Interview: Brian Loughmiller, McKinney mayoral candidate

by Staff of McKinneyNews.net

Loughmiller, who has been a McKinney resident for 20 years, is a family practice attorney in McKinney.

McKinneyNews.net recently interviewed Brian Loughmiller who is running for Mayor in the May 9 election. Loughmiller, who has been a McKinney resident for 20 years, is a family practice attorney in McKinney, and is running against George Fuller.

McKinneyNews.Net: Your campaign slogan or "tag line" is "Shaping McKinney's Future Today." How did you come up with that?

Loughmiller: I was discussing the time commitment that would be required to campaign and, if I win, to be Mayor of McKinney, with my family, my son, Reece, became very excited about the prospect. I said, "If I run for mayor, I need to have a slogan and I told Reece that I thought it would be great if he would choose to come back to live in McKinney as an adult. What can I do to help McKinney now?"

From our discussion, Reece actually came up with this (the slogan). He originally came up with 'securing McKinney's future today' and we tweaked it."

McKinneyNews.Net: What do you mean by "Shaping McKinney's Future Today"?

Loughmiller: It is important to be pro-active. We have to be thinking ahead, planning for tomorrow today.

McKinneyNews.Net: What made you want to run for Mayor of McKinney?

Loughmiller: I hear comments that I am planning a career in politics; that running for mayor is a stepping stone, but I don't know where that comes from. I want to be home with my family - I don't want to spend weeks in Austin away from them. Obviously, being Mayor of McKinney will take time away from my family, but I enjoy volunteering. I have nothing to gain from a business perspective - this would take time away from my business.

I work in a field that is highly emotional (family law). I realize that it is hard for people to understand how I can deal with families that are breaking up on a daily basis. I try to help them settle in a positive way. Volunteering is an outlet for me. I enjoy doing things for the community, like Relay for Life or coaching mock trial teams. I want to do something positive for our community.

McKinneyNews.Net: What would your primary focus be as Mayor of McKinney?

Loughmiller: We need to focus on the long term view. What do we want McKinney to be like in 10 years, 20 years? What does that mean in terms of future infrastructure. Our road projects will be complete in 2014 and the airport runway will be finished around the same time. What does this mean for community growth along those corridors?

We can control growth if we want to, with zoning - we (the council) set densities and we don't have to allow McKinney to become as huge (population wise) as predicted. Developers come in with a general development plan and I propose that we examine each plan and see where changes might be made. For example, when I was on city council, I worked with the developer, who was going to build at Hardin and Virginia, and the citizens of Mallard Lakes to discuss the transition from residential to business zones. We came to an agreement that the developer would extend the no build area 100 feet and there would be more trees added in the transition from residential area to commercial.

This was a tangible, positive result that can be seen. We need to be willing to sit down at the table and make sure all parties are represented. I want to be proactive - to work with developers before we come to a council meeting to focus on what is most beneficial overall for the city. Developers are often willing to compromise - we need to utilize that.

It's important to try to increase our commercial tax base; to investigate how to have commercial and residential properties side by side.

McKinneyNews.Net: As Mayor, how would you address the needs of those individuals living on the east side of McKinney?

Loughmiller: There are infrastructure issues, particularly water lines, that need to be addressed. With regard to the Highway 5 redevelopment plans we need to look at how we do it so residents and businesses don't feel disenfranchised. We need them to want to be a part of it.

We also need to look at working on projects to generate tax revenue. If the community on the east side can support this, then we can reinvest some of that tax revenue into the east side. We have to work toward trust.

McKinneyNews.Net: What is your greatest strength?

Loughmiller: I know how to compromise. I have the mindset to see the bigger picture and try to bring people together, building consensus, to get there. I don't have a problem with standing on principles; sometimes the practical situation requires discussion as to how to make it better.

My strength as a family law attorney, knowing how to compromise, brings positive results to a bad situation.

McKinneyNews.Net: What is your greatest weakness?

Loughmiller: Compromise. Compromise is sometimes perceived as a weakness. When you are 1 vote out of 7 (on the city council), sometimes you are on the losing end. Sometimes compromise serves your constituents best. You might be able to achieve more by compromise than just a "no" vote.

McKinneyNews.Net: What is the biggest issue, in your mind, that McKinney faces?

Loughmiller: There are a lot of frustrations about how policies are made. We must propagate trust and to do that we (city government) must be transparent. We must be honest with the citizens - the more information you give out publicly, the more people will get on board.

I am in favor of televising meetings and publishing our annual goals that are established at our retreat, which by the way, is open to the public. I am in favor of each council representative doing a monthly column about what is happening in their district. I pushed for televising our meetings back when I was on the city council.

McKinneyNews.Net: In this economic downturn, McKinney will experience a $5.5 million shortfall. How would you address that?

Loughmiller: I need to look at the budget - the time to set a new budget is coming up. We actually need to look at the budget more than once a year and see how we can prioritize our projects. If we can't take on every project that we desire, how do we prioritize? We look at the goals we have set for the year and decide how projects fit with that goal and fit financially.

Is there a way we can save money of architectural standards? For example, on city projects, we might be able to build smaller facilities in some cases.

We need to lobby in Austin to change the bidding constraints on projects. City projects are awarded on qualification, not necessarily on price. Let's look at ways to control price on projects.

McKinneyNews.Net: What message would you give to the youth of our community if you are elected Mayor?

Loughmiller: That they matter. They are citizens. We make decisions that will affect their future, so their voice matters.

McKinneyNews.Net: You have experience as a city council representative. Do you feel that that is of great benefit in your bid for Mayor?

Loughmiller: McKinney is a city manager form of government. I will know from day one what the process is. I understand how this form of city government works and the roles of the staff. I understand the dynamic between what would be my role as council member representing the citizens of McKinney and my role in challenging the staff. I already am familiar with the group dynamic.

It is in the interest of the entire community and in the interest of our government entity to work together to make policies that benefit our city and its citizens.