City Council elections are almost here, and if you’re trying to figure out who to vote for, The Dentonite has you covered. We sent a general questionnaire to every candidate who filed for each district, and we’re giving you the answers to all your burning questions in separate posts by district.

Election day is on May 4, but if you want to beat the election day rush you can also vote early from April 22-30. There is more information about the city council election on the city of Denton website. You can find out who your current city council member is and which district you need to vote in here. To learn more about all the polling dates, times, and locations, check out our guide to the 2019 City Council Election.

The Dentonite will be hosting a candidate forum on April 20 at Dan’s Silverleaf at 2:30 p.m. All candidates have confirmed their attendance with the exception of Gerard Hudspeth (incumbent, D1), Keely Briggs (incumbent, D2), and John Ryan (incumbent, D4). You can submit questions for the forum through this google form.

The District 3 seat is currently held by Don Duff. Matt Farmer, Diana Leggett, and Jesse L. Davis are running for the open seat and Don Duff is not running again. Both Farmer and Leggett responded to the questions sent, and their answers are as follows. Jesse L. Davis declined to comment for this article.

Matt Farmer

What boards or organizations are you involved with in the Denton community? Based on your involvement in the community and on these boards or organizations, what skills do you believe you will bring to the city council, or continue to bring?

While I don’t currently serve on any boards, I work for two small local businesses (J&J’s Pizza and Dan’s Silverleaf), I regularly work for the PABS program, and as a substitute teacher for Denton ISD. I’ve been involved with the TRiO program at UNT. I have also served as a volunteer deputy registrar for several years. I believe that my intimate ties with the community, along with my passion for helping others, gives me a unique perspective that would greatly benefit our council.

What is the biggest issue(s) facing your district that you want voters to know means a lot to your campaign? What changes would you like to institute to address these issues?

Decreasing our carbon footprint and becoming a more sustainable city is a big deal to me. While Denton has taken some good strides in this regard, we’ve still got a long way to go. If elected, I will push to increase our funding for public transportation, ensure our infrastructure spending has sustainable functionality, expand our green space while also increasing our city’s walkability, create more protected bike lanes, provide businesses and residences with compost options, and increase our current gas well setbacks.

What are three achievable goals that you would champion in the next two years if you won?

One of the first things I would do is push to pass an LGBTQ+ Anti-Discrimination Ordinance for our city. Carrollton’s city council recently passed a similar ordinance to protect city workers, contractors, and political appointees from discrimination based on gender identity and sexual orientation. Our council should not only follow suit but should expand the language to protect students, teachers, and employees of other businesses as well. There is already work being done by local activists to get something like this passed, and I’m certain we could follow through with the right representatives.

As I mentioned before, decreasing our carbon footprint is one of my top priorities. A recent study revealed that 45% of waste in North Texas is compostable, but unfortunately, our council recently filed for an expansion permit of our landfill. If this actually goes through, our landfill waste pile will be taller than the Wells Fargo building downtown. While I hope council moves to withdraw or make changes to their current permit request, if elected, I’d like to take it a step further and provide businesses and residences with compost bins. Other cities in the DFW area have already started moving in this direction, and considering the fact that we already have existing infrastructure for composting, there’s really no excuse for us to not join this movement too. In fact, after speaking with several business owners in the area and hearing their enthusiasm to comply with potential composting programs, I believe this could help Denton be a leader in environmental stewardship and set an example for our surrounding communities. With 53% of our city being renters, I’d also seek to pass an ordinance to further protect tenants’ rights.

Throughout my time in Denton, I’ve heard countless stories from people in our community that had been unfairly taken advantage of by their landlord or by a property management company, simply because they didn’t know their rights as tenants. That being said, not all landlords are bad people, so this ordinance would essentially model their positive conduct; good landlords are transparent with their tenants and establish solid communication before a lease is even signed. Landlords should be required to sit down with their tenants and go through the terms of the lease, provide them with their basic rights, and complete a move-in condition report with their tenants, instead of making it optional. These are simple protections that wouldn’t cause property owners to increase rent, and I believe an ordinance like this would significantly decrease landlord-tenant disputes in our city.

What are the most important policies Denton needs to implement to ensure that it reaches and maintains sustainability?

