Dallas Morning News Candidate Questionnaire
Why are you running, and what do you hope to accomplish in office?
I am running for re-election because there is still a lot of work to do. There are still many policies and ordinances impacting quality of life in Duncanville that can be updated and improved. Our first responders are still not receiving fair compensation and support, and need individuals on Council to advocate for them. Duncanville is still struggling to attract and retain quality businesses and needs individuals on Council to advocate for improvements and innovations in regards to Economic Development policy. Duncanville needs individuals on Council who believe in government transparency, and will strive to keep the public informed and encourage citizen engagement. Duncanville needs individuals on Council who are themselves accessible to the public and have an active presence in the neighborhoods they represent. The city needs individuals who advocate for unity and cooperation between the diverse citizens, their representatives, and city staff. These are just a few areas where Duncanville needs to move forward and I am running to play an active role in helping the city make progress overall.
Specifically, my personal goals are (not in order of priority) to 1) make sure city ordinances that impact quality of life are in place and enforced 2) make sure the budget is free of wasteful spending 3) improve/update Economic Development policy and support innovative ideas and methods for attracting/retaining quality businesses 4) support plans for incremental salary increases for first responders 5) support various beautification, preservation, and conservation efforts including various proposed ordinances for native landscaping and greenspace protection. 6) push for completion of various Bond Projects including Armstrong and Harrington Park improvements, Danieldale Rd construction completion, Service Center improvements, and Fire Station.
Other than the people, what is the single greatest asset of your district/city? How would you promote and preserve it?
Like anywhere else, Duncanville's greatest and most valuable assets are its natural features such as creeks, lakes, and greenspaces. Duncanville is a beautiful city, showcasing a number of attractive, natural features in a relatively small amount of space. The worth of these increasingly rare natural assets goes far beyond that which can be measured in dollars. These natural features offer attractive aesthetics, physical, mental, and spiritual health benefits, places of escape and serenity, and other quality of life benefits that cannot be quantified, but that the average citizen can immediately understand. These natural areas are also increasingly rare and sensitive to development. Generally, individuals approaching and in retirement age seek to live in areas that are peaceful and have natural beauty. At the same time, young families, those with children, modern businesses and entrepreneurs are also attracted to areas with natural beauty, places to hike and explore, and are increasingly concerned about protecting the environment. These natural features ought to be promoted by increased use in the city's marketing materials, be showcased more on our website and in brochures, and more public events ought to be held in and around these areas to give them more publicity and as an attraction for new residents and businesses. The city also needs to adopt ordinances and policies that protect these natural assets.
What is the greatest need of your district/city? How would you act to provide for that need?
Duncanville's greatest need is unity. As a student of the city's history, I have followed the social and political highs and lows of our community. Great things have happened when citizens set aside their differences and worked together to achieve their goals. In my view, this community pride and unity reached its peak in the late 1980s and 1990s, during which Kidsville was funded and built by citizens, and also during a great time of economic development in the city. Unfortunately, some time shortly after, that community spirit seemed to dwindle, certain factions emerged, and Duncanville has struggled to regain that sense of unity. In order for us to experience any meaningful progress and realize any meaningful changes, we must have unity, and in order to have unity, we must be willing to communicate openly. I will continue to provide for that need by being transparent and honest with the citizens of Duncanville, by remaining accessible and responsive to my constituents, and advocating for more open discussion and compromise between opposing parties on and off Council. For District 3, I believe the greatest need is for active representation. This has been one of my primary goals the last 2 years, making every effort to make sure I am accessible, and that I not only listen to resident concerns but that I am responsive.
Law enforcement is a critical function of local government. What is the greatest public safety concern in your city, and how would you recommend it be addressed?
