Questionnaires were sent to each mayoral and City Council candidate. Questions, along with the candidates’ answers, are below. Answers are as they were submitted with no edits. Early voting is April 24 – May 2. Election Day is May 6.
Mayoral candidate Scott LeMay – incumbent
- Why do you want to continue as Garland’s mayor?
In 2007 when I first ran for city council, I made a commitment to serve this city and everyone who lives, works or owns a business here. I didn’t win that year but was appointed to the Plan Commission where I served until 2013 when I was elected to serve in District 7. During my 3 terms in both of those positions over 12 years I learned everything I could about the city and the people. That time reinforced my commitment and drove me to want to do more or as much as I possibly could. My two terms as mayor has been equal parts challenging and rewarding. We have worked through unimaginable issues while still striving to move the city forward. I am seeking a third term to continue to work with the council to keep the 2019 bond package moving forward. That package is improving amenities, infrastructure and our ability to act on development or redevelopment strategies. The 635 East project is our next big area of focus. The improvements to that vital corridor are going to bring not just better access to the area but long overdue opportunities for growth. We have already completed some essential property acquisitions in the areas along Garland Road and Shiloh Road at 635. We believe in the very near future we can have some “shovel ready” projects that will probably be some of the biggest this city has ever seen.
- How long have you lived in Garland?
22 years. This is our first and last home. We have now raised three daughters in this house and are just beginning to experience what it is to be empty nesters. I’m proud to say that our three girls have chosen to stay here in Garland as well.
- Summarize your past experience that qualifies you for this position.
City Charter Review Committee 2006 (appointed position)
Plan Commission 2007-2013 (appointed position)
District 7 council member 2013-2019
Mayor 2019-present
- What sets you apart from your opponent?
Experience and engagement. It’s important here to note that it’s not how long you have lived here, it’s what you’ve done while living here. Since moving here in the early 2000’s I have been active in this city. It started right here at home by becoming a member of the Camelot Neighborhood Association. Over time Tiffany and I have served as board members and we are still active members. My involvement with our neighborhood association and with the city’s Office of Neighborhood Vitality sparked my interest in city government. As I said I first ran for council in 2007 for an open seat in District 7. My run was not successful, but it wasn’t the end of the road. I was fortunate to be appointed to the Plan Commission and served there for six years. In that time I learned a great deal about city operations as well as gaining a wider view of the city itself. In 2013 I again ran for an open seat and was elected to serve. During that time I gained even more perspective and experience. In 2019 after serving our maximum of three terms I ran unopposed for mayor. Throughout my service I have always made myself available to anyone in the city. I publish my personal number for all to use at any time for anything. You can reach me directly at (214) 794-8904.
- What are some of the changes/improvements that are MOST needed in the city? What will you do to help make those happen?
Increasing and improving our communications has always been important to me. We as a city have over 240,000 customers that deserve to know what we are doing or planning. This applies to all levels and aspects of what we do. Whether that’s an event on the square or how we are using their tax dollars for improvements. We have and use just about every available medium for communication, but we still miss some people. Over the last few years we have improved our Zoning Change Notifications to include more detailed information on the specific case. That also includes an option for electronic responses, and this has increased the number of responses we receive. We also translate all of our published information in Spanish and Vietnamese.
Citizen engagement is important to me as well. As your elected representatives we need to hear from you. Our discussions and decisions will be more complete in scope by hearing what the people think. We will achieve this by better communications, but it takes people being interested to make it work. I will continue to make myself available to any and all Garland residents to help foster that. You can reach me directly at (214) 794-8904.
- How do you feel we can improve Garland’s homelessness issue?
I think we can best continue to help them by supporting the groups that work directly with them. There are many civic and faith-based groups who have the training and resources to help those in need. We do this by supporting those non-profit groups through our Community Development Block Grants (CDBG). We also provide ancillary services to some of those groups in times of greater need. A good example of this is when our Garland Overnight Warming Shelter (GLOWS) activations happen. Homelessness is not an issue that any one group is going to solve. The concerned community needs to support these groups as well. We all need to understand that there are many factors to the issue. Most notably untreated mental health issues along with drug and alcohol abuse. Our Garland Police Department also has officers dedicated to homeless outreach. In the last year we have enhanced our Behavioral Health Unit to continue and improve our efforts across the city. They have assisted many people to get identification documents as well as other services. They also help monitor the homeless population and work with our city task force to clean up encampments.
