoughtful way that minimizes impacts to the budget.
Why are you running?
By the grace of God I achieved all of my campaign promises a little more than a year after I was elected. I did what I said I was going to do and more. Now I feel I’m really hitting my stride as a council member, and there are more meaningful things to do for our community that I can influence and achieve.
What do you hope to accomplish if re-elected?
I’m already working on the things I hope to achieve. Notable among them are restricting short-term rentals in residential areas, Dallas Area Rapid Transit transparency, creating a 30-year maintenance roadmap for the city to reduce our bond debt, diversifying our housing stock beyond apartments and large single-family homes and developing a community volunteering framework to serve as a model for the entire nation.
What are the top issues facing the city in the coming years?
Plano has transitioned from a city that grew rapidly in the '80s and '90s to a mature city which now lives in a different economy and technological age, as well as a post-pandemic world. This brings unique challenges, requiring us to perpetually maintain our infrastructure, shift our focus from development to re-development, and further diversify our commercial base to create the future version of the Plano we all love today.
