My Jarrell • October 2024

MEET THE CANDIDATES

My Jarrell Monthly presented each of the candidates for Jarrell Mayor and City Council with a set of questions designed to provide voters an “apples to apples” review regarding issues and platforms. Respondants were limited to 100 words to introduce themselves, and a maximum of 350 words for their responses to questions.

To comply with our request, some candidates answered specific questions more or less thoroughly according to their platform and priorities. Following are the complete responses from those candidates, in order of receipt — with only minor text corrections — who returned their answers prior to our print deadline.

These races and candidates will appear on your ballot if you live within the Jarrell city limits.

Voting • October 21 - November 1 | Election Day • November 5

CITY COUNCIL CANDIDATES

LORI ALLEN

My name is Lori Allen. I have been a resident of Jarrell since 2016. I am a pharmacist with a Doctor of Pharmacy degree from Southwestern Oklahoma State University. I own Town Center Pharmacy. I also earned a degree from Texas Tech in 1993. I am originally from Odessa, TX. I like Jarrell a lot better! I have two daughters, a cat named Francis and a dog named Maggie. I spend my free time traveling and relaxing as much as possible! I love serving the city of Jarrell as their pharmacist! Thanks for the opportunity!

JEFF SEIDEL

• Personally stopped the development of another truck stop • Personally brought high-speed fiber “end-to-end” citywide

• Added traffic signs in the city

• Lowered the speed limit on Hwy 487 to 45 mph

• Added a Stop Sign to and am currently fighting to finish Western Sky, closing it to through traffic

• Helped bring in Dairy Queen, Starbucks, Wendy’s, Popeyes, and Sonic

• Extended city boundaries

• Returned prayer and the invocation to our monthly City Council meetings

• Kept the tax rate at .394%

• Improved Memorial Park by implementing motion sensor lighting, while avoiding surveillance cameras

Q: What qualifications or past experiences have prepared you to run for mayor/city council?

ALLEN: I love the city of Jarrell! It has given me the opportunity to fulfill my dream of owning a pharmacy. The citizens of Jarrell have supported me greatly! I want to give back to them and this great city. I have a Bachelor's Degree in management from Texas Tech University and a Doctor of Pharmacy Degree from Southwestern Oklahoma State University which both have given me the tools I needed to open a thriving business. In other words, I am teachable and I am more than willing to learn and listen to the experts and the professionals who know better than myself how to run a city.

SEIDEL: Two-term City Councilman

• Created 5-year technology plan for Bob Bullock, utilized by all Texas agencies.

• 35 years of upper-level management experience in Fortune 500 companies

• Owner of Americo Computer Solutions

• Founder and Pastor of One Accord Ministries

Q: What qualities do you think make an effective city council member?

ALLEN: A city council member must have integrity, accountability and honesty. They must be willing to LISTEN to others who know what they are talking about and let the city professionals do their job. A city council member MUST know the scope of their position. As a person of ONE, they have NO power but with the other council members great things can happen for the city. Maintaining positive relationships with the other members is vital for growth. To be effective as a city council member, you must be able to listen, communicate and be respectful to opposing views.

SEIDEL: As stated in previous campaigns, I have no private agenda—my sole focus is to serve our residents. I own no one political favors, remaining independent. I possess bold, fearless leadership skills, am willing to challenge antiquated governmental systems to support growth, while making Jarrell the "City of the Future!"

Q: Do you feel it is important to collaborate with entities that impact the financial future and growth of Jarrell (i.e. Sonterra MUD, Jarrell ISD, Williamson County, etc.)? And how would you do so?

ALLEN: Absolutely I do! Maintaining a respectful line of communication with any entity that can impact our growth is VITAL. I will be open to listening and sharing ideas and working together. You gather more bees with honey.

SEIDEL: I rely heavily on collaboration and communication with MUDs/ISD/ Fire Dept/Chamber of Commerce etc. with neighboring towns and cities. Facilitating meetings between the EDC/Developers & City Staff to move us forward cohesively. Coordinated with the City & Police department instituting Inter-city Co-operation. Have connected with developers for infrastructure innovation yielding the most cost-effective solutions. Exploring multiple methods to reduce water consumption and make Jarrell more “Energy Efficient”

Q: How will you work with the Jarrell Economic Development Corporation to assist its efforts to bring jobs to Jarrell?

ALLEN: Again, communication and respectful relationships are KEY to growth. The JEDC works hard at what they do and I will respect that and assist in any way I can to help our city to continue to grow.

SEIDEL: I am committed to keeping the EDC independent while working closely with the city and council to implement the objectives of our citizens.

Q: If elected, what your top three priorities?

ALLEN: If I am elected, my top three priorities are to restore peace to our city council, allow the professionals, who know more than me, do their jobs then review their reports and be PREPARED at the meetings ready to serve this great city.

SEIDEL: Utilizing and implementing the newest technologies to create a highly efficient “City of the Future.” This includes IT modernization to address our complex challenges, transforming city operations, developing artificial intelligence to update antiquated systems.

Developing Ronald Reagan for retail, restaurants, hotels, and local employment, ensuring Jarrell becomes a great place to live, work, play.

Fostering sustainable growth while maintaining the city's quality of life.

