Eagle Editorial Board
Local voters face six contested city council and school board races in he May 9 balloting, and a full slate of 17 candidates -- perhaps the most qualified group we have seen locally in a long time -- filing for those positions. There are two uncontested races for Bryan City Council.
In addition, College Station school district voters face a $144.2 million bond issue for construction of a second high school, an eighth elementary school and a transportation center. And, Bryan residents will be asked to vote on four amendments to the city's charter, including one generated by a citizen petition drive, and a referendum on selling a small piece of park land no longer accessible to the public.
The Eagle Editorial Board met with all 17 candidates, with College Station school district officials to discuss the bond issue and with Bryan city officials to talk about the proposed charter changes and the referendum to sell the land. We spent about an hour with each one, asking questions and eliciting answers of a wide range of issues pertinent to each race or issue.
Today, we make our recommendations. Our recommendations are but one source of information voters should consider when going to the polls. Other sources might include voter guides, candidate forums, news stories, campaign advertising and literature, and the recommendations of friends and co-workers.
Early voting begins Monday and runs through May 5. A list of early voting locations and times appears at left.
Perhaps the most watched race of the May city and school elections is the one for Single Member District 4 on the Bryan school board. Four well-qualified candidates are running for the seat now held by Bema Johnson, who decided not to run after a spotty record of attendance at board meetings.
Here are The Eagle's recommendations in the two Bryan school board races.
Single Member District 4
James Edge vs. Jeff Goehl vs. Kelli Levey vs. Marilyn Scamardo -- As is sometimes the case, the race for Place 4 gives voters a choice of candidates who are so qualified, so involved in education that it is difficult for us to select a person to support. We suspect voters will have the same problem.
The scion of an old-line Brazos County family, Edge returned to the community from Houston several years ago, specifically to enroll his children in Bryan's Johnson Elementary School. Three years ago, he was a member of a citizen committee to help redesign school attendance zones in connection with the opening of Rudder High School and Davila Middle School last August. He and others on the committee refused to back down when some members of the school board acted with hostility toward their recommendation. The board narrowly overruled the committee's recommendation. He said he has no agenda, but wants to use district income more wisely and re-examine the issue of safety in the schools. While he was on the committee, Edge said he attended every school board meeting, and has attend three or four more in the past year. He is active in the Johnson Elementary School and Jane Long Middle School PTOs.
Bryan native Goehl ran last year for an at-large seat, losing to longtime Trustee David Stasny. He was motivated to make that race because of what he perceived was poor treatment of a child with special needs. Since then, he has immersed himself in school law and policies, becoming a certified advocate for families with children with disabilities who need more than what area schools are eager to do. He thinks Bryan schools need to energize the career tech program, beefing up those that exist and looking at new ones to offer. He also thinks students should be taught how to prepare a résumé and fill out a job application before they graduate from high school. Goehl has attended most school board meetings for the past two years.
Levey has been involved with public education for the past 18 years since she moved to Bryan to become school reporter for The Eagle, a position she held for 10 years before moving to other positions. When her son entered Johnson Elementary School, Levey became active in the PTO and other school activities. She has been a HOSTS mentor in the schools for 16 years and has served on a district-wide parent leadership team for the district. Levey notes that she has kept up with education law and policy in her former role as a reporter and current position as a writer with the Texas A&M University. She said she wants to ensure that the Bryan district continues to offer a variety of opportunities for its diverse student population. She wants to see more programs for high-performing students. Levey said the district needs to do a better job communicating with parents and others in the community. She has attended 10 school board meetings in the past year and, before that, about three or four per year since she stopped covering schools for the paper.
Like Edge and Goehl a product of Bryan schools, Scamardo became an elementary music and second-grade school teacher in Bryan and later in The Woodlands, Fort Bend and Galveston school districts. She retired after 26 years and moved back to Bryan last fall. She holds bachelor's and master's degrees in education. She is a strong supporter of arts education in the schools. She feels the schools should hire a fine arts director and increase its arts offerings as funds become available. Scamardo also wants to encourage more partnerships between the schools and private business. She has two children, including one who attends St. Joseph Catholic School in Bryan. She has attended one school board meeting since returning to Bryan.
Only the voters of Single Member District 4 can cast a ballot in this race. They would be well-served by any of the four candidates. Levey has the strongest background in public school education. Our support is not because she used to work for The Eagle -- where she gained much valuable experience and knowledge about public education -- but because of the depth and breadth of her public education background. If elected, she needs to be willing to stand up to the district staff and other trustees, ask the tough questions and disagree when dissent is called for.
The Eagle recommends a vote for Kelli Levey in Single Member District 4 on the Bryan school board.
At-large Position 7
Trustee Merrill Green vs. James Street -- It takes a lot of chutzpah for a political unknown to challenge Merrill Green, one of the most beloved people in Bryan, but Street has a lot of confidence in his abilities to effect change on the Bryan school board. He says he has an affinity for children with special needs and those who are disadvantaged. The district should strive to help homeless students as much as possible, he said. An advocate for the Hooked on Phonics program, Street thinks it can be used to great benefit by special education students. He said the district must do more to more quickly identify and help children with dyslexia. Street said taxes should be reduced, but that existing programs should neither be trimmed nor eliminated. He has attended one school board meeting in the past year.
Green was head football coach at Bryan High School from 1972 until 1991, when he retired. He is completing his ninth year on the school board, during which time he said he feels he made a contribution. He said he is seeking a fourth term because he is concerned that not enough good people run for school board. Despite his athletics background, Green says he is a strong supporter of the arts, and the Bryan school district must do a better job focusing on them. Green misses very few board meetings.
This is an at-large position, meaning every voter in the school district may cast a ballot in the race.
