Here are the candidates for Fort Worth City Council District 7 in May 6 election [Fort Worth Star-Telegram]

Caleb Backholm

Age: 49

Campaign website:electcalebbackholm.com

Best way for voters to reach you:Email, website, phone, or Facebook page

Occupation:I’ve owned and operated an insurance agency since 2001.

Education:Currently a student at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary pursuing MA in Christian Apologetics. 1999, BA from Northwestern College in St. Paul, MN. Double majored in Biblical Studies and Broadcasting; History Minor.

Have you run for elected office before? (Please list previous offices sought, with years):Yes. Elected twice to the school board, 2009 and 2013.

Please list the highlights of your civic involvement/activism in the city of Fort Worth:Primarily active in our church, political clubs, and our kids’ sporting activities.

Have you ever been arrested, charged with a crime or otherwise been part of a criminal proceeding? If yes, please explain:No

Have you been involved in a civil lawsuit or bankruptcy proceeding? If yes, please explain:No

Who are your top three campaign contributors?:All my donors are private individuals who have donated under $1,000 each. I will be beholden to no special interests, just the best interests of the city.

Why are you seeking this office?:I grew up in the Northwest. Believe me, I have seen firsthand what bad, leftist politics will do to a city. Everything gets worse with bad government — crime, homelessness, taxation, endless regulations, high-density congestion, and even city streets are worse.

I want to make sure the same bad ideas we left behind don’t take root here

What are the biggest challenges facing the city of Fort Worth?:How to properly grow. I want Fort Worth to continue to be different than America’s other big cities. Particularly in the 7th District, my neighbors up here want family style neighborhoods and streets that are easy to get around on.

If elected, what would your top 3 policy priorities be?:

1. Conservative government. I will resist leftist policies that are destroying most of America’s urban centers.

2. Lower property taxes

3. Oppose high-density growth in the 7th district and instead focus on family-style neighborhoods.

How will you measure your success as council member?:If I did what I said I would do, and if I was able to find others to work toward the same goals.

Why should voters choose you over your opponents?:Trustworthy experience. Too often, once candidates become elected officials, they don’t turn out to be who you thought they were.

Voters won’t have to worry about that with me. Of the three candidates, I have the longest track record of working as a grassroots activist on the issues that we conservatives care about. I have a 30-year history of working in office, being elected, writing, speaking, and working on individual liberty and conservative government issues. I have already stood strong under pressure.

As a strong fiscal conservative, I will work to make government efficient in how it spends money, and I know that most problems can’t be solved by government. The City of Fort Worth must focus on the basics in order to be effective.

How will you reduce the city’s reliance on residential property taxes?:

I’ll answer this partly here, and then also in the next question.

I would like to see us freeze spending in most areas. We won’t even have to cut unilaterally, but due to the continuing increase in sales tax revenues, we could cut back on property tax collections at a corresponding rate.

Over time, we would see income taxes not just stop rising, but actually decrease, and reduce the reliance on them.

What’s your plan to lower property taxes and not just the tax rate?:

We have to make reduced spending a priority, not just lip service. A few ideas:

As an example, the Seattle area spends about $1 billion per year on the homeless issue and their homeless problem is a disaster. Instead, I would refer people to private churches and nonprofits that help people through building relationships with them. That’s what works.

How should Fort Worth manage its explosive growth?:Growth can be deliberately slowed when necessary, and in some parts of District 7 that may be necessary. I am concerned about high-density housing when we don’t have the infrastructure to handle the volume.

How should the city approach development in areas of district 7 with inadequate infrastructure?:Development should be slowed until the infrastructure can handle it.

I live off of Boat Club Rd, and the lack of sidewalks on that road and several others here is a real problem. Once upon a time, these were small roads with low traffic, but not anymore. We have not kept up with the housing boom.

There isn’t even a shoulder to use, and I regularly see people (including children) walking in the weeds next to the road just trying to get somewhere. It’s very dangerous and needs to be improved.

What should the city do to improve police and fire response times in far north Fort Worth?:I haven’t had any voters mention this issue as a priority in the 7th district. I would not spend city money on this at this time. I will focus on the top essentials.

What (if anything) should the city do to make it easier for locally-owned small businesses to flourish in Fort Worth?:Low taxes and regulations are the main things any government can do to create a good business environment. That said, I oppose tax credits that benefit just certain big businesses. We need an even playing-field and the same great business environment for all businesses, not handouts to a small group.