Duncanville is not a city that tends to generate a lot of its own criminal activity, but is constantly absorbing criminal activity from the city of Dallas which surrounds us on 3 borders. A great deal of this activity, including frequent thefts, assaults, drug trafficking, and even cases of murder, are reported along and within the Duncanville/Dallas borders in District 3. Currently, our greatest public safety concern is the fact that the city of Duncanville is (at the time of this writing) short 9 police officers. Many ideas have been proposed, some by concerned citizens who live in these areas, on how to reduce crime and make these areas safer, but there currently is not room in the city's budget or resources to implement some of these ideas. We need to be more diligent in 1) improving our economic development policies, 2) identifying new sources of revenue for the city and 3) reducing wasteful spending, to provide for more competitive salaries for all our first responders.
What is your view of the current property tax rate in your city? What steps would you take or support to address homeowners’ tax burden?
I begin every conversation I have with citizens about the tax rate with a discussion about some of the reasons for property tax increases, and where those tax dollars actually end up. Many people are under the misconception that it is their city alone that determines how much they pay in taxes, and that the city alone collects everything we pay in property tax. It is important for citizens to understand that cities receive a percentage of property tax collected, but that taxes also go to school districts, local colleges, the County, as well as to support hospitals. Tax burdens are not entirely placed on the shoulders of the citizens by the city in which they live, but cities do play a role in determining how much property owners are taxed. Last year the Duncanville City Council adopted a tax rate that was just below the voter approval rate. This means that if we would have raised the rate any higher, it would have required an election for approval. I voted to adopt the proposed tax rate believing that the increased revenue would go toward improving a variety of city services and would directly lead to quality of life improvements for the citizens of Duncanville. Looking over the past year, I have been disappointed as to how the city revenue was distributed, and am not convinced the tax increase in fact led to improvements in the day to day life of Duncanville residents. Looking at the tax burden, citizens need to look to hold all taxing entities responsible, including the cities in which they live. Each year I learn more and more about this critical issue, and learn more and more how citizens are impacted. If re-elected, I intend to 1) give more scrutiny to the proposed tax rate, 2) give more scrutiny to how tax revenue is spent, and 3) pursue all means possible to get us closer to the no-new-revenue rate which, although having no bearing on rates adopted by other taxing entities, would greatly reduce the city taxes paid by residents of Duncanville.
How should the city address the need for housing across income levels, and how can you contribute to the solution?
The concern I have for the city of Duncanville is not the quantity of available housing across income levels, by the quality of housing that is available, multi-family housing as well as rental properties. The city can address this issue by updating, improving, and enforcing ordinances regarding apartments and rental properties to prevent situations in which those who live in lower income housing are not the victims of neglect from property owners and managers. Building codes need to be updated, improved, and enforced to ensure that housing across all income levels, single or multifamily, is safe and hospitable.
Some suburban cities are having to make difficult decisions about the ratio of single family homes to multifamily housing. What’s the right ratio for your city?
The land area of Duncanville is already over 95% developed, with most of that space as residential development. The ratio for single family to multifamily housing is practically set. The city is not currently reviewing any opportunities for residential expansion or annexation. During the time I have lived here, I have not heard much of any concern about the ratio of single family homes to multifamily housing. To my knowledge and at the time of this writing, there are no economic development opportunities or proposals that involve additional multifamily housing.
What should the city’s policy be on short term rentals?
The city of Duncanville is in desperate need of revising its policies regarding short term rentals. Among those revisions, amendments need to be made that limit the number of short term rentals in a given area or on a given street, and stricter parameters need to be set regarding the use of such properties. The city also needs to revise and update the comprehensive zoning ordinance in a manner which reduces the number of SUP cases required to be reviewed by the Council and Planning and Zoning Commission.
What are the most significant transportation issues your city and/or district face? What steps would you support to address those concerns?
As long as we have lived in Duncanville, there has been public support for increasing opportunities for public transportation. Being a "bedroom community" Duncanville would benefit from having some sort of means for residents to commute to and from their places of work in Dallas, Ft Worth, and other surrounding cities. Recently the Council reviewed a proposal by a public transportation service provider, but nothing has come of that proposal as of this writing. Some ideas regarding public transportation, because they would involve costly upgrades to the city's infrastructure, are simply not financially feasible at this time, and fall behind a larger set of priorities. I am open to considering different approaches to addressing these concerns.