Street is passionate about his race and his love of children, but Green has a proven record and has served the people of Bryan well, both as a teacher and as a school trustee.
The Eagle recommends a vote for Merrill Green for the at-large Position 7 on the Bryan school board.
Friday, May 8, 2009
The Eagle Recommendations: Charters Amendments, Referendum on Bryan Ballot
Eagle Editorial Board
Bryan residents will vote on four charter amendment propositions and one referendum in the May 9 city and school elections. Three of the charter amendments are basically housekeeping in nature, but the fourth -- generated by a petition from the public -- has generated a fair amount of discussion.
The referendum involves selling 0.7819 acres of undeveloped park land made inaccessible to the public by the Villa Maria Road underpass at Wellborn and Finfeather roads. A private citizen has indicated a willingness to purchase the property, which abuts land he owns, at fair market value. Money from the sale will be used only for park projects in the same area of the city.
The Eagle recommends a vote of yes on the referendum to sell the land.
Charter amendment Prop-osition 1 would substitute the word "salary" for the present word "compensation" used in the city charter to describe the $10 a month the mayor and city council members make. The money already is treated as such and is subject to federal income tax. The change is needed to make that clear. The amount of the salary is not affected by the change in wording.
Proposition 2 modernizes the wording of the charter sections dealing with financing, budgeting, accounting, taxation and fees. It also would remove the detailed description of the duties of the city's chief financial officer, who is appointed by and answers to the city manager. City charters typically do not include such job descriptions for city manager appointees. The description has been in the charter for some 100 years, and removing it would not change the chief financial officer's duties and responsibilities.
Proposition 3 corrects punctuation and grammar in the city charter. It also changes the word "drain" to "drainage" in one section.
The people-driven Propo-sition 4 calls for returning to two the number of council members it takes to require an item to be placed on the city council agenda if the mayor refuses to add it. The council voted last July to change the number from two to three council members after the majority of the members became frustrated with two councilmen who frequently are at odds with the rest.
It was an ill-considered and unnecessary change. Mayor Mark Conlee said he has never denied a request from a council member to include something on the council agenda, although he acknowledges he gets frustrated by the two contrarian councilmen. If that is the case, why change the requirement, except to spite the two frequent dissenters?
Bryan resident Karen Hall collected more than 1,800 signatures to force the charter revision onto the May 9 ballot. It is obvious many people saw the change as highhanded and a way to drown out their voices.
City officials note that, if approved, Proposition 4 will put the number of council members required into the charter, where it can be changed only every two years and by a vote of the people. Now, it is simply council policy that can be changed easily.
That isn't a problem. Two years isn't that long a time if such a change is needed.
Frankly, we don't see why an item can't be put on the agenda by a single council member. If an issue is important to him or her, it should at least be considered by the full council -- which always has the ability to reject it outright when it is included.
City staff members say putting an item on the agenda requires a lot of staff time and effort. That isn't necessary. If the council likes an idea, it can then ask staff members to do the groundwork. If they don't, then nothing is lost.
The Eagle recommends a vote of yes on all four proposed Bryan charter amendments.
Bryan residents will vote on four charter amendment propositions and one referendum in the May 9 city and school elections. Three of the charter amendments are basically housekeeping in nature, but the fourth -- generated by a petition from the public -- has generated a fair amount of discussion.
The referendum involves selling 0.7819 acres of undeveloped park land made inaccessible to the public by the Villa Maria Road underpass at Wellborn and Finfeather roads. A private citizen has indicated a willingness to purchase the property, which abuts land he owns, at fair market value. Money from the sale will be used only for park projects in the same area of the city.
The Eagle recommends a vote of yes on the referendum to sell the land.
Charter amendment Prop-osition 1 would substitute the word "salary" for the present word "compensation" used in the city charter to describe the $10 a month the mayor and city council members make. The money already is treated as such and is subject to federal income tax. The change is needed to make that clear. The amount of the salary is not affected by the change in wording.
Proposition 2 modernizes the wording of the charter sections dealing with financing, budgeting, accounting, taxation and fees. It also would remove the detailed description of the duties of the city's chief financial officer, who is appointed by and answers to the city manager. City charters typically do not include such job descriptions for city manager appointees. The description has been in the charter for some 100 years, and removing it would not change the chief financial officer's duties and responsibilities.
Proposition 3 corrects punctuation and grammar in the city charter. It also changes the word "drain" to "drainage" in one section.
The people-driven Propo-sition 4 calls for returning to two the number of council members it takes to require an item to be placed on the city council agenda if the mayor refuses to add it. The council voted last July to change the number from two to three council members after the majority of the members became frustrated with two councilmen who frequently are at odds with the rest.
It was an ill-considered and unnecessary change. Mayor Mark Conlee said he has never denied a request from a council member to include something on the council agenda, although he acknowledges he gets frustrated by the two contrarian councilmen. If that is the case, why change the requirement, except to spite the two frequent dissenters?
Bryan resident Karen Hall collected more than 1,800 signatures to force the charter revision onto the May 9 ballot. It is obvious many people saw the change as highhanded and a way to drown out their voices.
City officials note that, if approved, Proposition 4 will put the number of council members required into the charter, where it can be changed only every two years and by a vote of the people. Now, it is simply council policy that can be changed easily.
That isn't a problem. Two years isn't that long a time if such a change is needed.
Frankly, we don't see why an item can't be put on the agenda by a single council member. If an issue is important to him or her, it should at least be considered by the full council -- which always has the ability to reject it outright when it is included.
City staff members say putting an item on the agenda requires a lot of staff time and effort. That isn't necessary. If the council likes an idea, it can then ask staff members to do the groundwork. If they don't, then nothing is lost.
