Grand Prairie councilmembers Shotwell, Sala file for re-election

by Kirk Dickey of Grand Prairie TODAY

The two remaining city councilmembers up for re-election this year officially threw their hats in the ring last week.

District 5 Councilman Tony Shotwell and At Large member Rick Sala are now on the ballot next to District 6 Councilman Ron Jensen. No one had yet filed for school board elections as of press time.

Shotwell said that he is running for re-election because he believes he can continue to make a difference for the northeastern area of the city.

“It's a good time for District 5 right now,” he said. “We are doing a lot of good stuff downtown. We are getting some infrastructure repairs in the area, and I just want to make sure the momentum keeps going.”

Appointed in 1995, Shotwell said the thing he is most proud of during his tenure is the way the community came together to lobby and embrace Bowles Life Center.

“That's an amazing use out there,” he said. “Nobody ever thought that we would ever have something or need something like that out there. The numbers of people who use that facility are just mind boggling.”

If re-elected, he said his main goal is to finish the downtown projects started in recent years.

“(I want to) get downtown to where it is a destination point,” he said. “That's something we can do and something we will do.”

Sala said he also has some things he wants to accomplish on the council.

Specifically, he noted completion of a library master plan.

“We need a long-term strategy for our library system,” he said. “We are lagging there and I want to see where we can find additional funding or be more efficient providing the services we've got.”

Sala said he will also focus on economic development if re-elected.

“I want to make sure what comes in is quality stuff that is going to be sustaining, not just development for development's sake,” he said.

Sala has served one full and one partial term on the council, and said his background in manufacturing and technology offers a unique insight in city government.

He said that he would like the council to continue its fiscally conservative approach to governing and has worked with the city manager to improve the city's efficiency.

He said he sees one of his roles on the council as a watchdog for residents to make sure that the laws enacted and decisions made are the right ones for the people.

On the school board side, Places 5, 6 and 7 are up for election. The seats are occupied by Bebe Bingham, Mike Skinner and Paul Martinez, respectively.

The board approved its election order for May on Feb. 12.

Filing for the council and board remains open through March 9. Contact City Secretary Cathy Dimaggio's office at 972-237-8039 to learn more about filing for Grand Prairie City Council. Call Dave Crittenden at 972-237-5592 to file for election as a school board trustee.