City of Gunter Mayoral Candidates

Karen Souther

Motivation:

Why do you want to serve on the city council, and what qualities would you bring to this position?

I have been part of the City for the past 36 years in many positions including several terms on the City Council and 9 terms as Mayor. I have a deep love for this City and want to make it a place where Citizens can live, work, and play without leaving the community. This is a lofty goal, but one I believe is achievable.

In preparation for impending growth the Mayor and City Council have adopted a Strategic Plan to help guide us through the future. We have developed a City Vision, Mission, Core Values and Strategic Focus Areas.

Strategic:

What actions should the city council take right away to ensure a thriving community in the long-term?

As with any growing City, it still faces many challenges which must be addressed to meet the oncoming onslaught of development that is imminent. We must guide the private developers to build a City with quality development that all Citizens will be proud of.

Some areas that require immediate attention are street and road repairs, mowing the City property, and keeping up with the water and sewer requirements. The City has moved to a model to use contractors to complete these tasks. We will be reaching out to a street contractor for patching streets, we have hired the same company that mows the schools to mow the City property, and have sold the water and sewer to Mustang water supply. Hiring contractors gives the City flexibility to expand these services without adding staff, equipment, and debt.

Services:

What changes should be made, if any, to city services? What would it take to make these changes?

The City currently has a volunteer fire department and no ambulance service. A plan is being formulated to have the fire department start an ambulance service by the end of this year. This move will allow the fire department to hire 7 full time paramedics and will be the beginning of a full-time paid fire department.

Our fire budget increased to over $350,000 last year and the police budget increased to over $800,000. This is an increase of 136% on fire and 71% on police. We purchased new police vehicles and have moved the Police Department to a new location on SH289 for improved visibility and more room.

1. The City spent $1,400,000 in street repairs last year which was more than we spent in the last 10 years. We have earmarked in the budget $550,000 per year until 2025 for street repairs.

2. The Bridges needs a new waste water treatment plant. The design work is almost completed by Mustang and I anticipate construction to begin this summer.

Infrastructure:

What are the most urgent infrastructure projects in the city, and how would you work with the City to get them done?

Finance:

What would you like to change, if anything, about the city budget and taxation?

Emergency Preparedness:

What, if anything, should the city do to better prepare for emergencies, natural disasters, like tornadoes, fires, and freezing?

Other issues:

What other important issues are facing the city council, and how would you address them?

Biographical Information and Contacts: (brief intro about you, your education, experience, community service as well as your campaign contact email/phone/website and/or Facebook page link)

3. The extension of FM121 from Block Road to SH289 will be a priority in the near future. This is a joint project with the City and Texas Department of Transportation. I anticipate a 2025 start.

4. Flooding in The Woods has been a major concern. The City Engineer is working on plans to help alleviate this problem

5. The City bought 2 new scoreboards for the ball fields at the park and a new back stop for smaller kids.

6. The parks need to be expanded and improved. The City hired Adam Adams as the Director of Parks and Public Services. He is currently working with the park board to develop a comprehensive plan for the parks..

The City hired Lorie Lankford as the Director of Finance. She retired from Round Rock which completed 23 years in government accounting experience. Lorie completely revamped the City budget to make it easy to read (see the City web page). Last years budget resulted in a 21% decrease in the tax rate. The City has purchased clearGOV budgeting system which will make budgeting easier and more transparent.

Under the City's emergency management plan, the City is linked to the County's emergency management system. One phone call to the County EOC will triger help from the County and our Surrounding Cities.

The City has purchased two tornado warning sirens, one of which will be placed in the Bridges. These will be installed this summer.

The City has purchased a standby generator to run the fire department and City hall. It is in and we are scheduling installation.

Great cities are intentional, they create a plan and execute it. Improvements need to be made in the Thoroughfare Master Plan, Enhance Landscape requirements, finish the Parks Master Plan, and the Downtown Master Plan.

I moved to Gunter in 1966 as a Freshman in high school. I graduated in 1970, married Beverly in 1974, graduated University of North Texas in 1977 with a Bachelors in Business Administration with a degree in accounting and economics. I have two wonderful grown children and 4 grand children. I teach Sunday school at the First Baptist Church in Gunter where I have been a member since 1967. I have been financial manager for several private companies in my career and am still working, not because I have to but because I am enjoying working every day.

I can be reached by phone or text (903) 328-7501 and email mmillar@cebridge.net. I do not have a face book page or a website.

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