- Many of Garland’s older neighborhoods continue to decline. Do you feel that the programs now in place are enough or can more be done to bring the neighborhoods back? If so, what would you do?
I’m very proud of the work our Office of Neighborhood Vitality has done over the years. They have helped neighborhood groups come together and also assisted neighborhoods in programs for beautification and establishing their identity. This helps build pride in neighborhoods and connections between neighbors. The use of our neighborhood vitality grants has been a huge part of that and that program will continue for the foreseeable future. There are some requirements that can be found on the city’s website under Neighborhood Vitality or contacting our staff at neighborhoods@garlandtx.gov or (972) 205-2445.
Our Home Improvement Incentive Rebate Program has been very successful for homeowners and in a way neighborhoods. Through this program home owners can receive a 50% cash rebate (up to $10,000) on approved exterior remodeling projects. We have not only continued to support this through our city budget but we have also increased the amount of funding for the program. There are some requirements that can be found on the city’s website under Neighborhood Vitality or contacting our staff at neighborhoods@garlandtx.gov or (972) 205-2445.
Mayoral candidate – Roel Garcia
Why do you want to serve as Garland’s mayor?
- I’ve been in Garland for 59 years. Garland, TX is my life, and Garland, TX is my home. I’ve been here through many different changes and developments, and still I stand as a true resident of Garland! I believe Garland needs to evolve in many different areas from taxpayers’ dollars to how well the streets get cleaned. I have several different plans to help better this community and the communities surrounding us with hope that I can create a trend that will be passed from generation to generation. This means more than just running and serving as the mayor of Garland, and potentially being the first Hispanic male that will serve the city but simply a testament that the younger generation can do anything that the heart desires with tons of hard work and dedication. The youth are the future leaders of this city, this state, and even this nation. The lord has blessed me with an opportunity to help serve my people of Garland, TX.
How long have you lived in Garland?
- 59 (Born & Raised)
Summarize past experience that qualifies you for this position.
- My years being in the city of Garland. The things that I’ve noticed within the city could be and should be worked on. I’m privileged to be a part of several small residential committees to help better my current neighborhood along with ambitions to start a crime watch committee. I’m currently an educator/ instructor in Richardson Independent School District specializing in special education. Mentorship also plays an important role in my life. I’ve been mentoring for about 12 years for boys and girls of all ages. Year after year I’ve watched the city spend money on things that weren’t really needed versus being resourceful and being connected with the residents of the city. My love and compassion for this city will always reign, and I plan to get the job done.
What sets you apart from your opponent?
- As a man, there’s only a few things you have in life. Your “word” and your “last” name. I was raised with respect and high character. Morals means everything to me. Being a man of my word. “Mean what you say, and say what you mean”. A word that I value a lot is integrity. Meaning do what needs to be done at all the time and not just some of the time. Does someone have to watch you do it or should it just be something that you would want to get done? Garcia! There’s pride behind my name. Everything attached to my name will be done 100% and then some. But not only is it my name, this is my family name. Everything that I’ve done in life and will continue to do will impact my family lives
What are a couple of changes/improvements that are MOST needed in the city? What will you do to help make those happen?
- Once I am elected, I would get each council member, the city manager, and the planning project manager together so we can discuss a plan to bring a full service hospital to back into Garland. Get all communities evolved with events such as community service, host town hall meetings to ensure everyone’s voice is being heard and lastly implying more business or room for employment. With all this being done then the plan would be to minimize the crime while rebuilding the community in the right direction.
Garland continues to have numerous declining neighborhoods. Do you feel that the programs now in place are enough or would you add something more? If so, what?
- Although the city of Garland has some great programs that may assist the community with development in declining neighborhoods, I do believe that more or even better programs should be put in place. The city of Garland has a program that helps with seniors’ lawns and landscaping during the summer, but should be broadcasted more frequently before and at the peak of summer. This help also helps the youth who’re looking for employment, but not only can the youth benefit from this enhancement but it gives more opportunities for the homeless as well. Registration for all new and/or old programs should be reduced. Simplifying the paperwork or the online process could be a small fix to some of the declining areas especially for the senior citizens. Long and tedious processes tend to run people away, so keeping those as simple as possible may impact the community more than we think. Lastly I would amend the graduation process for the police department. In order to graduate from the academy you would have to live in a certain community . This helps with a few things, the relationship between the residents and the local police department is reestablished. The police department knows the many or few struggles this community may be facing , and lastly the connection between everyone in the community grows tremendously, with all that being said we are all 1, We are the city of Garland!
