Q & A from the Epigraph

The request was that responses be limited to 200 words or less...my original (and too lengthy) responses are found below. The paper published the revised, shorter reply I edited quite a bit.

Please tell us about yourself, including occupation, education, community involvement and family.

I was raised in Anna, Texas, and graduated with forty-two classmates in 1987 when the town had 900 residents. There are more than 23,000 now (including my parents), and that has a little to do with why I’m running for Mayor. More about that later…

A pair of small academic scholarships allowed me to graduate from Baylor University in 1991. Immediately after graduating, I began my teaching and coaching career in Groesbeck ISD. We enjoyed a lot of success over the seven years spent at GHS, but the highlight might be that I met my future wife (Teresa) while there. In 1998 we moved to her hometown of Springtown to begin our family. Both my children were Porcupines from kindergarten through graduation. I spent three years teaching and coaching in Springtown ISD while earning an M.S. Ed. from Tarleton State, then spent two years as an assistant principal, eight as a principal, and eleven years as Springtown ISD’s superintendent.

Between 1998 and 2022, it wasn’t unusual for me to be found at a school-related activity four nights a week. Outside of school functions, I have greatly enjoyed involvement with our extended community while serving on the Board of Directors of Springtown’s Chamber of Commerce for the last fifteen years, and the Springtown Education Foundation’s Board for the last twenty. I was also a long-time member of Springtown’s Optimist Club and our local Lions Club. I retired from public education two years ago, recognizing it was time to pass the baton after a second attempt to pass a bond for an elementary school failed by just over 2% of the total vote. My appointment to Springtown’s Planning and Zoning Commission followed, and last spring I won an election to serve as the Precinct 120 Chair for the Parker County Republican Party.

Give us your thoughts about infrastructure within the city of Springtown.

A fair number of people sometimes confuse the roles and responsibilities of Springtown ISD with those of the City of Springtown. During eleven years as Superintendent, it was not uncommon for me to receive calls at my office or field questions at church or school events concerning our city’s infrastructure, businesses development plans, growth, etc. Social media ensures that there is a LOT of misinformation (disinformation?) out there, and I tried my best to diffuse what I could before redirecting citizens to the appropriate City offices (*I am sure the reverse has also been true!). Regardless, having been employed in very public positions and active in community activities over the last twenty-six years, I know I am very aware of the concerns our stakeholders have.

Over the last month, I have participated in three public forums/interviews with political organizations. In each one, I emphasized how appreciative I am that the City’s staff and current Council (including my opponent in this race) have been taking steps to address our infrastructure concerns. There is a schedule in place to repair many of the roads in town, and our water department has done some impressive things with the fiscal resources given to them. I have been very intentional in sharing that I agreed with almost all the decisions the Council has made in the last year. That said, I am concerned about long-term issues regarding our state's water supply and the sense of urgency I feel we must have in order of addressing future needs at the local, regional, and state level (more on that later, too). If elected, I will work tirelessly to ensure that the positive things already underway in Springtown continue.

The fact I am running against a sitting Councilmember is not due to any dissatisfaction with Ms. Pruitt’s service. I think our race is a lot like two players battling for the same starting position on a team: the previous starter “graduated,” and now an opportunity presents itself for one of us. A few weeks ago, someone told me that in order to win the election, I needed to either brag about myself more OR be more aggressive against my opponent. If “more aggressive” means I need to publicly highlight the differences of opinion we might have, I guess I’d rather fail. Ms. Pruitt has my respect for being willing to face the typically unfounded criticism that comes with being brave enough to actually enter “the arena,” and in my opinion she’s been right far more often than wrong when voting as a member of the Council. I’ve listed some of my awards and achievements on my website (www.MK4Mayor.com), as well as my experience leading teams, campuses, districts, and organizations. I did not include that information to brag about myself, but it is important that I offer some sort of “resume” that might provide evidence of the approachability and commitment to Springtown that stakeholders can continue to expect from me if elected Mayor. Teamwork has been critical to any success I might have been a part of, and I've spent two years studying the science of leadership and being a team player (beyond the "art" of it) since retiring. The most fulfilling piece of my part-time job is sharing the knowledge I've gained from books, podcasts and certification programs with other leaders in the public and private sectors. I think Ms. Pruitt and I are both capable of being successful in the position, but one of us would have already dropped out if we thought the other could do a BETTER job.

Explain the water challenges faced by the city of Springtown and how you will address those challenges.

Our City’s tax debt is largely due to efforts to repair and improve our infrastructure. Our City Council (including my opponent) has shown a great deal of courage by stepping up to invest in our city’s water supply system. I believe they have Springtown in a good position to meet our local water needs when compared to most similar-sized cities in our area, but the challenges predicted in the next decade are significant for ALL North Texans.

In 2023, Texas voters approved establishing the Texas Water Fund. Two current bills being considered in Austin (HB16 and SB7) would allocate over a billion dollars to fund and promote investment into new water projects. It’s critically important we continue to repair an aging delivery system and, more importantly, seize appropriate opportunities to partner with other entities to create new water sources. A recent report noted that old pipes in Texas leak enough water to meet the annual water needs of Lubbock, Fort Worth, Austin, El Paso, and Laredo COMBINED. If passed as-is, SB7 will allow state funds to fund local infrastructure repairs.

Having already established relationships with elected officials in neighboring communities, our county-level government, and a few in state government during my time as Superintendent, I hope to be an active participant as regional coalitions are formed to create strength through numbers and build partnerships. If either of the aforementioned bills becomes law, the Texas Water Fund’s “table” will be very crowded. One of my priorities will be to ensure Springtown has a seat at the table (or at least a voice in the room) when decisions are made about how and where funding will be solicited and ultimately distributed.

Talk about the continuing growth of Springtown and the surrounding area and how you believe it should be managed.

Our area is obviously already very appealing to homeowners (evidence is easily seen in all directions). I watched my hometown’s population explode from 900 to over 23,000 in a fairly short amount of time, and I am familiar with the challenges that come from that sort of growth. Locally, I certainly hope our pace doesn’t mirror Anna’s. As for commercial growth, demographers’ population projections will generally dictate whether Springtown is potentially appealing to new businesses of any kind. If/when our population hits a target number, business entities will have interest in joining our community with fiscal investments. As representatives of all stakeholders, the City Council might then be tasked with determining whether or not to incentivize the arrival of businesses and industrial entities that will contribute positively to our community.

The City Administrator will continue to have the responsibility of bringing recommendations and ideas the Council will then vote on…with far-reaching impacts on what Springtown looks like in the future. However, the solicitation of feedback from our community members should be a priority while working to identify what types of businesses (if any) the City should consider “incentivizing” or recruiting. Right now, homeowners are saddled with too great a percentage of the property tax revenue funds assigned to infrastructure maintenance and improvement and employee compensation packages. If commercial growth is handled correctly, a greater percentage of those expense categories could be distributed across the broader community to those inside and outside our current city limits.

Determining where the balance lies between potentially positive impacts (like new employment opportunities and a stronger tax base) versus potentially negative impacts (such as traffic issues and strain on infrastructure) will be a challenge. With a demonstrated willingness to listen to input from constituents and the discernment to filter through often conflicting ideas and positions, I believe I can help the community as our Mayor.