EDITOR'S NOTE: Question 8 has been edited for clarity. The answers to the question remain unedited.
KRIS 6 compiled a questionnaire for running candidates for the 2024 Nueces County General Elections, and here are their responses.
1. If elected, what would be your three priorities?
Water. Infrastructure. Fiscal Responsibility.
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2. The city budget has been a topic of concern this summer. What are your concerns with the budget? If elected, what steps would you take to improve it?
The operating budget and capital budget are not focusing on what we need. We do not need a $50,000,000 gas storage facility. We should not use non-voter-approved debt to fund city hall renovations for $7,000,000. The fleet vehicle car wash is not needed. We do not need a $15,000,000 warehouse. We do not need millions of dollars to market for gas and water departments when they are monopolies. There are two solutions to many of these types of projects. We can put it into roads, infrastructure, public safety, and other needs, or we can delay this spending to reduce the debt and burden for the taxpayer.
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3. The Coastal Bend is home to several military installations, refineries, and industry. What kind of role do you see Corpus Christi playing in the next 10 years? How would you contribute to its growth?
I would like to see the city continue to expand on our industrial and military sectors. I would also like for us to diversify our economy with new business sectors. Tech, manufacturing, software, and healthcare are a few potential business sectors that we could benefit from. We need to make sure our workforce training through all of our programs are suited for the incoming jobs to our area.
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4. Plans to build a desalination plant to serve Corpus Christi residents have been discussed for years. What additional water sources do you support, and how long would it take to get them operational?
I support many viable water sources including ground water, desalination, water storage and others. The length it takes to get a project up and running depends on the project.
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5. In July, the Corpus Christi City Council voted to give City Manager Peter Zanoni a 10% pay raise. That increases his yearly salary from $372,000-$409,200. That’s a $37,200 boost in pay. If you were on the council at the time of the vote, did you vote for or against the raise, and why? If you are not on the council, but had the opportunity to vote on giving Zanoni a raise, how would you vote and why?
I voted against the raise. I voted this way because, at the time of the vote the city had a $25 million deficit, a majority of the city employees did not receive their annual cost of living pay increase, and the upcoming bloated budget.
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6. There are several streets in need of repairs. What neighborhood streets do you think are in most need?
A lot. The city already has in place a program to identify streets that need to be fixed immediately. That can change on a regular basis. Prioritizing streets is a necessity but it should be flexible and the public should always have a way to put their input into this process because they are the ones that drive on the streets every day.
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7. Our viewers say the stray dog population is a problem on the city’s west side and north side. Some animal advocates say our city animal shelter is overpopulated and would like it to become a no-kill shelter. If elected, how would you solve these issues?
We need to work with the local animal organizations. We need restructuring in our animal care services. We need to offer all the vet clinics the opportunity for our spay and neuter program, so that the current ones are not overburdened.
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8. How would you encourage our local police department to be more transparent?
The Council needs to work with the Police Department to develop a plan of action that includes news conferences on issues of interest to the public or those in which the public’s safety is at risk. There is always information that police cannot release until they have all the facts or are finished with their investigations.
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9. Community events like Art Walk and Farmer's Market have become popular over the last three years. What method would you use to boost local businesses and the local economy?
One method that I helped support was blocking off the streets and opening them to the walking public to allow for a safer space, which allowed easier accessibility to businesses at the events.
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10. The monthly Art Walk in Corpus Christi has become hugely popular over the last few months. If elected, what would you do to bring family-friendly events like this to our city?
Work with Visit Corpus Christi, the hoteliers, and all related organizations on a new plan that doesn’t include a multi-million dollar convention center hotel funded by taxpayers.
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11. Events like Art Walk, the annual Dia Delos Muertos, and St. Patrick’s Day Festival draw thousands of people to downtown Corpus Christi, but many attendees say there isn’t enough parking. What is your solution to this issue?
One solution I would like to approach is working with private parking garages to allow for daily passes to help them generate revenue. We could focus on public transportation (work with RTA) and private transportation (Taxi, Uber) to help supply efficient routes. We could always look at the opportunity for a new private parking garage.
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12. Where do you plan on being on election night?