How do you feel we can best help Garland’s homeless population?
- Start with the police force to go out and speak with those that are less fortunate. Lead them into the right direction to receive Council. With the police department being part of our first responders, they’re part of our leadership in the community. Help rebuild the name and image of the police department not only on a local level but on a national level as well. God says in order to be a rich man you must give to the poor, and that’s something I will always believe in.
District 3 – City Council candidate – Ed Moore (incumbent)
How long have you lived in Garland?
I have been a resident of Garland for 20 years having moved here because of what I perceived to be a clean, family oriented, more house for your money, lake front community.
Why do you want to be a Garland City Council Member?
I am running for a second term as your Garland City Councilman to fulfill the job that you as taxpayers have funded in knowledge and training during these past two years and should now reap a significant return on investment during these next four. I am running for continued Economic Development, Strong Public Safety, Infrastructure Improvement, but most of all I am running because I have demonstrated my promise to Listen to You and Lead for You.
Having served as the District 3, Garland City Council Member for the past two years, I am experientially positioned to lead the district and city into this most critical economic period in our history. It takes every bit of two years to learn the diverse working parts of the city as a member of the legislative body that makes decisions on the tax rate, budget, public safety, economic development, etc.,
While we are experiencing impressive growth, rapidly rising inflation has put considerable pressure on almost every category of the city’s expenditures. Simply stated, we must be cautious on spending so as to allow the city to maintain streets, water lines, and other public facilities and still aggressively pursue important building projects without drastic tax rate increases.
Policy decisions made in the next few years will determine whether the city declines as a desirable place to live, work, and invest or whether it forges a new path; maintaining stable neighborhoods and a thriving job base while simultaneously reinvigorating itself with new housing, employment centers, and recreational opportunities. I think I am the best candidate to lead us into that future.
Please list your experience/background/knowledge that you feel makes you the right choice for your district’s council seat?
I have made it a priority of knowing what the citizens in the district want from My Possibilities in Eastern Hills/Country Club to Windsurf Bay Park on Lake Ray Hubbard.
I have positioned myself to be informed about the future of our transportation systems (I-30 Corridor, George Bush 190 Extension to Highway 80 and I-20) by serving on the Regional Transportation Council which allows me to review and make decisions impacting important transportation arteries that connect Garland to others in our Geo-Region. I serve on the Dallas Regional Mobility Coalition which is the advocacy arm of the RTC and lobbies the legislature on our behalf. I am a member of the Texas Municipal League and Texas Association of Black City Council Members. These are educational and networking groups that help to keep us informed about the happenings around the state and Geo-Region.
At home, I serve on the Audit and Community Services Committees. These committees allow opportunities to review all municipal policies and procedures related to any and all departments. I am ready, willing, and able to perform the duties of the city councilman on day one. In the end, I have learned people don’t care how much you know; they want to know how much you care.
How will you go about involving your constituents in your decision-making?
Inviting them to meet with me through Town Halls, call/text on my personal cell, email, social media, web page, and face-to-face wherever they deem appropriate. I am approachable and available, transparent and straightforward, encouraging and affirming. I am going to answer when you call. You may not like my answer, but you will get an answer and resolution to your concerns. I think my greatest asset is a willingness to listen patiently, understand the issue, and identify the best solution.
I believe public forums which allow citizens to ask questions/get answers about project developments taking place in their communities is of utmost importance. As we say in our church: Open Doors, Open Minds, and Open Hearts!
What do you feel are some of your district’s best assets/features?
Our Citizens are our best assets and amenities like parks, bike/walking trails, theatre, concerts, senior citizens facilities, and other recreational events and activities are some of our best assets/features. The recently approved 4.5-million-dollar ARPA funded Wynn Joyce Park is presently in the architectural drawing phase and will be brought before the community for their thoughts and ideas on what should go there will be a welcomed asset beginning in 2023.
Lake Ray Hubbard is probably the best asset/feature for a future comprehensive study that would provide information about the obstacles, challenges, and pit falls as well as opportunities for economic growth and development. The lake is one of Garland’s best chances for having a destination location.
What are a few things in your district that you feel need to be improved/changed?
We need to improve the gateways/entrances into the southern parts of our city: Miller Rd., Rowlett Rd., Roan Rd., Country Club Rd, Guthrie Road and Broadway Road. The entry signs need to be revised, renewed, and updated. The Streetscape needs to be green, with trees, flowers, and attractive lighting. The ambience should reflect a sense of pride upon entering the city.
