Please identify two of the most important issues the City of Denton currently faces and explain how you, with a majority of Council, will resolve those issues.
The biggest issue is the budget, because in a Council-Manager form of government, it is through the City budget that the Council can most directly affect City operations. During the last 18 months, Denton has been experiencing significant downward shifts in our financial forecasts that affect everything we can and will do over the next several years.
My personal goal is so see to it that City services do not suffer drastic adverse changes that could seriously impact citizens who rely upon them.
I had several goals that I would have liked to bring forward when I took office approximately 22 months ago, such as
Unfortunately, these and other priorities are on temporary “hold” while we work through a hiring freeze, capital bond program delays, etc. caused by the budget crunch.
Another major issue is our deteriorating road infrastructure. While much of our problem relates to TxDOT roadways prematurely aging due to heavy traffic due to our growth (including very heavy water and other trucks used by gas drillers in our area) many local roads are also suffering the same fate.
My goal as we emerge from our budgetary constraints is that local roadway maintenance and capital road replacement be made top objectives by this and future Councils for the years needed to fully address this growing transportation crisis.