CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — Neighbors from across Corpus Christi crowded into the council chambers at City Hall on Tuesday morning for the swearing-in of new Corpus Christi City Council members. The new council members include District 3 city councilman Eric Cantu, District 4 city councilwoman Kaylynn Paxson, and Carolyn Vaughn and Mark Scott are returning as at-large council members.
Neighborhood news reporter Erin Holly has been covering the race for city council district 4for months. After a runoff between May Nardone Mendoza and Kaylynn Paxson, Paxson secured about 65% of the votes in District 4.
“I am feeling amazing. The energy in the room is incredible. The support that we saw in this election, you know, all these supporters coming out today, they’ve really brought that with them. I think that it really shows that Corpus Christi is ready for this leadership team to bring them with them in the process," Paxson said.
Throughout her campaign, Paxson has been passionate about her main goals of creating a real maintenance plan for streets and drainage and our fresh water source, identifying and eliminating wasteful spending, and bringing the focus of our city leadership back to the everyday needs and experiences of our community.
After the swearing-in ceremony, Neighborhood News reporter Erin Holly asked Paxson about her stance on homelessness in Corpus Christi.
“I am in support of finding successful initiatives that are going to address and advance the conversation in homelessness. It’s actually something that I’m very interested in. And it does actually touches District 4," Paxson said.
Paxson also emphasized the importance of finding solutions to water issues in Corpus Christi.
"My first priority is so focus on the day-to-day lives of our community, making sure that their needs are coming first. So, a good plan for our infrastructure, tackling these questions about water, finding a quick solution, and also a good deal for the long-term solution," Paxson said. "Those are a couple of the really big ticket items that we need to focus on."
Paxson is one of four women serving on city council, including Mayor Paulette Guajardo. Paxson takes pride in being a woman in a leadership position.
“It’s a great opportunity for me to represent not only our district, but to represent the women in leadership, the women who aspire to lead, the women that play so many very crucial roles in our community," Paxson said.
Several neighbors of Padre Island attended Tuesday's swearing-in ceremony in support of Paxson and her new role.
“Oh my gosh, we are just so excited for Kaylynn. She’s going to do a wonderful job for District 4," D.C. Ratcliff, a Padre Island resident said. "Just the opportunity for Kaylynn to serve and all that she already does for the island, it's going to be amazing, and amazing for the city."
Paxson encourages community members to not hesitate to reach out to her about any concerns they have for the city, especially District 4.
“I would like to request that the community continue this incredible amount of communication. We have to do this together," Paxson said.
She said one of her first priorities for her time in office is to focus on improving the infrastructure across district 4.
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