Richardson Coalition 2009 election preview

by Staff of of Richardson Coalition

Editor's note: The following is a preview/recommendations of the upcoming elections for the Richardson City Council.

Place 1

Bob Townsend (Top Rated) - Councilman Townsend is the quintessential “steady hand” on the City Council and is unopposed on the ballot this year. Please be sure to cast your vote for Mr. Townsend again this year. He is facing write-in competition.

Place 2

Jimmy Schnurr (Honorable Mention) - Mr. Schnurr is new to the scene but impressed the Coalition with his enthusiasm. We believe that he should gain experience by serving on a volunteer City Board like Parks or Zoning before running for Council.

Thomas Volmer - While Mr. Volmer is apparently a nice person, we are unaware of any contributions he has made to our city. We encourage him to become more involved and then consider running for City Council in the future.

Jennifer Justice - Ms. Justice is a 25-year old recent college graduate. We encourage her to stay involved, but do not believe she is prepared to serve the taxpayers at this time.

Mark Solomon (Top Rated) - At first we worried about Mr. Solomon’s ability to serve due to his status as a successful president of his own company. After interviewing him, however, the Coalition was impressed with Mr. Solomon’s fiscal plan of action for our city. Upon review, his record of dedicated service on city and civic group boards convinced us that he indeed has the time. Solomon is highly competent and focused.

Place 3

Chris Davis (Not Recommended) - Our assessment of Chris Davis’ candidacy is one of disappointment. Davis currently serves as an executive assistant to our Dallas County Commissioner. We are very concerned about the conflicts of interest this situation presents, as Davis will be forced to withdraw from any votes that impact the County and the City. This seriously curtails her ability to represent the citizens. In addition, Davis has resorted to unethical, mean-spirited and untrue negative attacks against opponents. Davis has contacts, having been a grassroots worker for politicians, and has called in favors for the campaign.

John Murphy (Top Rated) - Councilman Murphy is by far the best choice. Due to the economy, the Coalition spent extra time reviewing incumbents’ votes on taxes and spending. Murphy proved to be a “Richardson Taxpayer Hero.” His actions protected residents from tax rate increases and kept government growth in check. Meanwhile, most would agree that Richardson services are excellent. Richardson compares favorably to other North Texas cities and voters have Murphy, in large part, to thank.

Sheryl Miller - Ms. Miller is the “eternal candidate.” She has been unsuccessful each time she has run for office.

Place 4

Gary Slagel (Top Rated) - Back when the “tech boom” collapsed, voters turned to then-Mayor Gary Slagel to lead our local economy away from potential disaster. We are counting on Mr. Slagel’s institutional memory and experience to lead us through this economic downturn once again. Today, more than ever, taxpayers need “Mr. Economic Development,” Gary Slagel, to work his magic.

Diane Wardrup - Mrs. Wardrup has served well on numerous volunteer organization boards. Although co-workers say she is “very hard on people who work with her, especially women volunteers,” no one can dispute that she paid her dues. She is never one to shy away from confrontation, but challenging Gary Slagel this year is one fight she should not have taken on. The Coalition strongly considered Mrs. Wardrup for an “Honorable Mention,” but her recent untrue, negative attacks using illegal flyers at a recent candidate forum caused us to withdraw that distinction.

Tom Bache-Wiig - Mr. Bache-Wiig is new to the scene. We have only his resume and brief discussions by which to judge him. His resume indicates that he has had fourteen jobs in the last twenty eight years.

Place 5

Bob Macy (Top Rated) - Mr. Macy is a solid businessperson with a fiscally conservative approach to government. He is an SMU-educated engineer, a veteran, a family man. He has put in more volunteer hours than just about any other person in the city, having served on the Library Board, the Zoning Board of Adjustment and as a Volunteer Chaplain at the Richardson Regional Medical Center. Macy’s maturity and stability will be an asset through difficult economic times.

Pris Hayes - While the coalition does not favor change for the sake of change, we do believe this year that some fresh ideas would be welcome on the City Council. It is with some regret that our panel decided to recommend against the re-election of Councilwoman Hayes. She has served on the Council for two years and has performed honorable service. The Coalition, however, believes that Mr. Macy has a more well-rounded agenda to deal with the issues facing our city.

Place 6

Steve Mitchell (Top Rated) - Mayor Mitchell is unopposed in this year’s election, which is a positive testament to the time and effort he puts in on behalf of the citizens. Please be sure to cast your vote for Mr. Mitchell again this year.

Place 7

Amir Omar (Top Rated) - Mr. Omar is known for three things: his friendliness, intelligence and his strong support for the “Senior Tax Freeze.” If he is elected, the “Freeze” will indeed pass because his candidacy is seen as a referendum on the issue. In the opinion of the Coalition, Omar represents a great choice for voters. The hard work and conservative political philosophy he formed growing up and as a member of the Corps of Cadets at Texas A&M, coupled with his likability and winning personality, make him the right choice in Place 7.

Dennis Stewart (Not Recommended) - In the opinion of the Coalition, Stewart has disqualified himself from serving on the City Council. He seems appalled that anyone would challenge his election and has run probably the most untrue, negative campaign in recent Richardson history against Mr. Omar. Several of the Coalition panelists had supported Mr. Stewart in the past, but no longer. Mr. Stewart’s personal agendas appear to take precedence over city issues. Coalition members apologize to the voters of Richardson for their prior support of Mr. Stewart.

The Richardson Coalition is an organization comprised of Richardson business and community leaders, who each year volunteer their time to conduct a full review of all the candidates for Richardson City Council. The Voter’s Guide is intended to provide information for your consideration only.

Candidates are rated on an objective scale based on the following criteria: pro-taxpayer, pro-business attitudes, views on taxes and spending, ethics, and focus on basic services and quality of life for Richardson residents. Other factors considered include a candidate’s demeanor and record of service to the city.

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