Along with some of the things I’ve already mentioned, there are several other ways our council can work to maintain and expand our city’s sustainability efforts. I’d like to see our city move away from gas pads and drilling sites; considering that our community came together to ban fracking, it’s clear this is something the majority of our citizens want. While it’s nice that we’re going “100% Renewable” by 2020, the rhetoric surrounding this goal is a bit misleading. It’s essentially just a financial goal; we’ll be buying renewable energy materials equal to the amount of energy we’re consuming but not actually producing that renewable energy. In fact, we recently built a wildly expensive gas plant, which will only make our air quality worse than it already is. It will certainly be an uphill battle, but for the sake of our health, and for the sake of our environment, we should be working to phase out our gas plants and, instead, move to producing renewable energy sources. We can’t afford to wait any longer.

How do you feel about the transportation options currently available in our city? Do we have enough options? If not, what will you do to increase those?

Right now, the people of Denton seem to unanimously agree that our city’s public transportation options could be much better. After looking at the current budget proposal, it appears that funding for public transportation has actually decreased in the last 4-5 years. Many of the bus stops around town aren’t accessible for disabled people. During big events, our shuttles hit capacity pretty quickly. Bus schedules tend to be inconsistent, and buses are often late. I believe many of these problems could be fixed with the help of our council, and the first move would be to simply allocate more funds to our public transit program, especially since we’re anticipating our city to rapidly grow in the next few years. We also need to be sure our stops are ADA compliant, that our buses are on time, and that operations are being regularly monitored. The more reliable our public transportation becomes, the more people will actually use these services. With increased ridership, we could eventually accumulate the funds to invest in greener public transportation options as well.

Is the city spending money in the right places? What would you change, if anything?

Our city’s budget is pretty extensive, to say the least. Every year, we spend millions upon millions of dollars on an extremely wide array of improvements, programs, and services — among other things. Some of this money is certainly well spent; from street improvements to library services, from disaster recovery to re-purposing fire stations, a significant portion of this money goes to services that benefit all of us, even if we don’t generally think about how these things are funded. Despite this, there are still instances in which I’ve been disappointed by how our budget has been allotted. In a city that wants to become “100% Renewable,” why would we spend $8.1 million a year on a 225-megawatt gas plant? I’d rather we invest in renewable energy resources while allocating more of our budget to public transportation, protected bike lanes, compost programs, and cultivating green space. Instead of funding Municipal Management Districts that give private developers the power to tax their residents for whatever they want, we should be spending money on truly affordable housing developments for low-income families and veterans. If our city can give huge corporations tax incentives to bring their businesses here, why can’t we establish better protections for small, community-based businesses to keep them here too? We should also prove that we actually care about our arts community by providing arts & culture grants like many other cities around the state do. It’s all about putting people before politics.

How do you plan to involve residents in the decision-making process in our town?

Like some of our current council members do, I would hold regular town halls, sometimes regarding specific issues, sometimes just to allow the public to ask general questions and provide feedback. District 3 is extremely vast, so we must elect representatives that are willing to hold public forums all around the district. Along with this, I would also write recurring newsletters that inform residents about what the city is working on and how they can become involved. Much like a college professor, I’d have open “office hours” throughout the week for people to come talk with me one-on-one. Having a strong social media presence to keep people informed is key too. Increased visibility and complete transparency in our local government is paramount to having a healthy community, and I would do all I can to ensure that everyone’s voices are heard.

What sets you apart from the other candidates across all districts? What is it about you that you believe the council is lacking that you will bring to the table?

Well, to start, I’m definitely the youngest candidate to throw my hat in the ring. Yet, I believe this makes me an asset for our council. We need to elect someone with new, progressive ideas if we’re going to effectively anticipate our city’s growth and coming changes. We need to elect someone that can bring attention to local issues in a way that resonates with everyone, and not just a select few. We need to elect someone that is willing to fight for positive change, and not just sustain the status quo. Aside from my age, I think what truly sets me apart from the other candidates is my deep involvement in this community outside of the political sphere. I’ve gone to school here. I’ve worked for several local businesses here. I’ve helped friends open businesses of their own here. I’ve worked for UNT and for Denton ISD. I’ve been involved with our music scene and our arts community. I’ve volunteered and performed for nonprofit organizations. I’ve formed close relationships with local business owners, teachers, students, musicians, performers, property owners, and a variety of other people that make our community so great. I have a pulse on this community, on the things we want to preserve, the things we want to improve, the things we want to change. Our local representatives should actually reflect their constituents, and as a renter, a musician, and an educator who works paycheck-to-paycheck, I believe that I can bring a much-needed voice to the table.