Are charter schools a good option for parents in your district/city? Do you support or oppose additional charters?
Two of our children currently attend a charter school in Duncanville. We have multiple charter schools that offer high quality education and safe environments for students. They are indeed a good option for parents in our city. However, I would not support the construction of additional charters, but would consider supporting economic development incentives toward renovations and improvements to empty buildings in Duncanville for different educational purposes, including charter schools.
Suburbs owe much to the city they surround, but recent news shows that Dallas suburbs are attracting businesses and residents even more than Dallas is. How do you see your city contributing to the success of the larger Dallas-Fort Worth area? How would you like to see your city work with other cities?
Most of the people who live in Duncanville do not work in Duncanville. Duncanville residents contribute to the success of the larger DFW area as professionals and workers in a variety of fields. There are multiple areas where I believe Duncanville has opportunities to be a leader and model for other DFW cities, particularly in the realm of water conservation, waterway management, and establishment of urban greenspaces. I also believe, because of its cultural diversity, Duncanville can serve as a model to other communities for building successful Economic Development models and strategies around cultural assets. Although cities have established formal partnerships, I still observe a lot of competition between adjacent cities. Competition for talented city staff and aggressive salary increases by some cities creates staffing and compensation issues for smaller cities struggling to reach full staffing levels. Cities with established partnerships tend to compete with one another for attendees and participants at city events. Cities that have shared systems and facilities often do not actively and regularly meet, exchange ideas, and discuss how to improve their partnerships for the mutual benefit of all cities involved. Rather, larger cities with greater tax bases and more resources tend to benefit more in these partnerships at the expense of smaller cities. I would like to see more active and regular communication between cities, between Council representatives from different cities, open a dialogue about how to reduce competition and increasing meaningful and mutually beneficial collaborations.
I am running for re-election because there is still a lot of work to do. There are still many policies and ordinances impacting quality of life in Duncanville that can be updated and improved. Our first responders are still not receiving fair compensation and support, and need individuals on Council to advocate for them. Duncanville is still struggling to attract and retain quality businesses and needs individuals on Council to advocate for improvements and innovations in regards to Economic Development policy. Duncanville needs individuals on Council who believe in government transparency, and will strive to keep the public informed and encourage citizen engagement. Duncanville needs individuals on Council who are themselves accessible to the public and have an active presence in the neighborhoods they represent. The city needs individuals who advocate for unity and cooperation between the diverse citizens, their representatives, and city staff. These are just a few areas where Duncanville needs to move forward and I am running to play an active role in helping the city make progress overall.
Specifically, my personal goals are (not in order of priority) to 1) make sure city ordinances that impact quality of life are in place and enforced 2) make sure the budget is free of wasteful spending 3) improve/update Economic Development policy and support innovative ideas and methods for attracting/retaining quality businesses 4) support plans for incremental salary increases for first responders 5) support various beautification, preservation, and conservation efforts including various proposed ordinances for native landscaping and greenspace protection. 6) push for completion of various Bond Projects including Armstrong and Harrington Park improvements, Danieldale Rd construction completion, Service Center improvements, and Fire Station.
Other than the people, what is the single greatest asset of your district/city? How would you promote and preserve it?
