Mayor and City Council candidates discuss objectives

Mayor and City Council candidates discuss objectives

Friday, 07 April 2006

CEDAR PARK

Why are you qualified to run, and what will you do for the city if elected?

• Mayor
  • Bob Lemon - My main qualification is that I have been mayor for the last year, a year that started out with many challenges. As mayor, I presided over a city council that achieved an enormous list of accomplishments because it worked hard and pulled together as a team. My vision for Cedar Park is to be a well-balanced, full service city. The city’s economic development motto is “To Live, Work and Play in Cedar Park.” I would like to make that a reality, or to put it another way Cedar Park does not want to be a bedroom community. When a city provides a full plate of services, the quality of life in the city is improved. The council started four major road projects that the voters approved in 2001. We should have completed those road projects by now. However, there is still about $19 million that the voters approved but have not yet started. Those road projects are needed. I will build the roads to make our lives better.
  • Phil Duprey - I’ve lived and operated my own business in Cedar Park for 12 years; been a Chamber of Commerce member, Board member and Ambassador; volunteered for the Heart Association, Library Foundation and Seton NW Hospital Advisory Board; and served more than five years on city council, two of those as mayor pro tem. Cedar Park is big enough and busy enough to deserve an on-site mayor. The region is growing and making regional plans, I will be Cedar Park’s ambassador. External and internal pay equity for city employees needs to be reviewed. External pay equity allows recruiting and retaining employees for essential city services. Internal pay equity ensures that equally qualified employees are paid equally across all departments. City government should actively seek to spend your money in Cedar Park. Qualified local businesses deserve extra credit when bids are evaluated. Voters approved a Multi-Purpose Event Center last year. Cedar Park still needs a cost effective MPEC for all the same reasons – graduations, entertainment, expositions, large civic and social events, etc.
• Place 4
  • Melissa Beaudoin - I have experience in the business world as an engineering technician. I also hold a B.S. in Psychology and am about to graduate with my Master’s degree in Political Science. The strengths I bring to the city council are a diverse background, the ability to motivate and work well with others, a hard work ethic, and a desire to make decisions that are in the best interest of Cedar Park. I have three main goals as a council member. First, is to work with my fellow council members and community leaders to continue to make Cedar Park a business friendly community. This will have many positive effects on Cedar Park as it will increase revenue for the city and further diversify the tax base. Second, I will work to keep Cedar Park a family-friendly community in which people raising their families will want to live. Lastly, I will be proactive in planning for the future of Cedar Park. Before the 183A corridor is completed, we need to also make sure that other areas of Cedar Park are rejuvenated so that they will remain attractive to businesses and their customers.
  • Glen Fine - In my professional career I have been an Information Systems Director, a Systems Manager, and while employed at IBM, I was a teamleader for four years, and a program manager for two years. I have been a resident of Cedar Park for almost 10 years, and I am supported by former city leaders, my friends, and neighbors. The people that support me say they are doing so because they feel I am better qualified for the position than my opponent. As a council member, I will listen to the needs and concerns of Cedar Park citizens; study the issues so I can make informed decisions based on what’s best for the community as a whole; be accountable and responsible to our citizens; be open-minded; have the courage to vote my conscience; and be respectful and courteous to citizens, fellow council members, and city staff. I possess a deep caring and concern for the Cedar Park community. In a nutshell, I want to make a positive difference.

LEANDER

Why are you qualified to run, and what will you do for the city if elected?