Time is always a big concern for city council candidates. What would you say to those who are concerned that you wear too many hats and won’t be able to fully dedicate the attention needed to represent your district?

Anyone that knows me can attest to the fact that I’m basically always working, and that when I choose to do something, I give it my all. But even before I decided to run for office, I had already been dedicating so much of my time to serving this community. That’s why my decision to run just made sense. I genuinely care about this city and the people that make it so awesome. I do wear a lot of hats, both literally and metaphorically, but this has allowed me to learn to prioritize my time well and, ultimately, still go above and beyond in my work. I’ve always been one to make sure I’ve done the research before formulating my opinions, and on top of that, I’m an extremely approachable person. I’m always willing to meet up and talk and will listen to your concerns and opinions regardless of whatever our differences may be.

What is something that we haven’t covered that you want voters to know about you, your mission, and why you are running for city council?

I cannot stress enough just how important our local elections are. The decisions made by our city council have a direct impact on all of us. Yet, of our registered voters, only about 5% of them turn out to vote in our municipal May elections. Because of this, some people have recommended that I do the “conventional politician” thing, and focus on catering to this small voting demographic, and carefully craft my message in a way that will win over our current voters. But that’s not what I’m about. I want my campaign to not only spread our message to current voters, but also expand our city’s voter demographic. I want to make this election noticeable, I want to inspire unregistered voters to get involved, and I want to remind people that their voices truly matter in these elections. This campaign isn’t about me; it’s about us, our community, our people. Without the right representation, Denton could be completely unrecognizable in a few years — but if we work together, we can embrace our growth in a way that preserves the things we love about this town. We can fix the things that need repair, we can keep our small businesses alive, we can protect our environment, our working class, our arts community, and, ultimately, elect representatives that just want to do what’s right for Denton and its wonderful people.

Diana Leggett

What boards or organizations are you involved with in the Denton community? Based on your involvement in the community and on these boards or organizations, what skills do you believe you will bring to the city council, or continue to bring?

Founder and president of WildRescue, Inc., a 501(c)3 non-profit located here in Denton, Texas, and have served all of Denton County for 30 years as its main wildlife rehabilitator. Chair of the Animal Shelter Advisory Board for the City of Denton. Volunteer at Salvation Army and Monsignor King. Member of the Disability Caucus.

I bring a set of service-centered leadership skills, including setting an example of dedication and the abilities to articulate a practical vision and to give guidance along the way so we achieve results.

What is the biggest issue(s) facing your district that you want voters to know means a lot to your campaign? What changes would you like to institute to address these issues?

Planning for growth.  We see it in all quadrants of our city but most especially here in District 3.  We need to make sure there is appropriate infrastructure and adequate green and open space so we’re happy with what Denton becomes. We must establish pedestrian connections between neighborhoods.  While the 2030 Plan is good and important, it should be the beginning of this conversation, not the end.

Our neighborhoods deserve to know about imminent and potential development well before it happens. I support more neighborhood meetings and involvement as our city grows and changes — and not just at the last minute before the shovels break dirt. And with so many zoning changes, we should periodically check in together as a community on how the map of Denton is evolving versus what we thought. We shouldn’t allow a constant nibbling away at our shared goals for Denton.

What are three achievable goals that you would champion in the next two years if you won?

1. Put a plan in place so that anyone within a neighborhood is within a 10-minute walk to a park or green space. I will stay on this like a duck on a June bug.  We need more open spaces not less.  I am also in favor of the City purchasing what I call the “emeralds” — green spaces within our neighborhoods that could be preserved.  

2. Help lead the county Homelessness Coalition toward a coordinated county — wide action plan, bringing resources together — not just from the city of Denton—to get these few hundred people out of the woods and off of the doorways on the Square and onto a path that’s better for everyone involved.

3. Not just focusing tax incentives on large companies with low numbers of employees per acre, but also strategically incentivizing small businesses that can add to walkability of neighborhoods or add to the uniqueness of Denton.

What are the most important policies Denton needs to implement to ensure that it reaches and maintains sustainability?

