-
Talamantez -
Langley -
Laudenschlager
There definitely will be change on the Burnet City Council following the Saturday, May 1, election, after voters will choose three councilmembers from the four people running.
Incumbent Councilmember Cindia Talamantez is seeking re-election and is joined on the ballot by Ricky Langley, Glen Allen Gates and Joyce Laudenschlager. The two other incumbents, Tres Clinton and Paul Farmer, cannot run again due to term limits.
Three candidates (Talamantez, Langley and Laudenschlager) shared their answers to six questions posed to them by the Bulletin about their qualifications and views on several topics. Their answers are being presented in ballot order. The Bulletin did send out questionnaires to all of the candidates, but had not received answers from Gates as of press time.
What area of expertise would you bring with you as a newly elected member of the Burnet City Council?
Talamantez: I bring common sense with me. You have to be able to put yourself in someone else’s shoes and consider all of the facts, not just how you feel but how will this outcome affect everyone in Burnet.
Langley: I feel as though I could bring a conservative, business minded approach to challenges that will face our community due to its rapid growth and expanding population.
Laudenschlager: I was employed by the City of Burnet for approximately 28 years. I was the Director of Finance during that time. I also supervised several other departments. When I retired in 2014, I ran for city council and served six years. I feel with my background, I can bring knowledge and experience to the table.
What are the biggest challenges facing Burnet within the next five years?
Talamantez: Growth is our biggest challenge and trying to stay ahead of that growth is a hard task. With growth comes the need for more Police, Fire & EMS personnel which takes money, but public safety is number one.
Langley: Strain on our current infrastructure due to an increasing population and finding a sustainable balance between being fiscally conservative while updating infrastructure and incentivizing commerce within our City.
Laudenschlager: One of the biggest challenges will be keeping up with the infrastructure. With new growth, there will be additional burdens on the city departments, and equipment, etc.
What is your dream project for Burnet within the next 10 years, if funding were available?
Talamantez: My dream project would be an outdoor pool and park for families to enjoy the sunshine and priceless memories they could be making. Burnet at one time had an outdoor pool that we practically lived at in the summertime.
Langley: I would like to see an investment in construction of a new City Hall while interest rates are at a historic low, thus saving taxpayers the cost of rent on our current location.
Laudenschlager: If funding were available, I would love to see a new, more accessible City Hall built. The city has leased its existing building for over twenty years, and it would be great to address this issue.
What made you wish to seek out a position on the Burnet City Council?
Talamantez: The reason I ran for city council is because I didn’t like the way some of our departments were being run or managed. Our streets needed attention and still do, I wanted to be a voice and not just someone from the outside looking in.
Langley: I have had an interest in local government for 15 plus years and have found the time to be right for me to give back to the community by serving our Council.
Laudenschlager: I like being involved in projects that benefit the city and seeing those projects that were started achieved. I enjoy working with the public, as well as, the city personnel.
What is your opinion on the current tax rate and budget for the city? Are there any changes which need to be made in your opinion?
Talamantez: The tax rate has been lowered some, the budget needs work in my opinion. We need better pay for our city employees across the board, we need to think about our hard-working employees in a non-supervisory position.
Langley: The tax rate will need to be closely monitored as real estate values continue to increase. Our leaders have a duty to effectively identify and assess potential changes to our budget due to the areas growth and as values are assigned to changing priorities. This will ensure that the tax rate can be assessed fairly and that our citizens are not being excessively taxed.
Laudenschlager: My opinion on the current tax rate and budget for the city is that it is adequate at this time. The city has not raised taxes, other than the effective rate, in several years.
Do you have an opinion about the services currently offered by the City? Are they sufficient?
Talamantez: I believe in old school ways we need to answer the phones at City Hall and not have a machine doing it, it is very confusing to alot of people. The Chunk your Junk needs to be at least twice a month and advertised alot more. I think the city as a whole could do more for our disabled and elderly when it comes to clean up.
Langley: I enjoy utilizing the services currently offered by the City, but I look forward to helping provide the tools needed for the staff to make all city departments more user friendly and making sure each customer of our city enjoys a small town feel in an expanding community.
Laudenschlager: I believe the services currently offered by the city are sufficient at this time.