Like anywhere else, Duncanville's greatest and most valuable assets are its natural features such as creeks, lakes, and greenspaces. Duncanville is a beautiful city, showcasing a number of attractive, natural features in a relatively small amount of space. The worth of these increasingly rare natural assets goes far beyond that which can be measured in dollars. These natural features offer attractive aesthetics, physical, mental, and spiritual health benefits, places of escape and serenity, and other quality of life benefits that cannot be quantified, but that the average citizen can immediately understand. These natural areas are also increasingly rare and sensitive to development. Generally, individuals approaching and in retirement age seek to live in areas that are peaceful and have natural beauty. At the same time, young families, those with children, modern businesses and entrepreneurs are also attracted to areas with natural beauty, places to hike and explore, and are increasingly concerned about protecting the environment. These natural features ought to be promoted by increased use in the city's marketing materials, be showcased more on our website and in brochures, and more public events ought to be held in and around these areas to give them more publicity and as an attraction for new residents and businesses. The city also needs to adopt ordinances and policies that protect these natural assets.
What is the greatest need of your district/city? How would you act to provide for that need?
Duncanville's greatest need is unity. As a student of the city's history, I have followed the social and political highs and lows of our community. Great things have happened when citizens set aside their differences and worked together to achieve their goals. In my view, this community pride and unity reached its peak in the late 1980s and 1990s, during which Kidsville was funded and built by citizens, and also during a great time of economic development in the city. Unfortunately, some time shortly after, that community spirit seemed to dwindle, certain factions emerged, and Duncanville has struggled to regain that sense of unity. In order for us to experience any meaningful progress and realize any meaningful changes, we must have unity, and in order to have unity, we must be willing to communicate openly. I will continue to provide for that need by being transparent and honest with the citizens of Duncanville, by remaining accessible and responsive to my constituents, and advocating for more open discussion and compromise between opposing parties on and off Council. For District 3, I believe the greatest need is for active representation. This has been one of my primary goals the last 2 years, making every effort to make sure I am accessible, and that I not only listen to resident concerns but that I am responsive.
Law enforcement is a critical function of local government. What is the greatest public safety concern in your city, and how would you recommend it be addressed?
Duncanville is not a city that tends to generate a lot of its own criminal activity, but is constantly absorbing criminal activity from the city of Dallas which surrounds us on 3 borders. A great deal of this activity, including frequent thefts, assaults, drug trafficking, and even cases of murder, are reported along and within the Duncanville/Dallas borders in District 3. Currently, our greatest public safety concern is the fact that the city of Duncanville is (at the time of this writing) short 9 police officers. Many ideas have been proposed, some by concerned citizens who live in these areas, on how to reduce crime and make these areas safer, but there currently is not room in the city's budget or resources to implement some of these ideas. We need to be more diligent in 1) improving our economic development policies, 2) identifying new sources of revenue for the city and 3) reducing wasteful spending, to provide for more competitive salaries for all our first responders.
What is your view of the current property tax rate in your city? What steps would you take or support to address homeowners’ tax burden?
I begin every conversation I have with citizens about the tax rate with a discussion about some of the reasons for property tax increases, and where those tax dollars actually end up. Many people are under the misconception that it is their city alone that determines how much they pay in taxes, and that the city alone collects everything we pay in property tax. It is important for citizens to understand that cities receive a percentage of property tax collected, but that taxes also go to school districts, local colleges, the County, as well as to support hospitals. Tax burdens are not entirely placed on the shoulders of the citizens by the city in which they live, but cities do play a role in determining how much property owners are taxed. Last year the Duncanville City Council adopted a tax rate that was just below the voter approval rate. This means that if we would have raised the rate any higher, it would have required an election for approval. I voted to adopt the proposed tax rate believing that the increased revenue would go toward improving a variety of city services and would directly lead to quality of life improvements for the citizens of Duncanville. Looking over the past year, I have been disappointed as to how the city revenue was distributed, and am not convinced the tax increase in fact led to improvements in the day to day life of Duncanville residents. Looking at the tax burden, citizens need to look to hold all taxing entities responsible, including the cities in which they live. Each year I learn more and more about this critical issue, and learn more and more how citizens are impacted. If re-elected, I intend to 1) give more scrutiny to the proposed tax rate, 2) give more scrutiny to how tax revenue is spent, and 3) pursue all means possible to get us closer to the no-new-revenue rate which, although having no bearing on rates adopted by other taxing entities, would greatly reduce the city taxes paid by residents of Duncanville.
