CANDIDATE Q&A
Get to know the candidates running in the election
Incumbent
Leander City Council, Place 1
Why are you the best candidate for this seat?
What are the top issues the city is facing?
What do you think sustainable growth looks like for Leander?
(1) Unbalanced proportion of residential vs. commercial development. Lack of entertain- ment. Continue the focus on commercial development, manage residential growth. (2) Infrastructure, transportation is obvious and very expensive. Commercial develop- ment can be a big help. (3) Water. Alternate water sources are an option and again, very expensive, but we must prepare for the future. (4) Sta shortage and facilities. We are outgrowing current facilities. Improve city communication and commu- nity engagement through modernization. Commercial development to improve our tax base and employment opportunities. Trac management and public transit im- provements for public safety. Expand public event opportunities to provide more enter- tainment options for residents. Improving residential development for availability and quality of life. Continued improvements to water infrastructure and resource manage- ment to sustain growth.
Experience! Years spent serving the communi- ty on boards, commissions, committees, years attending council meetings before running. I was prepared then and still am, but I realize there is more to do. My decades of sales expe- rience gives me the temperament to handle the job through listening, connecting, building trust and coming up with common-sense solutions and creative problem-solving. With over 30 years of experience supporting complex environments, I amwell-versed in taking a holistic approach to balancing risk, stakeholder needs and budgetary restraints to identify solutions that support everyone involved. And my dedication to honest com- munication, community service and nding common ground means that I will be open to the needs of all residents.
Dierent than recent years! Rapid growth and infrastructure burden is not sustain- able. The community can partner with us by voluntarily conserving. Developers can partner with us by oering energy- and water-ecient options. The market should balance out. We must be prepared nancial- ly. The rapid growth and associated fees will decrease. Homeowners can’t be left holding the tax burden bag! Creating sustainable growth in the future will require us to focus on balancing commercial development that will bring in employers and tax revenue with the needs and quality of life for our residents. We must improve our coordination with developers to meet the needs of nearby communities within the limitations of our infrastructure.
KATHRYN PANTALIONPARKER
Occupation: sales Relevant experience: rst term on council, boards, commissions including charter review www.http://kp4leander.com
Occupation: director of IT security TREY SCHISSER
Relevant experience: 30 years of corporate, community and volunteer experience www.https://trey4leander.com
Leander City Council, Place 5
CHRIS CZERNEK
BILL LOUDEN
ANNETTE SPONSELLER
Occupation: new home sales counselor
Occupation: retired business execu- tive, retired ACC professor/depart- ment chair for international business Relevant experience: 15-year resident of Leander, 30 in Texas. Successful career in developing and leading entrepreneurial companies. HOA board member, Hawkes Landing www.louden4leander.com
Occupation: applications administrator
Relevant experience: Current City Council member and background in real estate, leadership, crisis manage- ment, communication and coaching www.facebook.com/chris4leander
Relevant experience: charter review commission (2017 and 2021); City Council, Place 2 (2020); P&Z commission (2019); comprehensive plan committee (2019); ethics commission www.annette4leander.com
Why are you the best candidate for this seat?
In a time of unprecedented growth and change, our city needs leadership that is steady, well-tempered, respected, respectful, morally focused and uses common sense when solving issues. I am a unier and committed to working with citizens, fellow council members and sta of all personality types and opinions.
I believe my GE executive training and 30-plus years of business experience working and living in two countries plus eight states gives me a broad perspective of what is needed to lead Leander into the future. I was an early pioneer of the internet and online communities and continue to explore new ways of improving our online internet experiences.
I have lived in the Leander community for over 10 years and have signicant experience working with our city through various volunteer roles within and other community orga- nizations. I have immersed myself in learning about the city and its infrastructure, and I have a track record of working hard to get the job done with a willingness to learn.
What are the top issues the city is facing?
Our top issues facing Leander are growing [at] a rate that is hard to keep up with as far as water and road infrastruc- ture is concerned, we have a tax base that is severely dependent on our property taxes and we lack the type of entertainment options (restaurants, family venues, cool spots) that are expected in a town like ours.
Clearly growth is both our blessing and our curse. More growth [equals a] larger tax base. But we need to plan for that future growth by investing today. Water resources, roads, our transportation infrastructure and our partnership with CapMetro are critical. We need to continue attracting new businesses yet maintain our “small-town feel.” This requires a sensible, balanced, nancial approach.
The future of Leander’s public transportation is the biggest issue facing Leander. Whether the voters vote out of CapMetro or not, there is ample work to improve Leander’s public transportation to include all of its residents’ needs and provide safe and reliable services. If elected, I’ll work to improve transit service, operating hours and improved coordination among modes.
What do you think sustainable growth looks like for Leander?
Sustainable growth would be adding to our city at a pace that can be serviced. Servicing would include water, roads and providing a safe city to live in. It would be growing in all areas (commercial, residential, oce, industrial) so we are not dependent on one tax base when we are fully built out.
In the 15 years I have lived in Leander, we have grown from a town of 7,500 to a city of nearly 75,000. We will add another 25,000 in ve years. We have the room, but we need to be smart. We need to continue looking ahead and innovating, not relying on past solutions. That takes new leadership with new ideas.
Leander can sustainably manage its growth by being diligent with development proposals, maintaining necessary infra- structure, and being transparent with residents and devel- opers. Planning the city’s growth correctly nowwill allow the city to maintain and sustain positive, successful growth.
Answers may have been edited for length, style and clarity. Read full Q&A’s at communityimpact.com .
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COMMUNITY IMPACT NEWSPAPER • COMMUNITYIMPACT.COM
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