Archives > Little Elm Journal > News
Print
E-mail
Comment
Rate
RSS
Share
Mayoral, council candidates participate in forum last week
By Emily Hill, ehill@starlocalnews.com
The Little Elm Chamber of Commerce and the Little Elm Professional Firefighters Association hosted a candidate forum last week for the Little Elm Town Council and Mayoral races. Out of 15 candidates, 11 candidates participated in the event held at the Little Elm High School.
Candidates were asked a series of questions from both the sponsors of the event and the audience. Neil Blaise moderated the event, which included a great turnout of constituents.
Running for District 4 on the council, Bob Burke was the only candidate who participated.
Burke said he still has digging to do into the issue, which includes looking at the plans.
"If done right, it's fine," Burke said. "If not done right, there's problems."
He said he wants to see the town keep moving forward. Burke believes the new Public Safety Center, Senior and Recreation Centers and updates to the park is a good start and would like to see that continue for the future of the youth.
For District 3, Jason Olson and incumbent Curtis Cornelious participated in the forum.
If you had to vote on a subject you believed in but your district thought otherwise, what would you do?
Olson said he would talk to his constituents regarding the issue whether he believed in it or not. He said it is his duty to go with that. He said his vision is to make Little Elm a regional destination and have someone who will stand up and have a vision for the town.
Cornelious said he has made those decisions in the past and takes into account what is going on in the town and out on the street. He said he would ensure everyone is educated on the issue. Cornelious said he wants to continue moving Little Elm forward.
District 5 candidates Katie Gipson, DeLeon English, LeAnna Harding, Renn Leech and Dan Jaworski participated.
Give an example of a decision made by the Town Council that you agree or disagree with.
Gipson said she agreed with the construction of the new Senior and Recreation Centers. She said it's "a wonderful place to start for our community." However, she disagreed with certain spending practices.
English said he agreed that business development is important for employment and the tax base, but he was surprised at the missed opportunity to receive $2.5 million dollars in tax revenue over the next decade from the Rosewood development of Kroger.
Harding said she disagreed with a decision last year that passed up a boat storage facility that was rezoned for retail instead. She said Little Elm is a lake community, and should provide something for the community.
Leech said he disagreed with the handling of the new Town Center development, which was started three years ago but nothing more has been done about the issue. He does agree with the development of the new Senior and Recreation Centers.
Jaworski said he agreed with the outlawing of the synthetic drug K2. He said it sent a message to the youth of the town. As for the Ethics Policy passed in November, he said that was a "no-brainer," and that the voters need to hold the leaders of the town to a higher standard.
For the Mayoral race, all of the candidates participated, including John Gowling, incumbent Charles Platt and David Hillock.
In your opinion, what does Little Elm need as a fast-growing town?
Gowling said what the town needs is consistency, which is essential to a growth that he describes as "phenomenal." He said the mayor will need to make informed, unbiased decisions. He also encouraged more involvement of the diverse community.
Platt said the town needs to maintain services in Little Elm, a commercial base and the creation of a more conservative budget and tax rate. He asked for patience, saying that Little Elm will become the prosperous town anybody wants.
Hillock said the town is not meeting the needs of the community, calling for a more active involvement in the community. He believes with 15 people running for council positions, he finds it hard that the job is being done right in the town.
What should be the main focus of the mayor?
Gowling said the mayor is the ceremonial head, but the real responsibility beyond that is effectively working on relationships with officials and community leaders. He said the mayor should get involved with the community, calling for a mayor that will get out and get his feet on the ground.
Platt said he has heard that the mayor has not been seen around town, but he said he has not seen an increase in attendance at council meetings. He said that as mayor, it's about momentum to make sure that Little Elm gets what it's paying for. Platt said the mayor must make tough decisions.
Hillock said the charge is clear for mayor--to run the council meetings and be the figurehead. He said the mayor works with colleagues and not parent them, work with the community and not boss them. He said the mayor must remember to be aware of where he wants to go, but also where he has been.
Gowling calls for a change in poor voter turnout and being present in the community. Platt calls for the continuance of his vision for the town and knowing what's out there and going for it. Hillock calls for fiscal responsibility and using all the "tools" of the town such as committees.
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 ^
