Mathematician
Reason, and reason again
It's official. I knew as soon as the Dallas Morning News called me for an interview. I'm on the ballot for mayor.
A brief sketch of my 10-point platform can be found below:
1. Recognize Development Concerns: As Highland Village continues to develop, her citizens fear the relaxed community atmosphere which has kept this town great may one day wane in favor of large commerce. I promise to work with small business owners and citizens on the north side of Highland Village to address TOD (Transit Oriented Development) with local homeowners. Furthermore, we must press the issue of traffic, noise, and gasoline pollution on 2499 and Justin Road. I propose planting more trees along the future extention to cover noise and air pollution, working with the state to implement a safety network by Heritage, expanding the roads to make traffic less congested, making sure drainage issues are accounted for, and utilizing a consumer migration strategy to ease the burden on some households.
2. Environmental Responsibility: I support energy-efficient facilities and renovation projects that utilize cost-effective alternatives. Furthermore, I believe we need to be acutely aware of the natural wildlife in our city and maintain facilities that are hygienic and safe. Some of our parks, most notably the bathrooms, are in need of serious repair.
3. Effective Police Force: Our police play a vital role in keeping Highland Village safe. We have been ranked the safest city in North Texas for 6 consecutive years, which is a real testament to the men and women who sacrifice their time for the good of the city, but there is still much more that needs to done. I will unequivocally support the current programs meant to protect HV businesses and drivers. Furthermore, we should invest in electronic documentation system that will replace hard copies and save money in the long run.
4. Concern for Kids and Young Adults: All candidates running for the position of mayor hold the safety and happiness of Highland Village's youth at heart. Being a student of Marcus High School and the brother of two wonderful siblings, I believe I have the knowledge necessary to meet expectations, and even go above and beyond to achieve speculator results. I will work tirelessly with the state to alleviate traffic problems in the direct proximity of our schools. Other issues I have an interest in include: redefining the ordinance for sex offenders within city limits, addressing drug and depression awareness through an extension of the LETS program into higher education (that primarily uses methods that draw in 15-18 year olds), providing young adults with healthy, fun, and affordable establishments for leisure purposes, and getting teenagers interested in their civil duties through student broadcast movements and other such mediums.
5. E-Democracy and Internet Utilization: I believe the general public has neglected the importance of the internet in relation to civil discourse. I propose investing more in the Highland Village website to keep the public better aware and involved. One prospect I'm interested in is replacing paper voting with online voting (with the authorization of necessary officials). Such a radical departure from the conventional system would be cost and time effective. If anyone does not have internet access, they could then proceed to the designated voting area. Oversight would be run similarly to now. This project would require a collective interest on part of the citizenry, as I will foremost be a voice for democratizing the internet.
6. Regional Radio: A weaker prospect was discussed a few years ago, but the issue has been largely forgotten. As part of my platform of resident activism, I support working with greater Lewisville, Flower Mound, and Copper Canyon to form a regional radio station cooperative. Other than initial costs, the radio would be funded entirely on local advertisements. Revenue in the form of a royalty can even be taken out to help all our respected cities. We could draw more wealth into Highland Village, provide a medium for residents to debate, and promote local bands and events.
7. Senior Citizen Tax Relief: Like Fred Busche, I believe in easing the tax burden off of our senior citizens (65+) and disabled by granting tax entitlements.
8. Initiative, Recall, and Referendum: The demand for citizen action is absurdly high, considering what it takes to run for public office. The greater of 10% of registered voters or 65% of votes casted in previous elections puts a strain on active citizens. I want to reduce the yield to the greater of 5% or 50% votes casted.
9. End At-Large Voting: I believe local governments provide the best method for achieving success. Currently all council members are chosen at large. This leaves a gap where the people of one side are not properly represented. I propose holding the city even more accountable by breaking the town into 6 divisions.
10. Lower Property Taxes: All potential headaches (that have not yet come into fruition) should be supplemented with lower taxation. The new revenue from commerce is enough to sustain city projects. Municipal-level sales tax now account for more revenue than in previous years. For these three reasons I propose lowering the property tax rate. The current council has not showed any inclination towards such a move, and Mr. Busche's plan only addresses senior citizens. The current property tax rate is 2.18%, with .57% coming from the city. I propose lowering this to somewhere between .50-.55%.