The Eagle recommends a vote of yes on all four proposed Bryan charter amendments.
Thursday, May 7, 2009
The Eagle Recommendations: College Station Council
Eagle Editorial Board
Six people, including two incumbents and four political newcomers, are vying for two seats on the College Station City Council. There are many issues, from a nearly-complete comprehensive plan to growth, from a proposed convention center to a city hall rejected last fall by voters but still touted by some council members.
Place 4
Douglas Cummings vs. Councilwoman Lynn McIl-haney vs. Katy-Marie Lyles -- McIlhaney has ably served the people of College Station as council member or mayor for 22 of the past 27 years. She now is seeking another two-year term -- her last in Place 4 under the city's term-limitation policy. She points to her vast experience, saying she knows what questions to ask about issues coming before the council. McIlhaney said she is particularly eager to finish work on the city's new comprehensive plan that is expected to be completed in two to three months. She said the plan will span other plans such as business plans and implementation plans and will "set the stage for the community for the next 10 to 15 years." McIlhaney long has been a proponent of a convention center, which the city has been trying to build for close to two decades, saying it is important to grow the city's tourism industry. But, she said, the public needs to support a convention center and she would be willing to take the issue before the voters in a referendum. McIlhaney favors what she calls the city's present "conservative approach" to annexing land.
Cummings came to Texas A&M in the summer of 2000, leaving for a time to live in Japan before returning in the summer of 2004. He said he has a keen interest in politics, but noted that he made the decision to seek a council seat in a spur-of-the-moment decision. Cummings calls for more responsible growth for the city, preferring higher-density development with good public transportation to lessen dependence on automobiles rather than sprawl. He said the city could use a convention center to draw in outside dollars, but may not really need one. He said the city has outgrown its current city hall and it makes sense to build a new one on the originally proposed Krenek Tap Road site. He favors creating single-member council districts similar to those in Bryan. He said the city should annex land even if it doesn't intend to provide all city services such as water, sewer lines and city streets.
Lyles has lived in the community for seven years and is a bright and energetic person with a good understanding of various issues that come before the council. Director of college ministries at A&M United Methodist Church, Lyles says the city hasn't considered the faith communities at Northgate in its efforts to continue gentrification of that area. She believes some people on the council and city staff want the land her church sits on for commercial development. If the city pursues its quest for a convention center, Lyles said, it should go to the voters for approval to spend the money. She also said the voters turned down a plan for a new city hall and before it considers going forward at any location, it should go back to the voters. Lyles opposes annexing land that the city cannot or will not support with a full range of city services.
McIlhaney has served the people of College Station well and with distinction for nearly a quarter century. No doubt she would continue to do so. It is time, however, to shuffle the deck and bring new blood onto the council. It is time for the council to re-establish its authority over the staff instead of letting the staff manage the council. It is time to end the council- and staff-generated hostility to the city of Bryan. We are all members of this community, and the acrimony and bickering serves none of us well.
At 26, Lyles is 30 years and more younger than the current council members and would be only the second council member to live within the Earl Rudder Freeway-Harvey Mitchell Park-way area, the core of the city. She is young, she is energetic and we feel that she would be willing to ask tough questions of the staff and stand strong for her positions.
The Eagle recommends a vote for Katy-Marie Lyles for Place 4 on the College Station City Council.
Place 6
Clif Eggers vs. Council-man Dave Ruesink vs. Chandler Salome -- Some of the candidates are slyly referring to Ruesink's 75 years as an indication that he is too old to serve on the council. In his first term, however, Ruesink has shown himself to be more than up to the challenge of the job. He said he has pushed city staff members for alternatives to their proposals, including costs and consequences of what they want to do and who will be affected by the project. He said the council should be willing to consider any empty space in the city as a possible city hall annex before trying again to build a new city hall. He says the city isn't against the faith-based facilities in the Northgate area in its efforts to widen streets. He said he would prefer leaving the sidewalks as they are and overlaying the area streets at their current width.
Although he was born in Bryan, Eggers grew up in the Woodlands. A veteran of the U.S. Navy, he has taught shipboard fire safety with the Texas Engineering Extension Service for the past three years. He said he and others in the city are unhappy with the shear number of ordinances passed in the past by the city council three years. Eggers owns a duplex and was angered by the city's new landlord-registration ordinance. He favors building taller buildings, rather than constantly moving the city limits outward. He said the city is in a good position to make compromises in the Northgate area. He said the intentions of city staff are good, but sometimes they listen to the wrong people. He opposes the convention center, saying people are tired of paying for things they don't want.
Salome completes his service in the Texas A&M Corps of Cadets in May, but will remain at A&M until he graduates in December 2010. After that, he said, he is not planning on moving or quitting his seat on the council if selected. He said there is a rift between Aggie students and the more permanent residents of the community, in part because the council doesn't talk to students. He says he favors creating neighborhoods in which students could live, but banning students from other neighborhoods. He said North-gate will always be a student area and the city should stop trying to make it into the downtown it doesn't have. He said the city should wait until the economy gets better before pursuing a convention center, and when it does, it should go to the voters for approval. Eventually, Salo-me said, the city should go forward with plans for a new city hall, but not now.
While we think it is time for some new blood on the College Station, neither Eggers nor Salome seem quite ready to take a seat. Ruesink in his three years on the council has shown himself to be a good councilman, inquisitive and willing to look beyond the answers given for the information he needs to make a decision.
The Eagle recommends a vote for Dave Ruesink for Place 6 on the College Station City Council.
Six people, including two incumbents and four political newcomers, are vying for two seats on the College Station City Council. There are many issues, from a nearly-complete comprehensive plan to growth, from a proposed convention center to a city hall rejected last fall by voters but still touted by some council members.