MAYORAL CANDIDATES

THOMAS HERTEL

I'm a multi-passionate individual and have acquired an array of skills in the trades, IT, HR, management, public service, and service industries, all of which will help guide Jarrell's growth. I've served on the Jarrell EDC and Jarrell TIRZ board, as well as volunteering with local non profits. I founded the City of Jarrell YouTube channel that has been posting recordings of Jarrell City Council meetings to promote civic engagement and increase transparency of council proceedings and have advocated with council for various reforms.

DANIEL ISLAS

As a councilman, I’ve gained a deep understanding of how our city operates, from managing budgets to addressing community needs. My experience running businesses on tight budgets has sharpened my ability to make tough financial decisions, which will be key as we continue to grow and face economic challenges.

SHAILEY TRIPP

My experiences are diverse. I have run many small to medium companies and teams in my career, as an Engineer and Programmer. I've held positions at various times of secretary, treasurer, and vice president of my neighborhood association (4,500 residents) from 2014 to 2017. My experiences also include being on numerous boards such as Covenant House, Family Promise, and Matanuska Valley Federal Credit Union. Additionally, I've been an active member of the Young Austin's Republican party in Austin and Round Rock for the past 3 years. Collectively these experiences among others have given me a good idea and experiences.

PATRICK SHEREK

Mr. Sherek did not respond and no answers were submitted by the print date.

Q: What qualities do you think make an effective mayor?

HERTEL: Valuing honesty, radical transparency, building unity, being an impartial umpire to both council and community, and placing our city's welfare first.

ISLAS: A good mayor must stay impartial during tough times and always make decisions with the city's best interests in mind. Remaining calm under pressure and considering all sides before moving forward with a solution is critical for an effective leader. Jarrell needs a mayor who can bring balance and thoughtful decision-making to the table.

TRIPP: I think an effective mayor should have great communication skills with people from all walks of life, can make good decisions for their community, and a good negotiator.

Q: Do you feel it is important to collaborate with entities that impact the financial future and growth of Jarrell (i.e. Sonterra MUD, Jarrell ISD, Williamson County, etc.)? And how would you do so?

HERTEL: When one of us wins, we all win together. The major issues facing Jarrell, are shared across our various partner entities. Building strong inter-local relationships provides access to expertise and resources we otherwise would miss out on. I would make time develop and grow these relationships and look for opportunities to work together for all our betterment.

ISLAS: Absolutely. Collaborating with key entities like Sonterra MUD, Jarrell ISD, and Williamson County is essential to our city’s growth. Trying to accomplish everything on our own can be costly and inefficient. By working together, we can share resources and expertise, leading to faster, more effective progress for the community.

TRIPP: Yes it is very important we form relationships and collaborative projects with our neighbors and bigger towns near us. We also need to hear the voices of our people who live in Sonterra, as most cannot vote in Jarrell but they do pay taxes and their children attend the Jarrell public schools. We need to find a way to hear their voices to assess their needs and accommodate them in our community. I personally believe Sonterra will become it's own community at some point. We need to be careful of how much we are taxing and who we are taxing and where our money goes. I plan to have out reach to all the places you listed above and more.

Q: How will you work with the Jarrell Economic Development Corporation (EDC) to assist its efforts to bring jobs to Jarrell?

HERTEL: The relationship between the city and EDC needs to be solidified and made fully functional. The EDC has a strong Board of Directors and Executive Director, and the City needs to allow them to lead the efforts in their areas of expertise. I would work with council codify and independent EDC that is an equal partner with the city.

ISLAS: I will actively encourage businesses to invest in Jarrell through the EDC, including partnering with our schools to bring in industries like electric vehicle companies that can provide job training for students. Any company that can help Jarrell residents gain new skills and better job opportunities is a valuable partner in our future.

TRIPP: I hope to form a good working relationship with them and meet with them often so we can make sure Jarrell is growing in the direction representing the needs and wants of it's people, not the needs and wants of a few. I will reach out to each member individually and also see if we can meet collectively. Hoping we can all be on the same agenda.

Q: If elected, what your top three priorities?

HERTEL: Business growth and retention. We need to grow our revenue without burdening our residents with increased property taxes

Infrastructure, our roads have been neglected, we haven't honored agreements to provide water and wastewater to the Ronald Reagan business area. These issues need to be addressed and resolved.

Quality of life, we need parks and activities for our youth. We need to stop allowing developers to not provide parks for residents, and identity land we can acquire for neighborhood parks and green space.

ISLAS: If elected, my top three priorities will be promoting transparency in local government, ensuring a balanced division of power across city entities, and bringing full-time jobs and businesses to Jarrell to make it a more permanent home for residents.

TRIPP: If I am elected, I want to really focus on some quality of life for us such as our roads and the famous potholes, our roads are lacking. They were never designed to bear the weight of all the heavy construction vehicles and machinery. We need to figure out long term planning of our roads and in short term how we want to repair them. Right now the fixes are band aid type fixes and we can all see that doesn't last or work. The second goal is a viable, nice size library as we can definitely support one and see if we can have our city fund it instead of it being private. Although having both would be awesome. My last big priority is learning the needs of our community.