A brief sketch of my 10-point platform can be found below:
1. Recognize Development Concerns: As Highland Village continues to develop, her citizens fear the relaxed community atmosphere which has kept this town great may one day wane in favor of large commerce. I promise to work with small business owners and citizens on the north side of Highland Village to address TOD (Transit Oriented Development) with local homeowners. Furthermore, we must press the issue of traffic, noise, and gasoline pollution on 2499 and Justin Road. I propose planting more trees along the future extention to cover noise and air pollution, working with the state to implement a safety network by Heritage, expanding the roads to make traffic less congested, making sure drainage issues are accounted for, and utilizing a consumer migration strategy to ease the burden on some households.
2. Environmental Responsibility: I support energy-efficient facilities and renovation projects that utilize cost-effective alternatives. Furthermore, I believe we need to be acutely aware of the natural wildlife in our city and maintain facilities that are hygienic and safe. Some of our parks, most notably the bathrooms, are in need of serious repair.
3. Effective Police Force: Our police play a vital role in keeping Highland Village safe. We have been ranked the safest city in North Texas for 6 consecutive years, which is a real testament to the men and women who sacrifice their time for the good of the city, but there is still much more that needs to done. I will unequivocally support the current programs meant to protect HV businesses and drivers. Furthermore, we should invest in electronic documentation system that will replace hard copies and save money in the long run.
4. Concern for Kids and Young Adults: All candidates running for the position of mayor hold the safety and happiness of Highland Village's youth at heart. Being a student of Marcus High School and the brother of two wonderful siblings, I believe I have the knowledge necessary to meet expectations, and even go above and beyond to achieve speculator results. I will work tirelessly with the state to alleviate traffic problems in the direct proximity of our schools. Other issues I have an interest in include: redefining the ordinance for sex offenders within city limits, addressing drug and depression awareness through an extension of the LETS program into higher education (that primarily uses methods that draw in 15-18 year olds), providing young adults with healthy, fun, and affordable establishments for leisure purposes, and getting teenagers interested in their civil duties through student broadcast movements and other such mediums.
5. E-Democracy and Internet Utilization: I believe the general public has neglected the importance of the internet in relation to civil discourse. I propose investing more in the Highland Village website to keep the public better aware and involved. One prospect I'm interested in is replacing paper voting with online voting (with the authorization of necessary officials). Such a radical departure from the conventional system would be cost and time effective. If anyone does not have internet access, they could then proceed to the designated voting area. Oversight would be run similarly to now. This project would require a collective interest on part of the citizenry, as I will foremost be a voice for democratizing the internet.
6. Regional Radio: A weaker prospect was discussed a few years ago, but the issue has been largely forgotten. As part of my platform of resident activism, I support working with greater Lewisville, Flower Mound, and Copper Canyon to form a regional radio station cooperative. Other than initial costs, the radio would be funded entirely on local advertisements. Revenue in the form of a royalty can even be taken out to help all our respected cities. We could draw more wealth into Highland Village, provide a medium for residents to debate, and promote local bands and events.
7. Senior Citizen Tax Relief: Like Fred Busche, I believe in easing the tax burden off of our senior citizens (65+) and disabled by granting tax entitlements.
8. Initiative, Recall, and Referendum: The demand for citizen action is absurdly high, considering what it takes to run for public office. The greater of 10% of registered voters or 65% of votes casted in previous elections puts a strain on active citizens. I want to reduce the yield to the greater of 5% or 50% votes casted.
9. End At-Large Voting: I believe local governments provide the best method for achieving success. Currently all council members are chosen at large. This leaves a gap where the people of one side are not properly represented. I propose holding the city even more accountable by breaking the town into 6 divisions.
10. Lower Property Taxes: All potential headaches (that have not yet come into fruition) should be supplemented with lower taxation. The new revenue from commerce is enough to sustain city projects. Municipal-level sales tax now account for more revenue than in previous years. For these three reasons I propose lowering the property tax rate. The current council has not showed any inclination towards such a move, and Mr. Busche's plan only addresses senior citizens. The current property tax rate is 2.18%, with .57% coming from the city. I propose lowering this to somewhere between .50-.55%.