Place 4
Douglas Cummings vs. Councilwoman Lynn McIl-haney vs. Katy-Marie Lyles -- McIlhaney has ably served the people of College Station as council member or mayor for 22 of the past 27 years. She now is seeking another two-year term -- her last in Place 4 under the city's term-limitation policy. She points to her vast experience, saying she knows what questions to ask about issues coming before the council. McIlhaney said she is particularly eager to finish work on the city's new comprehensive plan that is expected to be completed in two to three months. She said the plan will span other plans such as business plans and implementation plans and will "set the stage for the community for the next 10 to 15 years." McIlhaney long has been a proponent of a convention center, which the city has been trying to build for close to two decades, saying it is important to grow the city's tourism industry. But, she said, the public needs to support a convention center and she would be willing to take the issue before the voters in a referendum. McIlhaney favors what she calls the city's present "conservative approach" to annexing land.
Cummings came to Texas A&M in the summer of 2000, leaving for a time to live in Japan before returning in the summer of 2004. He said he has a keen interest in politics, but noted that he made the decision to seek a council seat in a spur-of-the-moment decision. Cummings calls for more responsible growth for the city, preferring higher-density development with good public transportation to lessen dependence on automobiles rather than sprawl. He said the city could use a convention center to draw in outside dollars, but may not really need one. He said the city has outgrown its current city hall and it makes sense to build a new one on the originally proposed Krenek Tap Road site. He favors creating single-member council districts similar to those in Bryan. He said the city should annex land even if it doesn't intend to provide all city services such as water, sewer lines and city streets.
Lyles has lived in the community for seven years and is a bright and energetic person with a good understanding of various issues that come before the council. Director of college ministries at A&M United Methodist Church, Lyles says the city hasn't considered the faith communities at Northgate in its efforts to continue gentrification of that area. She believes some people on the council and city staff want the land her church sits on for commercial development. If the city pursues its quest for a convention center, Lyles said, it should go to the voters for approval to spend the money. She also said the voters turned down a plan for a new city hall and before it considers going forward at any location, it should go back to the voters. Lyles opposes annexing land that the city cannot or will not support with a full range of city services.
McIlhaney has served the people of College Station well and with distinction for nearly a quarter century. No doubt she would continue to do so. It is time, however, to shuffle the deck and bring new blood onto the council. It is time for the council to re-establish its authority over the staff instead of letting the staff manage the council. It is time to end the council- and staff-generated hostility to the city of Bryan. We are all members of this community, and the acrimony and bickering serves none of us well.
At 26, Lyles is 30 years and more younger than the current council members and would be only the second council member to live within the Earl Rudder Freeway-Harvey Mitchell Park-way area, the core of the city. She is young, she is energetic and we feel that she would be willing to ask tough questions of the staff and stand strong for her positions.
The Eagle recommends a vote for Katy-Marie Lyles for Place 4 on the College Station City Council.
Place 6
Clif Eggers vs. Council-man Dave Ruesink vs. Chandler Salome -- Some of the candidates are slyly referring to Ruesink's 75 years as an indication that he is too old to serve on the council. In his first term, however, Ruesink has shown himself to be more than up to the challenge of the job. He said he has pushed city staff members for alternatives to their proposals, including costs and consequences of what they want to do and who will be affected by the project. He said the council should be willing to consider any empty space in the city as a possible city hall annex before trying again to build a new city hall. He says the city isn't against the faith-based facilities in the Northgate area in its efforts to widen streets. He said he would prefer leaving the sidewalks as they are and overlaying the area streets at their current width.
Although he was born in Bryan, Eggers grew up in the Woodlands. A veteran of the U.S. Navy, he has taught shipboard fire safety with the Texas Engineering Extension Service for the past three years. He said he and others in the city are unhappy with the shear number of ordinances passed in the past by the city council three years. Eggers owns a duplex and was angered by the city's new landlord-registration ordinance. He favors building taller buildings, rather than constantly moving the city limits outward. He said the city is in a good position to make compromises in the Northgate area. He said the intentions of city staff are good, but sometimes they listen to the wrong people. He opposes the convention center, saying people are tired of paying for things they don't want.
Salome completes his service in the Texas A&M Corps of Cadets in May, but will remain at A&M until he graduates in December 2010. After that, he said, he is not planning on moving or quitting his seat on the council if selected. He said there is a rift between Aggie students and the more permanent residents of the community, in part because the council doesn't talk to students. He says he favors creating neighborhoods in which students could live, but banning students from other neighborhoods. He said North-gate will always be a student area and the city should stop trying to make it into the downtown it doesn't have. He said the city should wait until the economy gets better before pursuing a convention center, and when it does, it should go to the voters for approval. Eventually, Salo-me said, the city should go forward with plans for a new city hall, but not now.
While we think it is time for some new blood on the College Station, neither Eggers nor Salome seem quite ready to take a seat. Ruesink in his three years on the council has shown himself to be a good councilman, inquisitive and willing to look beyond the answers given for the information he needs to make a decision.
The Eagle recommends a vote for Dave Ruesink for Place 6 on the College Station City Council.
The Eagle Recommendations: Picks in College Station School Board Races
Eagle Editorial Board
Longtime College Sta-tion school Trustees Marc Chaloupka and Tim Jones are stepping down from the school board. They have served the people of the College Station school district well and honorably and they leave big shoes to fill.
Fortunately, there are good candidates running for both positions in the May 9 election. All are political newcomers.
All seats on the school board are elected at-large by voters throughout the entire school district.