• Place 2
  • Kirsten Lynch - I have served the City of Leander since 1996. I served on the Original Charter Commission, Board of Adjustments, Planning and Zoning, Comprehensive Master Plan Committee, Impact Fee Committee, Ethics Commission, and numerous fairs and festivals. My volunteering includes LISD, the Board of the United Way of Greater Williamson County, the Leander FFA Alumni Board. We need to grow our police department and fire department as our population grows to maintain our coverage. Ronald Reagan Blvd., US 183, and the future 183A run through our town, and we need roads that will smoothly bring traffic off those roads to our homes and businesses. Attracting more businesses to Leander by working with our Economic Development Director and the Leander Chamber and creating an environment that promotes new business growth is a must. This will bring in new tax dollars to help us afford roads, water/wastewater, utilities, parks, recreation, and public safety. We need to continue working with other cities, municipalities, and organizations in the spirit of cooperation and to share the burden of expenses.
  • Mike Robinson - Why am I qualified? I always find that an odd question. Part of what makes this country special is that a person doesn’t need any special qualifications to be involved his community on any level. I’m just a guy who is raising his family in Leander, my kids go to school here, our home is in Leander and I have a vested interest in how Leander grows. If elected I will keep the interest of all citizens first and foremost. The city council is charged with the governing of all citizens and any action taken by the council should be for the benefit of the largest majority of those citizens as possible. Keeping in mind that with every vote made, someone will be adversely effected. I will bring common-sense thinking to the council, beholding to no special interests or voting block.
• Place 4
  • Michell Cantwell - I served on Leander City Council from May 2003 to June 2005. During my time on the council, a lot of big issues came across the table and a lot was accomplished in that timeframe. I manage 2 dental practices for my boss, and I understand the budgetary process and managing the flow of money. I have lived in Leander since May 2000, and I understand the concerns of taxpayers. I plan to focus heavily on economic development. I understand the benefits of bringing in new business for city growth, but also how business will remove some of the tax burden on residents. I plan to hold taxes even, without increasing property taxes; the increase in new business, not just corporate but also local businesses, will contribute to the tax base. I feel that it is imperative to develop parkland for the quality of life for our citizens. The council should look to acquire land east of 183, where no city parks currently exist. I feel road expansion on 2243 and Crystal Falls East to Ronald Reagan Blvd. is necessary from both a traffic congestion and safety perspective.
  • Simon Garcia - As an active community member, I meet the qualifications for making important decisions for Leandernites as their Place 4 city councilman. In our local government I have served on the Board of Adjustments and I am currently on the Capital Improvements Advisory Board as well as the Planning and Zoning Commission. I am an active member and former public relations officer of the Leander Community Club. I played a key role in organizing the Fall Festival and the Christmas parade (both of which were great accomplishments according to my daughter). I am now taking the step up to city council with the strong belief that I can help Leander become a haven for our families while stimulating the local economy. I will make concerted and conscientious decisions to promote prosperity in Leander. I will communicate with those who will feel the greatest impact, our residents and business owners, and do the research to make the best possible decision. Once again, I hope to spend more time working out among our neighbors than behind the dias.
• Place 6
  • David Siebold - I have been involved with the city since moving to Leander 11 years ago. I have served the public for the past 7 years on the city council with the city nearly tripling in population during that time. With countless hours of city planning training, I have a firm grasp of how to manage Leander’s rapid growth. There is more to leading a city than just showing up to the meetings and casting your vote. An effective leader needs to bring forth the ideas that help a city grow. I have shown that I am capable of that kind of leadership with a vision of what Leander can be in the future. The focus will be on economic development, quality of life, and infrastructure improvements. I will continue to work to bring retail and employment opportunities to our city. More quality-of-life options will be available with the completion of our library. With a bond election in the near future, I support a recreation center that would offer services for families and seniors. Infrastructure improvements will be needed with road projects (E. Crystal Falls Blvd), water/wastewater capacity (regional project with Cedar Park, Round Rock and LCRA), along with adding sidewalks.
  • Rob Lederman - I served 8 years on the city council and served 2 years as mayor pro tem. I helped increase housing and roads and was involved in Transit-Oriented Development (TOD). I have lived in the Cedar Park/Leander area since 1975, in Leander for the past 15 years. I also served 10 years as Leander volunteer firefighter, two years as volunteer chief. I plan on increasing the number of new businesses in Leander. With more economic development, the citizens of Leander will have more places to shop and eat in their own town, without having to travel to one of the surrounding towns. I desire to have a plan for youth development. While there is a YMCA in Cedar Park, I believe Leander youth should have a place to hang out closer to home.

Candidates running unopposed were not included: in Cedar Park, Stephen Berry, Place 2; Cobby Caputo, Place 6; in Leander, John Cowman, mayor. Their responses and the unabridged responses of the candidates listed on this page can be found on our Web site at www.impactnewspaper.com.

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