Denton is set to be completely energy sustainable (with wind and solar) by 2020. Seeing to it that further technology is explored will be a must. Water conservation along with true air quality monitoring needs to be seriously looked at as all of these subjects are part of the sustainable circle. A true recycling program that includes organic compost, that includes all our multifamily units, and that calls on each resident to more vigorously adhere to the recycling process. It’s all vital to reducing what goes into our landfill.  Partnering with businesses that purchase recyclable product should be explored in depth.  

How do you feel about the transportation options currently available in our city? Do we have enough options? If not, what will you do to increase those?

I think the transportation options are in dire need of revamping and reconfiguring.  No one should have to wait more than 10 minutes for a bus or a train. Light rail should connect our universities and other campuses and, in the future, go down to Ft. Worth, Dallas, and over to Frisco/Collin County.  The answer is not more big buses – that only adds to traffic congestion.  Smaller hail-able and on-demand vehicles would be excellent additions for everyone and would help to diminish traffic congestion. Alternate modes of transportation include bicycles.  A more complete network of protected bike lanes will encourage more recreational and commuter uses of bicycles. Pedestrian and bike bridges (so-called “flyovers”) will help keep us connected.

Is the city spending money in the right places? What would you change, if anything?

About half of the city’s general fund is public safety—police and fire.  And we’re going to need more there for staff and facilities as we ramp up to serve our swelling population.  I would like to see a full-time grant writer (hopefully recruited from the UNT School of Business or TWU) to help the city acquire grants for certain projects and to help achieve end goals for projects already started.

How do you plan to involve residents in the decision-making process in our town?

I support having neighborhood committees that report in to City Council so that needs, concerns, issues, and goals can be looked at, worked on, and accomplished. They would provide a conduit of information from the inner circle of the neighborhood all the way up.  

What sets you apart from the other candidates across all districts? What is it about you that you believe the council is lacking that you will bring to the table?

Half a lifetime of leadership and service set me apart along with my ability to triage difficult situations, think out of the box, and create viable solutions that have vision.

Time is always a big concern for city council candidates. What would you say to those who are concerned that you wear too many hats and won’t be able to fully dedicate the attention needed to represent your district?

As a single woman who raised two sons, taught school, never missed a school event, then founded a non-profit which has served this county since 1998, and ran for county judge while holding down a full-time job and never dropped a ball, I am well aware of how vital time management is and live by it.  Serving my constituents will be my top priority.

What is something that we haven’t covered that you want voters to know about you, your mission, and why you are running for city council?

Having talked to people around the county and most recently as I have knocked on doors in my district, I find that people don’t feel that they are being listened to, that their voices, no matter how loud they cry, are not heard.  People want us to listen.  They deserve to be heard.  It is their tax dollars that fuel this city. I will be a voice for all.

People deserve transparency. Our ethics ordinance doesn’t go far enough in some areas. I favor a ban on private meetings between council members and developers with business before the city.

Denton needs affordable housing. We need to bring in jobs that will raise the average wage in Denton. And we need to add to the supply of housing in Denton.

We need healthy neighborhoods. Healthy neighborhoods are walkable. Most do not have walkability to a grocery store or any other amenity let alone a park of any kind.  We now have food deserts.  A 10-minute walk to a green space/park/pocket park will soothe souls and bring people together even just to greet each other.  I want to see our neighborhoods feeling vibrant and encourage neighborhood pride.  I would love to have signs at the entrances to our neighborhoods that say, “Welcome to…”. On the street signs themselves, I would love to see caps that define which neighborhood you are within. I believe if we engage our people, we will continue to grow this city into the leading community it was always meant to be.  That’s why I am running.

Jesse L. Davis

Jesse L. Davis declined to comment for this article.

Other Information

More information on Matt Farmer’s candidacy can be found here. More information on Diana Leggett’s candidacy can be found here. More information on Jesse L. Davis’s candidacy can be found here.

Election day is May 4 and early voting will take place from April 22-30. More information on polling locations, times, and district lookups can be found here. Don’t forget to join us April 20 at Dan’s Silverleaf for The Dentonite’s candidate forum at 2:30 pm.

Questions/concerns about this article? Email tori@thedentonite.com.

Header image courtesy of Element5 Digital on Unsplash.

Header design by Kylie Phillips.