Place 1
Joel Mitchell vs. Paul Dorsett -- A product of College Station schools, Dorsett says he has great loyalty to the district. He is a cancer survivor and says that experience made him want to be involved in community service. He is a strong supporter of career technology, saying that a second high school would free up space at A&M Consolidated to expand technology offerings. Dorsett said he worries about the kids in the "middle," saying the district needs to make sure they find their niche in school.
Originally from San Antonio, Mitchell received his civil engineering degree from Texas A&M in 1984 and has called College Station home since 1991. He, too, believes in community service. He is a church elder, a member of the Chamber of Commerce legislative affairs committee and has been active in the Bryan Rotary Club and the Children's Museum. He said there is not a lot of room for improvement in the College Station schools, but wants to focus on those areas that need to be improved. He said the district needs to work harder with lower socio-economic students who don't do as well as they should in school.
This is a race with two good candidates. Dorsett seems more open and eager to work with existing board members.
The Eagle recommends a vote for Paul Dorsett for Place 1 on the College Station school board.
Place 2
Carol Barrett vs. Desiree Marek vs. Joel Walker -- An assistant professor of physics at Sam Houston State University, Walker said the recent controversy over state science standards sparked his interest in running for the school board. He is the father of a child with special needs and he wants to support the district's "fine tradition" of meeting such needs. He said teachers must have the freedom to run their classrooms as they see fit. He called for student evaluations of teachers at A&M Consolidated High School.
Barrett has been a permanent resident of the community since she graduated from Texas A&M in 1985. She has served as president of the Rock Prairie Elementary School PTO and the citywide PTO. Barrett has been a member of the school district long-range planning committee and is a former president of the College Station Education Foundation. She also has been president of the Junior League, which actively supports local schools. She said school trustees need to consider all sides of the issues that come before them.
Marek earned her bachelor's degree in elementary education from Texas A&M in 1988 and substitute taught in College Station schools for several years. She said the district needs to stress the ability to speak, read and write in English and the district needs to start doing reading assessments of students in third grade. She believes the College Station district needs to set the standards for districts across the state. Marek said the district must respect parents and do a better job of communicating with them.
All three candidates are qualified to serve on the school board, but Barrett long has been involved, from the neighborhood school to the district-wide level. Having served on the long range planning committee, she has the background to help the district move forward with the projects included in the May 9 bond issue.
The Eagle recommends a vote for Carol Barrett for Place 2 on the College Station school board.
Longtime College Sta-tion school Trustees Marc Chaloupka and Tim Jones are stepping down from the school board. They have served the people of the College Station school district well and honorably and they leave big shoes to fill.
Fortunately, there are good candidates running for both positions in the May 9 election. All are political newcomers.
All seats on the school board are elected at-large by voters throughout the entire school district.
Place 1
Joel Mitchell vs. Paul Dorsett -- A product of College Station schools, Dorsett says he has great loyalty to the district. He is a cancer survivor and says that experience made him want to be involved in community service. He is a strong supporter of career technology, saying that a second high school would free up space at A&M Consolidated to expand technology offerings. Dorsett said he worries about the kids in the "middle," saying the district needs to make sure they find their niche in school.
Originally from San Antonio, Mitchell received his civil engineering degree from Texas A&M in 1984 and has called College Station home since 1991. He, too, believes in community service. He is a church elder, a member of the Chamber of Commerce legislative affairs committee and has been active in the Bryan Rotary Club and the Children's Museum. He said there is not a lot of room for improvement in the College Station schools, but wants to focus on those areas that need to be improved. He said the district needs to work harder with lower socio-economic students who don't do as well as they should in school.
This is a race with two good candidates. Dorsett seems more open and eager to work with existing board members.
The Eagle recommends a vote for Paul Dorsett for Place 1 on the College Station school board.
Place 2
Carol Barrett vs. Desiree Marek vs. Joel Walker -- An assistant professor of physics at Sam Houston State University, Walker said the recent controversy over state science standards sparked his interest in running for the school board. He is the father of a child with special needs and he wants to support the district's "fine tradition" of meeting such needs. He said teachers must have the freedom to run their classrooms as they see fit. He called for student evaluations of teachers at A&M Consolidated High School.
Barrett has been a permanent resident of the community since she graduated from Texas A&M in 1985. She has served as president of the Rock Prairie Elementary School PTO and the citywide PTO. Barrett has been a member of the school district long-range planning committee and is a former president of the College Station Education Foundation. She also has been president of the Junior League, which actively supports local schools. She said school trustees need to consider all sides of the issues that come before them.
Marek earned her bachelor's degree in elementary education from Texas A&M in 1988 and substitute taught in College Station schools for several years. She said the district needs to stress the ability to speak, read and write in English and the district needs to start doing reading assessments of students in third grade. She believes the College Station district needs to set the standards for districts across the state. Marek said the district must respect parents and do a better job of communicating with them.
All three candidates are qualified to serve on the school board, but Barrett long has been involved, from the neighborhood school to the district-wide level. Having served on the long range planning committee, she has the background to help the district move forward with the projects included in the May 9 bond issue.
The Eagle recommends a vote for Carol Barrett for Place 2 on the College Station school board.
The Eagle Recommendations: Vote For College Station School Bond Issue
Eagle Editorial Board
College Station school district voters are being asked to approve a $144.2 million school bond issue to build a second high school, an eighth middle school and a new bus transportation center.
There is no question the rapidly growing district badly needs all three. Yes, the bond issue would increase school property taxes up to $0.137 per $100 assessed valuation after three years --an additional $324 annually for the owner of a home appraised at $250,000 -- but A&M Consolidated High School simply cannot hold more students. It already has outgrown its 2,500-student capacity, and adding more classrooms there simply is not an option. Homeowners 65 and older will not see an increase, since their taxes have been frozen at the level they were when they turned 65.