How will you go about changing them?
I have already begun dialogue with the Mayor, Council, and City Manager about making this a priority in the upcoming budget. These are cosmetic changes with huge esthetic benefits.
What are your ideas on improving Garland’s increasing homelessness issues?
I will support the American Rescue Plan of 2021, HOME-ARP Allocation Plan, that provides $2.542 million in grant funds to the city to provide housing, shelter, and services to specific Qualifying Populations:
- People experiencing homelessness.
- People at risk of homelessness
- People fleeing or attempting to flee domestic or dating violence, sexual assault, stalking and trafficking.
- Other populations such as veterans and youth.
District 3 – City Council candidate – Puthenpurackal Mathew
- How long have you lived in Garland? I came in 2005 to Garland and moved to Irving, and have had properties since 2014 in District 3 itself. We have permanently moved January 2020 to Garland to my residents at Shores of Wellington Community.
- Why do you want to be a Garland City Council Member? For Change. My passion for serving the community was from my college time. While in Las Colinas, Irving, I served two terms as the HOA President. Here in Garland, I am one of the elected Board Members of Shores of Wellington (SOW) and Rustic Oaks HOA and serving as the Treasurer for SOW and Vice President of Rustic Oaks Community. To serve the community in a more efficient manner, the Council Member position will be more useful and that is the reason I have the interest to run.
- Please list your experience/background/knowledge that you feel makes you the right choice for your district’s council seat? I have completed a year-long LEADERSHIP GARLAND (Class 41) and graduated. I served on the Environmental Community Advisory Board of the City of Garland (Board and Commission). A small businessman and member of the Garland Chamber of Commerce. Serving in the HOA as stated above. I used to attend the Council Meetings. Learned the various issues of the people of Garland. Worked with the State of Texas for almost 10 years in the Finance/Audit area. As a realtor, I always stand for the need of the people. Moreover, I worked with the US Army Corps of Engineers in the Gulf War time Middle East Africa Project Office (MEAPO) in Bahrain. From the mobilization of the $100 million Military Airbase construction project till its completion and the ending of the Iraq War, I served and gained a lot of knowledge and experience. As inspired by the USACE, I came to the US in 2005. In Bahrain, I was an Indian School Board Member nominated by the Minister of Education of Bahrain and had experience serving the community and working with all nationalities. I was the president of the Charity and Assistance Association of Parents helping a lot of needy parents. In Irving, I started with the HOA at Las Colinas (Irving Emerald Valley HOA) as a board member and HOA President. Meantime, I have been leading Indian organizations such as the World Malayalee Council, a Member of the Kerala Association, and am currently President of the Global Indian Council a global network of Indian Diaspora encouraging them to serve the community wherever they are settled. My experience in the field of Construction and Finance together with my passion to serve will surely contribute great things as I believe.
- How will you go about involving your constituents in your decision-making? Involving the constituents is very important. Since information technology is way ahead and advanced, I will be able to successfully get our constituents involved. I had experience in conducting a lot of events that were successful. I can conduct town hall meetings in an effective and fun manner and know how to attract people. I will be able to conduct online surveys from the citizens to obtain their valuable opinions and which will be honored.
- What do you feel are some of your district’s best assets/features? My District is 3 and is naturally beautiful due to many reasons such as lakes, creeks, trees, etc. Moreover, due to the merging of two major highways such as I-30 and George Bush Turnpike, the closest connection with 635 and 80 District 3 would have grown and developed faster, but it did not happen.
- What are a few things in your district that you feel need to be improved/changed? We need diversity in the City Council. I will be standing for adopting changes. For the entire Garland, City shall be able to repair all the sidewalks without asking homeowners cost share. Roads need to be completely repaired and there are a lot of locations needed traffic signals due to the heavy traffic. Safety barriers are needed in many areas to protect property and life. (There was an incident that occurred on Bobtown Rd and Zion Rd a couple of years back.). We need our own super specialty hospital instead of depending on VA or Parkland. Now for my district, for emergencies, they take us to Sunnyvale of Mesquite. Please visit my website to read my entire vision and mission pcmathew.com.
- How will you go about changing them? I will try to allocate a specific budget for such projects which are really necessary for the public. I will be able to make my fellow council members the need of those projects proposed. Once I get a majority vote, I will be able to execute with the manpower and resources we have.