Lastly, roads need to be well maintained. If people hate driving around town because of the traffic bottle-necks, that is hard on businesses that rely on those customers.

Alliance Texas has seen huge economic growth in its 30+ year existence. How can Fort Worth replicate that success in other parts of the city?:I would love to see some nice retail business development in the northwest part of town. A low property tax rate for all businesses is needed so they locate here.The city does have some control over development, and the area needs more quaint shopping and restaurant options similar to what we see in other parts of DFW like Keller, Southlake, and Alliance.

All the recent construction seems to be just housing, but we need commercial services to utilize, also. That type of development brings a charm and quality of life that many voters have told me they’d like to see out our way. I’d want to help make that happen.

What’s the appropriate balance between Fort Worth’s rapid growth and its culture as the “largest small town in America?”:I addressed that a little in the last question, but I also believe Fort Worth should have less high-density housing than most cities. We can grow differently than other cities do. By focusing on keeping crime down, making safe, driveable streets, and lowering taxes, we can keep Fort Worth’s current appeal for generations to come.

What should Fort Worth do to prevent a repeat of the infrastructure problems north of Loop 820 as the city continues to add residents in areas west and southwest of the loop?:The streets have to be maintained, and in some cases, widened. And sidewalks should be added on the busier roads between neighborhoods.

What needs to be done in the wake of the Aaron Dean trial to improve community-police relations?:Though the Atatiana Jefferson story was a tragic incident, thankfully it was an exception, not the norm. What I’m hearing from the community is that people believe the police are doing a good job of working with the community and stopping criminals. They have a tough job and as a group are performing well. Fort Worth is a good place to interact with the local police and I plan to keep it that way.

How would you assess the performance of city manager David Cooke?:I don’t have an opinion on this at this time.

Jason Ellis

Age:35

Campaign website:jasonellisforfortworth.com

Best way for voters to reach you:Website or call me at 817-503-6341

Occupation:Retire Miliary, Small Business Owner

Education:GED, Military, Plumbing

Have you run for elected office before? (Please list previous offices sought, with years):No

Please list the highlights of your civic involvement/activism in the city of Fort Worth:Board member of nonprofit that assisted in training first responders, President of NW Fort Worth Republican Club, sponsored many children sports teams, assisted in training security at multiple churches, Volunteered on multiple campaigns. Served in the U.S. Army

Have you ever been arrested, charged with a crime or otherwise been part of a criminal proceeding? If yes, please explain:No

Have you been involved in a civil lawsuit or bankruptcy proceeding? If yes, please explain:No

Who are your top three campaign contributors?:Mostly self-funded

Why are you seeking this office?:I actually want to work on the problems that we face on a day-to-day basis.

What are the biggest challenges facing the city of Fort Worth?:Infrastructure is the biggest issue in District 7, on two fronts. First, we are one of the fastest-growing areas of the City but our infrastructure has not kept up. We need to build more roads ahead of more roof tops. Second, our roads in the northern part of the district have been neglected, largely due to a lack of representation from that area. Our council members in recent years have been from the southern part of the district closer to downtown. They often forget about north Fort Worth and our needs up here. I will represent the entire district and not just the select few in my neighborhood.

If elected, what would your top 3 policy priorities be?:Infrastructure, Property Tax, Safety

How will you measure your success as council member?:By standing true to my commitment, I have made to the citizens of Fort Worth, this will reflect on the way I vote and make decisions. I will always put the citizens first.

Why should voters choose you over your opponents?:I can properly represent everyone in the district without a conflict of interest. I ultimately want the best for my District and the city. District 7 is unique, we have a military base, lakes, and your everyday hard-working families. No one will work harder than me and truly represent the hard-working people and especially my fellow brothers and sisters in uniform.

How will you reduce the city’s reliance on residential property taxes?:Cut wasteful spending!

What’s your plan to lower property taxes and not just the tax rate?:Currently, there are no incentives for department heads to save money. Actually, it’s the opposite. They’re incentivized to spend their entire budget to ensure that they receive the same, or more, during the next budget cycle. We should look for ways to encourage fiscal responsibility within each department and pass the savings on to our taxpayers.

How should Fort Worth manage its explosive growth?:Catch up on our infrastructure. Infrastructure is more than just roads, its water, sewer treatment, Power grid, Police, Fire, EMS, Etc. if we don’t take control of this soon our infrastructure will not even be able to handle anymore development.

