BrownwoodNews.com sent the following questions to the candidates in the May 7 election for Brownwood Mayor, incumbent Stephen Haynes and Patrick McLaughlin IV. Haynes has responded and at this time McLaughlin has not. McLaughlin’s answers will be included when they are received:

STEPHEN HAYNES

What will be your top priority if you are elected mayor?

My top priority will be to continue the growth of our local economy.  Over the last several years, we have added new industry, medical facilities, grocery stores, restaurants, and other retail businesses.  This has created many new opportunities for local people to attain better jobs, and it has enhanced the quality of life for our residents.  It is imperative that we capitalize on the current momentum that has been created by these past successes. 

What motivated you to get involved with city government?

I grew up in Brownwood.  After college and law school, I moved to the Dallas/Fort Worth area.  Although the big city offered many exciting things, I missed Brownwood.  I missed having a ten minute commute and being able to go hunt or fish after work.  I wanted to be able to watch my kids grow up and participate in their events.  So, Lori and I moved our family home.

After we moved back, I simply wanted to help improve our great community.  I quickly became involved in many civic groups.  Then, I eventually ran for Mayor.  At that time, I had some simple goals.  I wanted to see that kids had clean parks with modern playground equipment.  I wanted to see that people had more choices in where to eat and shop.  I wanted to see that our residents had better jobs and real career opportunities.  In short, I wanted to bring some of the benefits of living in the city, while maintaining our rural values and slower pace of life. 

These goals have not really changed over the years, but age and experience has a way of developing a slightly different perspective.  My oldest child will be getting married soon.  My next child is well into her college years.  My two youngest children are still at home enjoying sports, theatre, stock shows and all the other blessings of living in a small town.  With this perspective, the goal for the future is simple.  I want to make Brownwood a place where families desire to live and where there are opportunities for the next generation to raise a family without sacrificing their dreams.

As mayor, what specific policies will you enact to improve the transparency of city government? How do you plan to involve residents in the decision making process in our town?

Over the last several years, the city has revamped our website and social media presence.  The website contains every council agenda, our budget and other important information on current events and issues.  We also use social media to keep the public informed on current topics.  We will continue to use these technology tools to promote and increase transparency.

As to resident feedback, we employ a lot of options.  We sometimes use surveys on important topics.  We have many committees and boards comprised of local residents who provide valuable insight. We hold special evening meetings or town hall type events when topics appear to generate a lot of interest.  We actively watch and respond to resident’s comments on social media, and of course, all of our meetings are open to public input.

The best feedback, however, comes from being actively involved in the community. Relationships matter.  Many people will say something to me at church, a livestock show, a sporting event or at the theatre that they simple would not say in a public forum.  I genuinely appreciate these comments and questions.  I love to hear honest feedback from people who genuinely care about our city. 

Do you think the growth of downtown Brownwood is healthy, successful, and sustainable? If not, what would you do to change that?

The growth and development downtown is amazing.  In the last few years, we have seen businesses open in multiple areas.  There have been new businesses that offer food, drink, clothing, books, decorations, professional services and even entertainment.  Some said this was impossible, but it is happening.  One of the most exciting parts of this development is that this work is mostly being done by local entrepreneurs, which has the added benefit of keeping profits within our community. 

The growth is sustainable.  We are beginning to see substantial diversification among downtown businesses.  To me, this is the key to long term sustainability.  We need to promote, recruit and assist businesses that complement the existing merchants and expand consumer options. 

While the growth and development is largely due to some incredible local entrepreneurs, I do believe the city played a significant role in the redevelopment of downtown.  With the help of a great staff and council, we have developed a more business friendly climate.  We have provided grant funds to offset the costs of opening a new business, and we have done our part in cleaning up and improving downtown with things such as murals, park improvements and signage.   In this regard, downtown is really a reflection of what the council has been trying to achieve over the last few years.  When the city makes a small investment in an area, private businesses will follow suit and make a much larger investment in our future. 

In what areas could Brownwood use the most improvement? In what areas is the town lacking?

We will always need better paying jobs and more career opportunities. We have made great progress over the last several years by increasing the average wage in our community, but wages are increasing statewide.  So, we must remain committed to the goal of increasing wages and benefits if we hope to gain ground as compared to more urban areas.

Second, we need to continue to improve our infrastructure and public facilities.  We have been working on this goal by completing multiple street improvement projects, the enhancement of our parks, the redevelopment of downtown, and of course, the new event center project, just to name a few.  However, we cannot become complacent in the wake of these efforts. There are still have too many streets with potholes, and too many parks and public facilities that need improvement.   

If elected, what three steps would you take to put our city on a firmer financial footing?

First, I will continue to promote and recruit sales tax paying businesses.  Of course, sales tax is a voluntary consumption tax that increases revenue for the city and reduces dependency on property taxes.  So, we certainly need to continue to recruit, promote and support local businesses that contribute to our economy in this way.

Second, we need to continue lowering the tax rate to offset rising appraisals.  Of course, the city has no control over increasing appraisals, but we have lowered the tax rate 3 out of the last 4 years to help offset the appraisal increases.  In fact, the city’s current rate is the lowest rate that it has been since the 1990s.  As we have seen in recent years, lowering the tax rate creates an environment that is conducive to new business.  New business means new revenue for the city without increasing the burden on those already here.

Third, we need to find innovative ways to cut expenses without sacrificing the future.  For example, a few years ago, we entered into a fleet management agreement with a third-party that maintains city vehicles and schedules their replacement when they are at peak value.  This has enabled the city to save money and maintain our fleet in better condition.  We need to be diligent in looking for these cost-saving opportunities.