Who's Running for City Council?
Monday was the deadline for candidates to file paperwork for Richardson city council election. All seats are on the ballot. Only one sitting council member, Rhea Allison, is not seeking re-election. Here's an early look at the races. (Preliminary recommendations are denoted with an asterisk.)
- Place 1
- Bob Townsend*: incumbent Mayor Pro Tem; priorities have been neighborhood revitalization and economic development.
- Place 2 (open)
- Jennifer Justice: conference director, native of Richardson; priorities are public safety, quality of life and the environment.
- Jimmy Schnurr: attorney; background and campaign platform are unknown.
- Thomas Volmer: information technology administrator; background and campaign platform are unknown.
- Mark Solomon*: insurance sales; member of Parks and Recreation Commission, board member of Yale Park Homeowners Assoc., past Kiwanis Club president, past Berkner PTA and Berkner Booster Club president; good background, no obvious agenda.
- Place 3
- Sheryl Miller: retired; five time candidate; Crime Watch, Chamber of Commerce, League of Women Voters; priority in 2007 race was fighting against adult-oriented businesses.
- John Murphy*: incumbent; print shop owner; priorities have been redevelopment, traffic, aging infrastructure, building code enforcement, business redevelopment.
- Chris Davis: executive assistant; Republican Precinct 1709 Chair; endorsed Randall Dunning in the 2008 GOP primary for Texas House District 112 (Dunning advocates eliminating public schools, not teaching evolution, and eliminating the Constitutional separation of church and state); campaign platform is unknown.
- Place 4
- Thomas Bache-Wiig: advertising; background and campaign platform are unknown.
- Gary Slagel*: incumbent; software company president; long-time council member, former mayor, promoter of high tech development and mixed-use development along DART rail lines.
- Dianne Wardrup: executive search company president; past president of Richardson Regional Medical Center Foundation, board member of RISD Excellence in Education Foundation, president of Neighborhood Youth and Family Counseling Service of Richardson, past president of Rotary Club, board member of Chamber of Commerce; promotes business development, neighborhood revitalization and attracting retail.
- Place 5
- Bob Macy: retired; member of Zoning Board, board member of Richardson Regional Medical Centers Foundation, supporter of the Richard Coalition PAC; campaign platform is unknown.
- Pris Hayes*: incumbent; consultant; completing her first term, priorities have been parks, environmentalism, the arts, and attracting new people into civic service.
- Place 6
- Steve Mitchell*: incumbent; tax software development; completing his first term as mayor; priorities are neighborhood revitalization, including aging apartments and retail.
- Place 7
- Amir Omar: communications accounts manager; Chamber of Commerce, Rotary Club, FBI Citizens Academy, board member of Richardson Regional Medical Center Foundation, former GOP candidate for Congress; promotes a property tax freeze for seniors, a spending freeze, and tax incentives for home improvements.
- Dennis Stewart: incumbent; regional training coordinator; completing his first term, former police officer; priorities have been term limits, attracting new businesses, and a property tax cap for senior citizens.
* Preliminary recommendations (subject to change as more information about the candidates becomes available)
16 comments:
What does the UFMCC Christian Denomination promote where the candidate Justice is assistant to the Executive Director? What does she do as Director of Global Community Building and Strategic Implementation for the UFMCC?
Good questions, but I'm more interested in her proposals for Richardson than her work for UFMCC, just as I'm more interested in other candidates' proposals for Richardson than, say Jimmy Schnurr's legal clients or Thomas Bache-Wiig's advertising clients.
But what is the UFMCC? Never heard of it.
UFMCC = United Federation of Metropolitan Community Churches
Thought about what you said about more interested in the candidates' proposals than for whom they work or who are their clients. Maybe you should be more interested. Proposals are like campaign promises whereas a person's philosophy, morals, beliefs, etc. have a great bearing on the decisions they make and the ideals they put forth for the local community and the nation. Be careful who you elect for they may have great proposals but at the same time hand slip a little hemlock into your tea (i.e., Logan's Run).
I *am* interested in candidates' backgrounds, but it's not where I start. I start with their visions for Richardson.
Kind of like how I read comments posted by "Anonymous" readers. I am more interested in what they have to say than who they are, not that I'm not curious at times.
Alias Cognoski seems to have a curios opinion and inclination to recommend as if the opinions expressed here are any more/less credible than cornews.net. Who knows this person's real identity? Care to guess? Who does this sound like to you?
Readers have to form their own opinions based on what I say, not with what authority I claim.
So Ed, are you against Chris Davis or Randy Dunning. Or, are you OK with slinging your vial mud on someone based off what you believe someone else advocates.
Grow some integrity and find out what a person's belief's are before you start lobbing you mud at them.
Your profile states and I quote "open to new ideas, tolerant of others, a supporter of social progress and reform "
I submit that you are none of these. I believe you are the lowest form of political hatchet wielders. You incorrectly take the positions of others and assign them to someone you do not even know. Based solely on your own bias against conservatives.
Ed, I want to thank you for your listing of all the candidates for the 7 places on the Richardson City Council as well as links to their websites when available.
Please note that John Murphy's website is www.reelectjohnmurphy.com, where you can find not only info on John, but also info on how to vote, since Richardson is divided into two counties (Dallas and Collin).
Thanks!
Bill
William J. 'Bill' McCalpin, thanks for the link to John Murphy's Web site. I've updated my original post.
"Anonymous", I opposed Randy Dunning in his race for the Texas legislature. Chris Davis endorsed him. I'm willing to be persuaded that Chris Davis has changed her colors since last year, but I don't expect to see it.
I've been hearing some fairly positive things from Amir Omar, and who hasn't seen his signs around town! Seems like he is wanting to run a positive campaign.
So far, all the candidates seem to be putting positive faces on their campaigns.
There do seem to be some derogatory and unfounded smears floating around behind the scenes.
In the words of Alice Roosevelt Longworth...
"If you haven't got anything nice to say about anybody, come sit next to me."
;-)
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