How should the city address the need for housing across income levels, and how can you contribute to the solution?
The concern I have for the city of Duncanville is not the quantity of available housing across income levels, by the quality of housing that is available, multi-family housing as well as rental properties. The city can address this issue by updating, improving, and enforcing ordinances regarding apartments and rental properties to prevent situations in which those who live in lower income housing are not the victims of neglect from property owners and managers. Building codes need to be updated, improved, and enforced to ensure that housing across all income levels, single or multifamily, is safe and hospitable.
Some suburban cities are having to make difficult decisions about the ratio of single family homes to multifamily housing. What’s the right ratio for your city?
The land area of Duncanville is already over 95% developed, with most of that space as residential development. The ratio for single family to multifamily housing is practically set. The city is not currently reviewing any opportunities for residential expansion or annexation. During the time I have lived here, I have not heard much of any concern about the ratio of single family homes to multifamily housing. To my knowledge and at the time of this writing, there are no economic development opportunities or proposals that involve additional multifamily housing.
What should the city’s policy be on short term rentals?
The city of Duncanville is in desperate need of revising its policies regarding short term rentals. Among those revisions, amendments need to be made that limit the number of short term rentals in a given area or on a given street, and stricter parameters need to be set regarding the use of such properties. The city also needs to revise and update the comprehensive zoning ordinance in a manner which reduces the number of SUP cases required to be reviewed by the Council and Planning and Zoning Commission.
What are the most significant transportation issues your city and/or district face? What steps would you support to address those concerns?
As long as we have lived in Duncanville, there has been public support for increasing opportunities for public transportation. Being a "bedroom community" Duncanville would benefit from having some sort of means for residents to commute to and from their places of work in Dallas, Ft Worth, and other surrounding cities. Recently the Council reviewed a proposal by a public transportation service provider, but nothing has come of that proposal as of this writing. Some ideas regarding public transportation, because they would involve costly upgrades to the city's infrastructure, are simply not financially feasible at this time, and fall behind a larger set of priorities. I am open to considering different approaches to addressing these concerns.
Are charter schools a good option for parents in your district/city? Do you support or oppose additional charters?
Two of our children currently attend a charter school in Duncanville. We have multiple charter schools that offer high quality education and safe environments for students. They are indeed a good option for parents in our city. However, I would not support the construction of additional charters, but would consider supporting economic development incentives toward renovations and improvements to empty buildings in Duncanville for different educational purposes, including charter schools.
Suburbs owe much to the city they surround, but recent news shows that Dallas suburbs are attracting businesses and residents even more than Dallas is. How do you see your city contributing to the success of the larger Dallas-Fort Worth area? How would you like to see your city work with other cities?
Most of the people who live in Duncanville do not work in Duncanville. Duncanville residents contribute to the success of the larger DFW area as professionals and workers in a variety of fields. There are multiple areas where I believe Duncanville has opportunities to be a leader and model for other DFW cities, particularly in the realm of water conservation, waterway management, and establishment of urban greenspaces. I also believe, because of its cultural diversity, Duncanville can serve as a model to other communities for building successful Economic Development models and strategies around cultural assets. Although cities have established formal partnerships, I still observe a lot of competition between adjacent cities. Competition for talented city staff and aggressive salary increases by some cities creates staffing and compensation issues for smaller cities struggling to reach full staffing levels. Cities with established partnerships tend to compete with one another for attendees and participants at city events. Cities that have shared systems and facilities often do not actively and regularly meet, exchange ideas, and discuss how to improve their partnerships for the mutual benefit of all cities involved. Rather, larger cities with greater tax bases and more resources tend to benefit more in these partnerships at the expense of smaller cities. I would like to see more active and regular communication between cities, between Council representatives from different cities, open a dialogue about how to reduce competition and increasing meaningful and mutually beneficial collaborations.