Consolidated has almost 2,600 students this year and is projected to add up to 100 more next year.
If approved by the voters in the May 9 election, the new College Station High School -- the name was decided some years ago -- won't open until the 2012-2013 school year. The first phase of the school would accommodate 1,800 schools, while a later phase not included in the bond issue could increase the size to 2,400 students. The new school would open for freshmen or freshmen and sophomores only, adding another grade a year until it has all four grades.
Plans call for Consolidated and the new high school to be roughly equal in size when the new school grows to four grades. The two schools would offer comparable programs, and the new school would have an athletic stadium similar to Tiger Stadium at Consolidated. Both schools would be 4A, a notch lower than the current 5A University Interscholastic League designation for Consolidated. Both likely would grow into 5A status.
Although no location has been formally designated for the new high school, the most likely site is property the district owns at Barron Road and Victoria Avenue.
The College Station district is finishing construction on a new elementary school -- Creek View -- and a new College Hills Elementary School to replace the existing one. Even when the two schools open this fall, the district's elementary campuses will be at 96 percent capacity -- not enough for a district that has been growing at 6 percent a year for the past couple of years and 3.5 percent a year before that. The time to start an eighth elementary school is before the other elementary schools reach capacity. Overcrowding is not acceptable in the lower grades, and portable buildings are not good option for safety reasons.
The May bond issue includes money for the purchase of 15 or 20 more. It also includes money for a new transportation center to replace the overcrowded bus barn behind the school administration offices.
The bond issue also includes money to remodel Consolidated to expand current programs -- including career tech offerings -- once the new high school opens and to handle other smaller projects within the district.
Specifics of the bond proposal were developed by a 40-citizen Long Range Educational Planning Committee that discussed various issues, including the desired size of a new high school. An architect and a project construction manager helped the committee with the proposals, and district officials feel confident that the bond issue has enough money to complete the projects as planned.
Cost of the new high school is put at $111.3 million and the new elementary school at $19.4 million. The transportation facility is pegged at $7.8 million and other projects at $5.8 million.
Residents will vote on the entire package rather than each item separately.
There is no doubt the new schools and the transportation center are needed in the College Station district.
The Eagle recommends a vote of yes on the College Station school bond issue.
College Station school district voters are being asked to approve a $144.2 million school bond issue to build a second high school, an eighth middle school and a new bus transportation center.
There is no question the rapidly growing district badly needs all three. Yes, the bond issue would increase school property taxes up to $0.137 per $100 assessed valuation after three years --an additional $324 annually for the owner of a home appraised at $250,000 -- but A&M Consolidated High School simply cannot hold more students. It already has outgrown its 2,500-student capacity, and adding more classrooms there simply is not an option. Homeowners 65 and older will not see an increase, since their taxes have been frozen at the level they were when they turned 65.
Consolidated has almost 2,600 students this year and is projected to add up to 100 more next year.
If approved by the voters in the May 9 election, the new College Station High School -- the name was decided some years ago -- won't open until the 2012-2013 school year. The first phase of the school would accommodate 1,800 schools, while a later phase not included in the bond issue could increase the size to 2,400 students. The new school would open for freshmen or freshmen and sophomores only, adding another grade a year until it has all four grades.
Plans call for Consolidated and the new high school to be roughly equal in size when the new school grows to four grades. The two schools would offer comparable programs, and the new school would have an athletic stadium similar to Tiger Stadium at Consolidated. Both schools would be 4A, a notch lower than the current 5A University Interscholastic League designation for Consolidated. Both likely would grow into 5A status.
Although no location has been formally designated for the new high school, the most likely site is property the district owns at Barron Road and Victoria Avenue.
The College Station district is finishing construction on a new elementary school -- Creek View -- and a new College Hills Elementary School to replace the existing one. Even when the two schools open this fall, the district's elementary campuses will be at 96 percent capacity -- not enough for a district that has been growing at 6 percent a year for the past couple of years and 3.5 percent a year before that. The time to start an eighth elementary school is before the other elementary schools reach capacity. Overcrowding is not acceptable in the lower grades, and portable buildings are not good option for safety reasons.
The May bond issue includes money for the purchase of 15 or 20 more. It also includes money for a new transportation center to replace the overcrowded bus barn behind the school administration offices.
The bond issue also includes money to remodel Consolidated to expand current programs -- including career tech offerings -- once the new high school opens and to handle other smaller projects within the district.
Specifics of the bond proposal were developed by a 40-citizen Long Range Educational Planning Committee that discussed various issues, including the desired size of a new high school. An architect and a project construction manager helped the committee with the proposals, and district officials feel confident that the bond issue has enough money to complete the projects as planned.
Cost of the new high school is put at $111.3 million and the new elementary school at $19.4 million. The transportation facility is pegged at $7.8 million and other projects at $5.8 million.
Residents will vote on the entire package rather than each item separately.
There is no doubt the new schools and the transportation center are needed in the College Station district.
The Eagle recommends a vote of yes on the College Station school bond issue.
Wednesday, May 6, 2009
Candidates: Salome Answers Progressive Questions
Question 1
Animal ordinances in Bryan are currently enforced through warrantless home inspections and searches, jeopardizing pet owners' rights. College Station is in the process of adopting a new set of animal control ordinances that are more respectful of rights to privacy. Do you support similar revisions of the City's animal control ordinances in Bryan?
Yes. Our city needs to increase its public transportation. There are so few people in College Station that even know where the bus stops are. Everyone knows where the Texas A&M bus stops are at but so few know where the College station bus stops are and that needs to be changed.