- What are your ideas on improving Garland’s increasing homelessness issues? We need more affordable homes due to the increased multicultural population. However, we will have special locations identified with shelter and supplementary support for the homeless. Public begging will be totally discouraged and will find an alternative to support them.
District 6 – City Council unopposed candidate Carissa Dutton
- How long have you lived in Garland? 30 years
- Why do you want to be a Garland City Council Member? Community has been important to me since a young age. I love all things Garland, and want to see the very best for out city and those in it.
- Please list your experience/background/knowledge that you feel makes you the right choice for your district’s council seat? My city/community service passion started as a teen through a program with Parks and Recreation called VolunTeens. I have since dedicated the vast majority of my life to offering a helping hand to anyone in need. In 2019 I, along side Lori Dodson, was awarded the first ever, Make Your Mark Award, by Mayor Scott LeMay. I am currently a member of the Garland Optimist Club. I am a volunteer Team Leader for Garland Overnight Warming Station. I also started a community group on Facebook called Garland, Texas 5 years ago, which has grown to over 20k members.
- How will you go about involving your constituents in your decision-making? My goal is to hold District 6 town Halls on a regular basis, as well as utilizing social media.
- What do you feel are some of your district’s best assets/features? District 6 is so diverse! We are currently in the process of getting a brand new library, which is going to be amazing! There are also many projects in the planning stages to give out district a little face lift.
- What are a few things in your district that you feel need to be improved/changed? I would love to see more family friendly businesses/activities in our district. Our district also feels very outdated and some areas look just run down.
- How will you go about changing them? The city currently has so many things in the works that us average joes are not aware of, so I look forward to meeting with city staff to learn about all the projects that we have in the pipes for District 6.
- What are your ideas on improving Garland’s increasing homelessness issues? I wish there was an easy, cut and dry answer to this question but there just isn’t. There is simply no easy fix for the homeless we are seeing. Unfortunately, the increasing homeless situation is not just limited to Garland, it’s a growing Nationwide problem. Sadly, with our current economic state, it’s not likely to get better anytime soon. We are however fortunate to have a great deal of local resources available for our unhoused population in Garland. Garland Police Department has a Homeless Task Force, which focuses on checking campsites, helping the unhoused locate the resources needed, helping them get their identifying documents, as well as helping and listing to citizens that might be effected, and removing/cleaning up problematic campsites. Many of the local organizations that offer homeless services have teamed together to work on collaborating their efforts, so we can be effective in helping while doing our best not to hinder. As citizens, the best thing you can do is show grace and kindness, and notify our GPD task force with any issues or concerns. The hard reality is, most of us are just a missed paycheck away from being in that same situation.
District 7 – City Council unopposed candidate Dylan Hedrick
- How long have you lived in Garland?
My wife, three children and I have lived in Garland since 2015.
- Why do you want to be a Garland City Council Member?
I am raising my young family here in Garland, and I want to make our city the best it can be for them and for all families who live, work and play in Garland.
- Please list your experience/background/knowledge that you feel makes you the right choice for your district’s council seat?
Before my current four years on the City Council, I had the pleasure to serve as president of my Oakridge neighborhood association, Chairman of the 2019 Bond Study Committee and two and a half years on the Plan Commission. I have two degrees from Rice University (BS Civil Engineering, Masters of Business Administration). In my career, I am a Professional Engineer who works directly alongside the development community. I am able to bring engineering experience and business knowledge to the deliberations on council.
- How will you go about involving your constituents in your decision-making?
I write a monthly council update for the Oakridge and Camelot neighborhood newsletters, and I am always available by phone, email and text to hear compliments, complaints and concerns from my constituents. I am pleased that some recent zoning cases in my District have received many more responses than what is typical for a zoning case. To me, this indicates more citizens are able to participate in their local government process and feel comfortable doing so.
- What do you feel are some of your district’s best assets/features?
The diversity is the best feature of my District. We have strong, well established neighborhoods that are home to a wide variety of peoples, cultures and languages. The District is home to the Cali Saigon Mall and the Vietnamese Community Center which along with the is a great cultural center for the Vietnamese Community. It is also home to many churches, a mosque, and four charter school campuses.
- What are a few things in your district that you feel need to be improved/changed?
In the District, there are older shopping centers that could use a facelift to keep and attract new, high quality tenants. Also, Shiloh Road from Buckingham to Belt Line is in poor condition. Traffic congestion continues to be a concern.
- How will you go about changing them?