How should the city approach development in areas of district 7 with inadequate infrastructure?:If the infrastructure cannot support more development, then there is no option. The only answer for more and new development is by focusing on our infrastructure.

What should the city do to improve police and fire response times in far north Fort Worth?:Again, Infrastructure is key, and most times needed before rapid growth. Traffic in Nort West Fort Worth continues to become an issue, and this puts a strain on Police, Fire, and EMS

What (if anything) should the city do to make it easier for locally-owned small businesses to flourish in Fort Worth?:As a business owner I support small business and believe we should foster an environment for them to thrive. Every business is there to make a profit. As a city if we provide a clean safe environment where people want to call home, business will come.

Alliance Texas has seen huge economic growth in its 30+ year existence. How can Fort Worth replicate that success in other parts of the city?:If we can create a clean, safe city where people want to call home then business will come. If we focus on making sure our citizens are taken care of and people want to live here, then business will follow.

What’s the appropriate balance between Fort Worth’s rapid growth and its culture as the “largest small town in America?”:By electing people who actually care about the citizens and the city. I encourage people to reach out to me, in fact I have advertised my cell phone on my website so that folks can reach me directly. I want to hear from people, and I want to hear their concerns.

Doesn’t get more small town than that!

What should Fort Worth do to prevent a repeat of the infrastructure problems north of Loop 820 as the city continues to add residents in areas west and southwest of the loop?:We should learn from our past mistakes. Growing is good, growing too fast is bad. There is always room for negotiating when we allow developers to build.

What needs to be done in the wake of the Aaron Dean trial to improve community-police relations?:More community involvement and investing in quality police training.

How would you assess the performance of city manager David Cooke?:I have not had the opportunity to work with him directly but look forward to getting things moving into the right direction. Once elected I will be more than happy to follow up about his performance.

Macy Hill

Age:42

Campaign website:macyhillcampaign.com

Best way for voters to reach you:[email protected]

Occupation:President, Tailwind Philanthropic Advisors

Education:Master of Business Administration, Master of Liberal Art, and Bachelor of Science Degrees from TCU

Have you run for elected office before? (Please list previous offices sought, with years):No

Please list the highlights of your civic involvement/activism in the city of Fort Worth:My husband James & I are very active in the PTO’s efforts in our sons’ school. Also, in addition to serving on state, civic and nonprofit boards, the majority of my professional career has been focused on giving back to the Fort Worth community and serving others. This includes private-public solutions addressing local community needs including early education, support of our local hospitals, & solutions for the local homeless community.

I have been very active in my neighborhood association including a joint effort last year with neighbors working with the Fort Worth Police Department in successfully shutting down a local crime house.

State and local community boards I have served on include being a Governor’s Appointee on the Texas Social Workers Examination Board, TCU Addran Board of Visitors, North Texas Salvation Army Advisory Board, the Healing Shepherd Clinic, The Cowtown Marathon, and Young Men’s Service League.

Have you ever been arrested, charged with a crime or otherwise been part of a criminal proceeding? If yes, please explain:No

Have you been involved in a civil lawsuit or bankruptcy proceeding? If yes, please explain:No

Who are your top three campaign contributors?:My campaign contributions are primarily from neighbors and friends with whom I have served side by side on various community projects. I am also endorsed by both the Fort Worth Firefighters Association and Fort Worth Police Officers Association. My campaign finance reports will be filed with the Fort Worth City Secretary’s office.

Why are you seeking this office?:To be an effective leader and voice for my neighbors. Fort Worth is a great place to live, work, raise a family and retire. We need responsible, solution-based leadership in City Hall to solve the challenges ahead which face our neighbors and city. I want to apply my life, professional and community service experiences to be an effective results-oriented steward for District 7.

What are the biggest challenges facing the city of Fort Worth?:Our main challenges are those of stewardship— ensuring proper city services and infrastructure in our existing neighborhoods while also making sure our City’s explosive growth doesn’t outpace the infrastructure required for new growth. These concerns include ensuring appropriate streets, sidewalks, parks, water, prompt police, fire and emergency medical response times, reduction of our city’s property tax rate, and other all such concerns which impact our existing and new neighborhood, community and city quality of life as well as our city’s local economic well-being.

If elected, what would your top 3 policy priorities be?:

Neighborhood quality of life, including public safety and traffic mobility

Lowering property tax rates

Ensuring proper infrastructure to support our existing and newer neighborhoods

How will you measure your success as council member?:First, by how well I listen and deliver for my neighbors. The local things count–listening to problems with traffic, crime, and development in every neighborhood and then making those concerns heard and acted upon.