Question 2
Do you believe that pedestrians, bicyclists, and wheel chair users should have complete and safe access to all places of residence, commerce and employment within the city? If this is to be achieved, a number of measures would need to be taken to improve connectivity in College Station, such as creating more dedicated bike lanes and crosswalks and enforcing traffic laws that ensure the safety of these users of our roads.
Yes. Our city has already made great progress in putting in bike lanes in residential areas near the campus but we can do more. I would make a pact that all future streets that can afford to have a designated bike lane will have one.In our economic climate we need to make it safe for citizens who wish to not drive to use sidewalks and bike lanes.
Question 3
College Station has a successful curbside recycling program in place, but there is still a great deal of recyclable material going into our landfill. Do you believe the city should be promoting further actions to reduce waste and encourage reuse and recycling?
Yes. We do have a curbside recycling. Nobody that I know of uses it. Why is it that so many things the city says it does doesn't reach the student population? There are 55,000 students who live here in College Station. That is a lot of generated waste. We need to reach out to those citizens and get them involved in curbside recycling because they live here too.
Question 4
Farmers’ Markets can reduce transportation impacts of food, support local farmers, create community connection, increase the viability of surrounding businesses, and project our community character. Do you support funding for a permanent farmer’s market in a visible, central location?
Yes. How many times in the past two years has there been a food recall due to a salmonella outbreak in some far away state? We should have a farmers market in town so that not only are we getting fresh food but we are fostering a healthier environment for our citizens.
Question 5
Our community is sprawling to the south while more than 40% of the developable land within the city limits remains undeveloped. Urban sprawl drives up tax rates by increasing the cost of infrastructure and community services such as police, fire and ambulances. It also diminishes aesthetic appeal and increases traffic. Many cities have recognized the advantages of “Smart Growth” and taken measures to curb sprawl. Do you believe the city should take a proactive role in addressing this issue?
Yes. We need to start redevoloping some of our neighborhoods with taller and denser housing. I am not saying bulldoze the town and kill our history I am saying that we need to start in one of our neighborhoods that has many small run-down housing and develop a plan to enable a company to buy the housing in order to redevelope it. There would have to be extensive research done in our community before we procede with any plan.
Question 6
While we recognize that City Hall needs to be expanded, the citizens of College Station voted last May against rebuilding at a site on Kranek Tap Road. Expansion at the current location could meet the city’s needs while also taking a positive step toward increasing building density in College Station, thereby decreasing the pressure for sprawl. Do you support the expansion of City Hall at its present location?
Yes. I understand that we need to expand city hall but I do not believe that now is a great time for the city to spend money on itself. The city should be limiting its spending to only necessary infrastructure needs. Why does the city council desreve a bigger city hall when we have roads with potholes so big you can almost drop a car into it?
Question 7
T The first Paragraph of the fourteenth amendment reads:
"No State shall make or enforce any law which shall abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of the United States; nor shall any State deprive any person of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws. "
Do you agree?
Yes.
Question 8
Locally owned, independent businesses can provide economic stimulus, develop human resources, reflect community character and encourage tourism. Yet Bryan has encouraged large retail development by national chains with financial incentives, thus creating unfair competition for locally owned businesses. Other communities have taken measures to level the playing field, including stopping the provision of incentives to outside competition and putting restrictions on the size of retail outlets that can be developed. Would you support these or other types of initiatives to promote local, independent businesses?
Yes. I have a dream of owning my own business one day but that would be near impossible if I am competing with Big Corporation. I would not give incentives at all for any large retail place but instead pass ordinances that make it easier for mall business's to develop and grow.
Candidates: Ruesink Answers Progressive Questions
Question 1
Animal ordinances in Bryan are currently enforced through warrantless home inspections and searches, jeopardizing pet owners' rights. College Station is in the process of adopting a new set of animal control ordinances that are more respectful of rights to privacy. Do you support similar revisions of the City's animal control ordinances in Bryan?
No Comment Submitted
Question 2
Do you believe that pedestrians, bicyclists, and wheel chair users should have complete and safe access to all places of residence, commerce and employment within the city? If this is to be achieved, a number of measures would need to be taken to improve connectivity in College Station, such as creating more dedicated bike lanes and crosswalks and enforcing traffic laws that ensure the safety of these users of our roads.
No Comment Submitted
Question 3
College Station has a successful curbside recycling program in place, but there is still a great deal of recyclable material going into our landfill. Do you believe the city should be promoting further actions to reduce waste and encourage reuse and recycling?
No Comment Submitted
Question 4
Farmers’ Markets can reduce transportation impacts of food, support local farmers, create community connection, increase the viability of surrounding businesses, and project our community character. Do you support funding for a permanent farmer’s market in a visible, central location?
Yes. The locations in Bryan are not at all convenient for those of us who live in south CS. Having the market at Central Park was a big step forward, but was not very satisfactory because I never could remember to get off the bypass at the right time. Somewhere on Texas Ave would be much more likely to succeed.
Question 5
Our community is sprawling to the south while more than 40% of the developable land within the city limits remains undeveloped. Urban sprawl drives up tax rates by increasing the cost of infrastructure and community services such as police, fire and ambulances. It also diminishes aesthetic appeal and increases traffic. Many cities have recognized the advantages of “Smart Growth” and taken measures to curb sprawl. Do you believe the city should take a proactive role in addressing this issue?
Yes. I wish I had the answer. Infill is needed, but so many property owners are too “proud” of their holdings. If a reasonable purchase price could be determined, it would no longer be an incentive to go outside the city limits for development. I have actually thought about making the taxes higher for the undeveloped property within the city limits to make it more attractive to sell than to hold onto the land.
