Mayors - Round Rock and Pflugerville

Mayors - Round Rock and Pflugerville

Friday, 07 September 2007

Nyle Maxwell, Round Rock Mayor

Although born in Austin, Nyle Maxwell has lived in Round Rock since 1990. It was the family-oriented “social fabric” of the community that first attracted him and his wife Nancy. When they considered moving to west Austin a few years later, they decided to stay in the city and it is a choice they have not regretted, he said.

“This is home,” he said. “That is very important to me. It is why we work so hard for Round Rock.”

He is now serving his second term as mayor, which ends in 2008.

Q. What are the most important issues facing Round Rock?

A. I think it could be encompassed with two words — explosive growth. It is a challenge to know how we are going to manage it and determine how to make it successful. Our priorities and focus have remained constant including economic development with diversity. We have been successful and it is the reason we have such low tax rates. Traffic and mobility will always be a priority. We are constantly concerned with the new infrastructure we need to get on the ground to meet the growth and make sure people can get around town. We’re focused on the development and redevelopment around town and are looking specifically at downtown Round Rock and what we want it to be. Northeast Round Rock is the last great frontier. We have 1,100 acres of raw land. We want to do well. As a development it will look different. It will be denser and be more urban with mixed-use.

Q. What influenced you the most to run for mayor?

A. My civic involvement had been ongoing for several years. Running for mayor was a natural extension of being involved civically. It just looked like my next assignment.

Q. How do you balance work, family and being mayor?

A. A lot of folks resign their post in elected office because they say they need to spend time with their family. You never hear me say that because I have always spent time with my family. My wife and children are my first priorities. Everything else I schedule. I try not to schedule any weekend duties and during the evening I try to be home with my children. Otherwise, I am free game.

Q. When you were a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?

A. A race car driver. For awhile, I had forgotten about it. I went through a lot of stages, but when I think back to the earliest time that I can remember I always wanted to race on cars or motorcycles.

• Education: Studied three years at the University of Texas
• Family: Wife Nancy, sons Trey and Jeff and daughters Marcie and Gracie
• Contact information: 218-5403, mayor@round-rock.tx.us

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Jeff Coleman, Pflugerville Mayor

Jeff Coleman knew he wanted to be a part of politics from an early age. After earning his degree in political science, he thought he would work on the federal level, but after spending time at the city level, he found just were he wanted and needed to be.

Now, Coleman can’t imagine a better way to serve the community other than working in city government.

Elected in May, Coleman is serving his first term as mayor, which ends in 2010.

Q. What are the most important issues facing Pflugerville?

A. Currently, the most important issue facing Pflugerville is and continues to be our economic development that is in the process of occurring and that which is yet to come. We are trying to do everything we can to make Pflugerville inviting to commercial interests so that we can develop a stronger tax base utilizing not only our rooftops and our personal property taxes, but also developing a commercial property base and a sales tax base.

Q. What influenced you the most to run for mayor?

A. I saw Pflugerville at a crossroads, literally and figuratively. Literally, we are at the crossroads of Toll 45 and Toll 130. Figuratively, we are at a crossroads because we are at a place in our history where Pflugerville has the opportunity to continue becoming something special. And that as much as anything, I wanted to be a part of that direction and providing leadership in that direction. I was able to garner the support of the entire council, and that is something that has not occurred in at least seven years, that we had a council and a mayor that agreed with each other on most things, at least agreed with each other on direction. As much as anything, those were the two reasons.

Q. What is the most challenging aspect of your job?

A. Trying to make sure that I understand what is important to the majority of the people and not just the vocal few, and trying to balance my personal work responsibilities with my new and ever increasing city responsibilities.

Q. When you were a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?

A. I started off wanting to be a dentist, and it moved to a pastor of a church and at times a politician.

• Education: Bachelor’s in political science from Texas A&M at Corpus Christi
• Family: Wife Shannon, son Rylan and daughters Reaghan and Ramzey
• Contact information: 990-4363, mayor@cityofpflugerville.com