We have a Facade Improvement Program that the city currently administers by partnering with businesses and providing funding to improve the exterior of shopping centers. I am in favor of increasing the amount of funds available for this worthy program. I am also in favor of focusing on our main arterial streets as a priority for rehabilitation as those are the streets that are most frequently used by our citizens. Finally, the Bottleneck Improvement Program includes several intersections in my District which should help ease the traffic congestion at major intersections.
- What are your ideas on improving Garland’s increasing homelessness issues?
The Police Department does a wonderful job of reaching out to the homeless population and pairing them with available resources. We have two dedicated Mental Health Liaison Officers in the department and could certainly add more as the need is great. Thankfully we have a great network of non-profit organizations who are so willing to assist the homeless. I believe that it is important that we continue to utilize our Homeless Task Force, which is a collaboration between several City Departments including Police, Sanitation, Stormwater, Code Enforcement and others, to clean homeless encampments from public property. We will continue to collaborate with private property owners to remove the camps from private property which often create public nuisances such as trash, clogged storm drains and rodent infestations for surrounding property owners and residents.
The response above addresses the results of homelessness, but we also need to focus on the cause of homelessness by providing mental health and drug abuse counseling through our partner organizations.
District 8 – City Council unopposed candidate Chris Ott
- How long have you lived in Garland?
I moved to the Garland area in the summer of 1984 for my Junior and Senior year. I graduated from Berkner High School in 1986.
- Why do you want to be a Garland City Council Member?
Our family are firm believers in community service. We’ve demonstrated this through being involved in many City and civic organizations, boards and activities. Garland is a city facing tremendous changes and challenges. We need good stewardship to help bring about improvements in difficult times. It’s far better to be a part of the solution, not the problem.
- Please list your experience/background/knowledge that you feel makes you the right choice for your district’s council seat?
I’ve been involved in a variety of District 8 and Garland specific leadership roles. For the past 13 years, I’ve served as Plan Commissioner for Garland’s District 8. This role was trusted to me by three different Councilmen (Darren Lathen, Jim Cahill and Robert John Smith). In this role, I was the Vice Chairman of the Commission for the most recent 3 years. Beyond this role, I have served on several ad hoc committees and boards all with Garland planning and future development in mind.
In addition to my many years of City involvement, I’ve been a Garland business owner since 1988 as the founder and operator of Rotary Performance. Being a small business owner gives you a wide array of skills to be able to manage budgets, set goals and work under less than ideal circumstances and still achieve excellent results.
- How will you go about involving your constituents in your decision-making?
I’m a firm believer in transparency. I will be maintaining a website dedicated to the District. I’ll be quite visible at neighborhood meetings, etc. As always, my phone number and email are publicly available and I welcome the feedback.
- What do you feel are some of your district’s best assets/features?
District 8 is one of the most balanced sections of Garland. Being right in the heart of Garland, everything pertains to our citizens. We do not border another city or the lake. What we do have is everything from mighty industrial assets to Garland’s medical district. Beyond this, we have wonderful neighborhoods, traditional retail zones and everything in between. We are the city within a city.
- What are a few things in your district that you feel need to be improved/changed?
District 8 is a mostly built out section of town. Our path forward is redevelopment. We need to continue to improve aged retail zones and repair aging infrastructure (streets and sidewalks). Continuing to push to add value to our citizens by expanding our trail network and continuing to improve our parks. Also, I’d be remiss in not mentioning our medical district. With the loss of Baylor Garland, the medical zone changed hands to the Veterans Administration(VA). We are now in a revitalization/transition of the entire medical area.
- How will you go about changing them?
Being on the City Council, we have the opportunity to set goals and steer the staff to help achieve them. I’m always available to help. Working with City, County, State, NGO’s and Federal organizations we can commonly find areas of mutual interest to help pull a project together. We need this kind of creativity. Our City staff is very innovative and our prior council members have done magnificent work. I’ll be doing much of the same, but with a small businessman’s twist.
- What are your ideas on improving Garland’s increasing homelessness issues?
Homelessness is a national, state and local crisis. We have a task force within the Garland Police Dept that is doing a tremendous amount of outreach to this community. Combined with the faith organizations, Garland is doing more than many cities to address the crisis. I’ll be the first to admit that there is a lot that I do not know about this vexing problem. I’m most interested in making sure that the homeless community does not become a safety issue to our citizens and to themselves. I’m open to a full throated discussion with all appropriate options discussed.