Question 6
While we recognize that City Hall needs to be expanded, the citizens of College Station voted last May against rebuilding at a site on Kranek Tap Road. Expansion at the current location could meet the city’s needs while also taking a positive step toward increasing building density in College Station, thereby decreasing the pressure for sprawl. Do you support the expansion of City Hall at its present location?
Yes, I am in agreement that expansion could take place, however the way the current building is constructed, the only place that could go up is the part where there is already a second floor. I am told that the rest of the building is not constructed in such a way that going up is a possibility. That being the case, perhaps rather than expanding the current building, perhaps the parking lot could be used for another building then use the open space east of the current building and parking lot for the surface parking.
No, it would be more effective to begin a totally new building that could incorporate the “green” and “LEED” methods for new construction. At the present time we have the same size office facility that we had when we were 1/2 the current population so it is important that we do something soon in order to improve worker productivity.
Question 7
T The first Paragraph of the fourteenth amendment reads:
"No State shall make or enforce any law which shall abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of the United States; nor shall any State deprive any person of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws. "
Do you agree?
Yes.
Question 8
Locally owned, independent businesses can provide economic stimulus, develop human resources, reflect community character and encourage tourism. Yet Bryan has encouraged large retail development by national chains with financial incentives, thus creating unfair competition for locally owned businesses. Other communities have taken measures to level the playing field, including stopping the provision of incentives to outside competition and putting restrictions on the size of retail outlets that can be developed. Would you support these or other types of initiatives to promote local, independent businesses?
Yes. I don’t think we can stop big box stores from coming in, but we can make it necessary to have adequate space and proper traffic impact studies before they begin construction. We have excellent examples of good independent businesses that are making outstanding contributions to the quality of CS. If there are specific ordinances that need to be examined in order to make these types of firms more capable of starting to do business, we need to have the ordinances identified and bring stakeholders involved together to reach consensus about changes to be offered.
Animal ordinances in Bryan are currently enforced through warrantless home inspections and searches, jeopardizing pet owners' rights. College Station is in the process of adopting a new set of animal control ordinances that are more respectful of rights to privacy. Do you support similar revisions of the City's animal control ordinances in Bryan?
No Comment Submitted
Question 2
Do you believe that pedestrians, bicyclists, and wheel chair users should have complete and safe access to all places of residence, commerce and employment within the city? If this is to be achieved, a number of measures would need to be taken to improve connectivity in College Station, such as creating more dedicated bike lanes and crosswalks and enforcing traffic laws that ensure the safety of these users of our roads.
No Comment Submitted
Question 3
College Station has a successful curbside recycling program in place, but there is still a great deal of recyclable material going into our landfill. Do you believe the city should be promoting further actions to reduce waste and encourage reuse and recycling?
No Comment Submitted
Question 4
Farmers’ Markets can reduce transportation impacts of food, support local farmers, create community connection, increase the viability of surrounding businesses, and project our community character. Do you support funding for a permanent farmer’s market in a visible, central location?
Yes. The locations in Bryan are not at all convenient for those of us who live in south CS. Having the market at Central Park was a big step forward, but was not very satisfactory because I never could remember to get off the bypass at the right time. Somewhere on Texas Ave would be much more likely to succeed.
Question 5
Our community is sprawling to the south while more than 40% of the developable land within the city limits remains undeveloped. Urban sprawl drives up tax rates by increasing the cost of infrastructure and community services such as police, fire and ambulances. It also diminishes aesthetic appeal and increases traffic. Many cities have recognized the advantages of “Smart Growth” and taken measures to curb sprawl. Do you believe the city should take a proactive role in addressing this issue?
Yes. I wish I had the answer. Infill is needed, but so many property owners are too “proud” of their holdings. If a reasonable purchase price could be determined, it would no longer be an incentive to go outside the city limits for development. I have actually thought about making the taxes higher for the undeveloped property within the city limits to make it more attractive to sell than to hold onto the land.
Question 6
While we recognize that City Hall needs to be expanded, the citizens of College Station voted last May against rebuilding at a site on Kranek Tap Road. Expansion at the current location could meet the city’s needs while also taking a positive step toward increasing building density in College Station, thereby decreasing the pressure for sprawl. Do you support the expansion of City Hall at its present location?
Yes, I am in agreement that expansion could take place, however the way the current building is constructed, the only place that could go up is the part where there is already a second floor. I am told that the rest of the building is not constructed in such a way that going up is a possibility. That being the case, perhaps rather than expanding the current building, perhaps the parking lot could be used for another building then use the open space east of the current building and parking lot for the surface parking.
No, it would be more effective to begin a totally new building that could incorporate the “green” and “LEED” methods for new construction. At the present time we have the same size office facility that we had when we were 1/2 the current population so it is important that we do something soon in order to improve worker productivity.
Question 7
T The first Paragraph of the fourteenth amendment reads:
"No State shall make or enforce any law which shall abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of the United States; nor shall any State deprive any person of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws. "
Do you agree?
Yes.
Question 8
Locally owned, independent businesses can provide economic stimulus, develop human resources, reflect community character and encourage tourism. Yet Bryan has encouraged large retail development by national chains with financial incentives, thus creating unfair competition for locally owned businesses. Other communities have taken measures to level the playing field, including stopping the provision of incentives to outside competition and putting restrictions on the size of retail outlets that can be developed. Would you support these or other types of initiatives to promote local, independent businesses?
Yes. I don’t think we can stop big box stores from coming in, but we can make it necessary to have adequate space and proper traffic impact studies before they begin construction. We have excellent examples of good independent businesses that are making outstanding contributions to the quality of CS. If there are specific ordinances that need to be examined in order to make these types of firms more capable of starting to do business, we need to have the ordinances identified and bring stakeholders involved together to reach consensus about changes to be offered.
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