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'99 Council Election

Tuesday, Mar. 23, 1999
Council Candidate Q&A: District 4

   Three candidates are vying for the District 4 City Council seat in the April 3 election. Here are their answers to questions posed by Caller-Times readers and local residents. The candidates' campaign contributions and expenditures are as of Feb. 22.

    Lance Bruun

   Age: 46
   Education: Bachelor's, University of Texas, 1974; law degree, University of Houston, 1976
    Family: Married, three children
    Occupation: Attorney
   Political offices held: None
    Campaign contributions: $ 12,750
    Campaign expenditures: $ 5,244
    What is the biggest issue facing this district specifically and what would you do about it?

   "The biggest issue facing this area is the same as for the whole city - making economic growth our number one priority. We need to balance the city's budget, get control of our overall debt and begin to restore some trust and accountability in City Hall."
    Do you think the city should have a bond election this year and if so, what projects should be on it?

   "I do not believe that the city should have a bond election this year because we first need to get our own fiscal house in order and take the time to restore confidence in our city. We need to get a clear picture of the status of previous bond projects. I think any bond package the city could offer this year would be dead on arrival. It would not pass. We should not even try to float one until there's a reasonable possibility it would pass. There's just a lot of work to do at City Hall before we could do that."
    How would you improve communication between the City Council and city staff and communication with the public?

   "I understand the structure of the City Council and communication through the city manager. I would hold the city manager accountable for keeping the council informed. But I don't think the City Council should be running around helter skelter, trying to micromanage the city government. I would hold the city manager accountable for keeping the council able to make informed policy decisions. And I know how to ask questions. I know how to get information. As a lawyer who's been practicing for 22 years, I know how to get information from people, even people who don't want to give it sometimes."
    Do you support the county's plan to include beach and inland projects, including Packery Channel and the JFK Causeway, in a $90 million all-or-nothing proposal?

   "I support the proposal. I think it would be good for the entire community. It will raise the JFK Causeway and do Packery Channel. It would help accelerate the elevation of the JFK Causeway by a full two years. By all means, I support it."

    Brent Chesney

   Age: 35
    Education: Bachelor's, Texas Christian University 1985; law degree, South Texas College of Law, 1996
    Family: Single
    Occupation: Attorney
    Political offices held: Vice-chairman of the Corpus Christi Planning Commission
    Campaign contributions: $23,300
    Campaign expenditures: $10,658
    What is the biggest issue facing this district specifically and what would you do about it?

   "The biggest issues right now are basic services - streets, raising the JFK Causeway, sidewalks, other basic city services that District 4, especially in Flour Bluff, have not seen for a long, long time. We've got to do better to provide for better basic services in an efficient manner."
    Do you think the city should have a bond election this year and if so, what projects should be on it?

   "On principle, I do not support a bond issue for the city right now. I don't think the citizens have enough trust in city government for one to pass this year. But I would support a bond election that covered only things like raising the JFK Causeway, streets and basic services where needed. But I think the city really needs to wait about a year and work to get a little trust from the people before trying to hold one."
    How would you improve communication between the City Council and city staff and communication with the public?

   "I believe that the city manager is responsible for dealing with staff. The City Council should not be meddling with staff. But the city manager needs to be held accountable for providing the City Council with all of the important information. The City Council should define what's important, and let the city manager know. "
    Do you support the county's plan to include beach and inland projects, including Packery Channel and the JFK Causeway, in a $90 million all-or-nothing proposal?

   "I support the county's bond package 100 percent, because the JFK Causeway and Packery Channel are in there. I do not like the fact that they are all grouped. I don't think the voters want them grouped. But I support the proposal."

    Mark Scott

    Age: 38
    Education: Bachelor's, Texas A&M University 1983; master's, Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi 1990
    Family: Married, two children
    Occupation: Senior vice president of Guaranty Title Services
    Political offices held: None
    Campaign contributions: $ 13,766
    Campaign expenditures: $ 3,131
    What is the biggest issue facing this district specifically and what would you do about it?

   "I think the biggest issue facing this district during the next two years is the raising of the JFK Causeway. If the county's plan works, then obviously, that is taken care of. If it does not work, though, I believe that I have the ability to bring all the taxing entities together and create a plan that would raise JFK without raising taxes. . . . What I want to do is ask the Regional Transportation Authority to participate in funding the raising of the causeway. The RTA already makes contributions to the city's infrastructure fund. And I believe that they have the ability to increase that contribution without interfering with their services."
    Do you think the city should have a bond election this year and if so, what projects should be on it?

   "I don't think that the city should have a bond election this year because I do not think there is the respect and trust in city government at this point to get a bond election passed, which is why I have publicly endorsed doing several things that would improve trust in City Hall: putting teeth in the ethics ordinance, creating a lobby ordinance, getting out and having neighborhood meetings with the public and demanding a balanced budget. Then, after we restore some trust in the council, I would support having a bond election. Included in that would be the seawall."
    How would you improve communication between the City Council and city staff and communication with the public?

   "It's just inherent in my style of leadership to communicate with the people. If you look at what I've done in the last 10 to 15 years, look at my history, you'll find that that's the style of leadership that I have always embraced: open and participative. So just being on the council, I think, would make a big difference. But there are some institutional things that we can do. I believe that the council form of government was created to mirror the public sector of management, so we need to run our council like we would the private sector. The council is the board of directors that deals with policy. We set those issues and demand response to those issues from the city manager and let him go implement it. I also think that ethics reform and lobby reform would help. And I am a big fan of neighborhood meetings."
    Do you support the county's plan to include beach and inland projects, including Packery Channel and the JFK Causeway, in a $90 million all-or-nothing proposal?

   "I, obviously as a businessman, am for growth in this community. I am also deeply committed to raising the JFK because of the concerns about safety. I am a proponent of Packery Channel. . . . But I am concerned, I think as most of the candidates are, that the people we talk to (while) block walking want to vote on those issues individually, and I think that the county should give that opportunity to the voters.

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