Archives > Flower Mound Leader > News
Print
E-mail
Comment
Rate
RSS
Share
Irwin announces candidacy for HV mayor
By Chris Roark, croark@acnpapers.com
The first person to throw their hat into the ring to be the next mayor of Highland Village is a familiar face to the city.
Bill Irwin, who sits on Place 2 of the Highland Village City Council, has announced his intention to run for mayor in the May 12 election.
Scott McDearmont, who has been mayor since 2010, announced in December that he will not seek re-election.
Irwin said his history with the city, both as a resident and as a council member, gives him the experience he needs to be a strong mayor.
“Having served alongside nine different mayors [since moving to Highland Village in 1988], I hope to bring an attribute I admired in each,” Irwin said. “These are: visionary, approachable, fiscal responsible, professional, knowledge of issues, perseverance, ethical, passionate and a builder of consensus. I have learned clear communications is the key to success. Robust dialogue is good and requires a positive and constructive approach in offering feedback, with an open mind to receiving it. I hope this defines how I will approach the responsibilities of mayor. We have achieved many successes, but we still have a lot to accomplish.”
Among those is keeping a close eye on the progress of the Interstate 35E expansion.
“With its close proximity to the new Highland Village rail station there needs to be a vision established how this area can be developed not only as a primary entrance to our city but an opportunity to further diversify our tax base with economic development,” Irwin said.
Irwin added that the city needs to stay focused on how transportation options are developed and used.
“Just as important is how we support current businesses to allow them the greatest opportunity to succeed,” Irwin said. “Financially we are in good shape; we need to take necessary steps to remain so. A challenging list, but attainable.”
Irwin said other future goals include the city’s parks, including Pilot Knoll Park, located on the west shoreline of Lewisville Lake. Irwin said the expansion of FM 2499 will provide easier access to the park, so the city needs to take advantage of it.
“The vision can be set by the residents,” Irwin said. “We have a parks board, which is really good. We need to ask the parks board what the greatest potential for it is. It has RV hookups, camping sites and is probably three times bigger than Copperas Branch Park. But it’s remote, and it’s not easily accessed. When people know about it, they will see what we have.”
Irwin said Pilot Knoll Park could possibly be used to host the annual Highland Village Lions Club Balloon Festival since the expansion of Interstate 35E may cut Copperas Branch Park, which currently hosts the festival, in half.
Irwin said it is also important to finish the design and development of Double Tree Ranch and figure out how to implement it into the city’s parks plan.
Irwin said the key to accomplish all these things is a strong working relationship with the city staff, which he said has been positive during the last several years. He said the council was able to help eliminate a high turnover rate with the city staff in 2001, and he said it’s important to maintain the solidarity now.
“Generally, the city council works a lot better with the staff,” Irwin said, comparing current times to about a decade ago. “We don’t need to micromanage the staff. We just need to set the guidelines and let them execute.”
Irwin has a lifetime membership to Texas Congress of PTA and is vice president of the Highland Village Economic Development Board.
His past community involvement includes being chairman of the Highland Village Parks and Recreation Board, chairman of the Highland Village Board of Ethics, board member of Big Brothers/Big Sisters and chairman of the Boy Scout Executive Committee.
He was also on the steering committee for the United Way, the founding chairman of the Highland Village Parks Foundation, and he has served on various coach/commissioner positions in Highland Village and Lewisville recreational leagues.
“I love Highland Village,” Irwin said. “I’m passionate about this city and the quality of life we have here. I’ve lived here for 23 years, and I realize all the potential this city has.”
The following are comments from the readers.
In no way do they represent the view of Starlocalnews.com
In no way do they represent the view of Starlocalnews.com
You must register with a valid email to post comments.
Only your Member ID will be posted with the comments.
Only your Member ID will be posted with the comments.
Registered users sign in here:
Become a Registered User
- Return to: News «
- Home «
- Top of Page ^