Why should voters choose you over your opponents?:I am well prepared to fight for District 7 at City Hall. I have exhibited grit, energy, and a willingness to work hard throughout my life. As a young girl, I stocked shelves in my grandfather’s grocery store through high school. I went on to TCU, earning my Bachelor, MLA, and MBA degrees. Professionally, I serve as president of a foundation management company, working with foundations to invest their funds in nonprofit organizations making the largest impact in our community. I am an accomplished marathon runner. No task is too small nor race too long — I stay the course and get results. This is what I’ll bring to City Council service if elected.

How will you reduce the city’s reliance on residential property taxes?:By doing three things: Reducing our city’s property tax rate, only supporting budgets which prioritize essential city services, and by supporting the state’s current and ongoing efforts with delivering responsible and effective property tax valuation appraisal reforms.

What’s your plan to lower property taxes and not just the tax rate?:We must run the City like you run a home or business. In other words, we must live within our means. Additionally, we should only support economic growth, and local tourism efforts, which have a positive financial impact on our city and are either revenue neutral or will help stimulate the local economy such that it helps with lower existing homeowner property tax rates.

How should Fort Worth manage its explosive growth?:By looking before we leap. This will require prioritizing existing neighborhood needs first, then not allowing rezoning for new growth when existing infrastructure is insufficient. Additionally, we should not allow new growth which adversely impacts existing neighborhood quality of life.

How should the city approach development in areas of district 7 with inadequate infrastructure?:The same as above.

What should the city do to improve police and fire response times in far north Fort Worth?:Response times matter. We need to do whatever it takes to guarantee to our citizens, that police, fire, and ambulance response will be timely. This requires sufficient management, staffing and proper allocation of our resources including stations and equipment. Also, this concern requires an acknowledgment of the reality that if traffic congestion (especially in the areas of our city outside Loop 820) is impacting public safety response times, we need new strategies. If our city’s public safety and ambulance response times have worsened over the past few years then I will pursue immediate council action to correct this problem.

What (if anything) should the city do to make it easier for locally-owned small businesses to flourish in Fort Worth?:A skilled and educated workforce is key to an empowered local economy. With this said, our local school districts, Tarrant County College, TCU, TWU, UTA, UNTHSC, Tarleton and Texas A&M are supplying our city with this very valuable commodity. Beyond this, our city must ensure basic city services are well delivered. It is my understanding there are several public-private strategies the city and Chamber have launched to provide mentoring resources to help local business owners tap into our robust convention and tourism opportunities.

Alliance Texas has seen huge economic growth in its 30+ year existence. How can Fort Worth replicate that success in other parts of the city?:Alliance required incredible vision by the City, Hillwood and the FAA. I firmly believe in Fort Worth’s new vision in building a skilled and educated workforce. I also support Mayor Parker’s initiatives to raise the standards of excellence and opportunities in our overlapping public school districts including expanded Pre-K. I feel Fort Worth is attracting world attention; especially in the film industry in large part to Taylor Sheridan’s Yellowstone, 1883 and other TV projects using locations in and around Fort Worth.

What’s the appropriate balance between Fort Worth’s rapid growth and its culture as the “largest small town in America?”:Despite now being the 13th largest city in America, Fort Worth is still the “most friendly” and “most livable.” And it’s our city council’s responsibility to keep it this way.

What should Fort Worth do to prevent a repeat of the infrastructure problems north of Loop 820 as the city continues to add residents in areas west and southwest of the loop?:This will require prioritizing existing neighborhood needs first; then by not allowing rezoning for new growth when existing infrastructure is insufficient. Additionally, we should not allow new growth which adversely impacts existing neighborhood quality of life.

What needs to be done in the wake of the Aaron Dean trial to improve community-police relations?:Our City Council and Police Chief must be accountable and transparent in their management of the police department in how they respond whenever there is misconduct. In this regard, immediate past Chief Ed Kraus and current Chief Neil Noakes have instilled public trust, accountability, and transparency. I support maintaining the City Council/Police Chief system of managing our police department.

How would you assess the performance of city manager David Cooke?:I have not had the occasion to work directly with our City Manager. This said, the challenges facing Fort Worth are in front of us. If elected, I will strive to see a plan of action from the City Manager that is both results-oriented and responsive to citizen input / council direction.

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