Policy Positions

PROPERTY TAXES

Nobody likes to pay property taxes. I get that. If you have a nice home, or if you own investment properties (as my husband and I do), taxes can take a huge bite out of the budget. As a representative of District 2, I will not vote to increase city property taxes, unless YOU, the voters, vote for city bonds that specifically authorize tax-supported funding.

WATER

Benjamin Franklin said, "When the well is dry, we know the worth of water." The Texas Water Development Board predicts that the demand for water in Williamson County could exceed supply by 2020. If we wake up some summer morning and nothing comes out of the tap, it will be a very bad day indeed. Every other problem will pale in significance. We have to work together to develop additional resources and to increase conservation efforts to ensure a comfortable water supply far into the future.

Currently Georgetown residents consume 220 gallons per capita per day (gpcd) of water, whereas Austin residents use only 171 gpcd and San Antonio is down to 149 gpcd. Our own professional utility staff recommends that Georgetown residents decrease usage to 165 gpcd or we will either have to curtail development or purchase new water rights. We already pay $3,000,000 a year for rights to water from Lake Stillhouse Hollow, plus another $1,000,000 a year for the electricity to pump it to Lake Georgetown. We also pay $625,000 annually for rights to water in Lake Belton that will someday be needed to keep Lake Stillhouse full, and we can't even use that water yet because there is no pipeline.

Although the water situation sounds dire, we can easily use less water, because much of the water usage is for landscape irrigation. Landscapes are perfectly happy, in fact happier, when watered with grey water, rainwater, and reclaimed wastewater. These technologies need to be encouraged by education and incentives. We also need to adjust our concept of residential landscape and include more native and drought tolerant plants. Large lawns of St. Augustine grass are not appropriate for semi-arid climates.

We can no longer afford to waste water. We must conserve it, reclaim it, and recycle it. We can't live without it.

PARKS AND TRAILS

Georgetown has nearly nine miles of hike and bike trail along the north and south forks of the San Gabriel River. On the north fork the trail extends all the way from San Gabriel Park to Overlook Park on the shores of Lake Georgetown. On the south fork the trail connects San Gabriel Park with the softball fields and playground at VFW Park and Blue Hole. This trail also allows easy bicycle access to the historic district. My husband and I frequently ride our bicycles from our home in the Riverbend area to the Square, and since the trail passes under the interstate, we completely avoid the dangerous traffic on Williams Drive and IH 35.

I would like to see the south fork trail extended to Wolf Ranch, and eventually to the new Garey Park on Leander Road. Extending the trail in this direction would allow residents of the southern part of District 2 to bicycle to town safely.

When people have safe, pleasant trails on which to walk and bicycle, they engage in a healthier lifestyle. They also don't interfere with automobile traffic, which is safer and less frustrating for everybody.

HOUSING

Georgetown has many beautiful, quiet neighborhoods with large lots and spacious houses. However, not everybody wants or needs that kind of accommodation. Some people want energy-efficient, compact housing that is close to the center of the action. Others want to spend less on housing so that they can invest in education for themselves, pay for college for the children or grandchildren, or invest in new businesses. Georgetown can welcome new families, new graduates, hard-working public servants, and entrepreneurs by having quality housing that meets their needs, because those are the people who keep the city vibrant and exciting.

FIRE DEPARTMENT AND EMERGENCY SERVICES

Georgetown has an excellent, professionally run fire department. But �fire department� is no longer an adequate description of the services that are provided. Almost 70% of the calls to the fire department are for medical emergencies, and these calls are spread over an area of 138 square miles. Even with 5 fire stations, response time to some areas of Georgetown is prolonged beyond the optimal 6 minutes. A few minutes can make the difference between life and death. As Georgetown grows in population and area, we are going to have to add fire stations and personnel to maintain an adequate level of service established by the National Fire Protection Association and accepted industry best practices.

REPRESENTATIVE CITY GOVERNMENT AND ACCESSIBILITY

The job of a councilmember is to represent the wishes of her district constituents. If I personally like blue street signs, but the majority of my constituents want green street signs, too bad for me. I must vote for green street signs. Unless of course there is some compelling reason, previously unknown to the public, that blue signs are inherently superior to green signs, in which case it is my responsibility as an elected official to explain the difference in a manner that satisfies the objections of my constituents.

Years of interviewing medical patients have taught me that listening to a problem is the most important step toward solving it. People that talk all the time rarely learn anything. As a councilmember I will welcome input from any residents of District 2 who want to bring something to my attention or comment on an issue.

RENEWABLE ENERGY

Several years ago Georgetown committed to a goal of 30% renewable energy by 2030. We do purchase some wind energy, but 92% or our electricity comes from natural gas, which has a history of price volatility. Natural gas is cheap right now, but it is not a good idea to have all of our energy eggs in one basket. Just as we should diversify our investment portfolios, we should diversify our energy portfolio. We currently have several opportunities to invest in solar energy at a price that is competitive with natural gas. One possibility is to invest in a 30 megawatt solar farm in west Texas, which would achieve our 30% renewable energy goal and lock in today's prices for the duration of the contract. Another possibility is to build a smaller solar farm right here, on top of the decommissioned landfill at the end of College Street, property that cannot be used for development. These projects are both under consideration right now, and if the numbers work out, I would wholeheartedly support going forward.

PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION

The Lone Star Rail District's proposed line from San Antonio to Georgetown has been the topic of intense debate recently. I am pleased that the City Council has decided to remain in the LSRD to benefit from the upcoming environmental studies. But rail is only one piece of a big puzzle. As Georgetown grows, and as Austin becomes more and more congested, we will have increasing needs for reliable and efficient transportation. We need direct transportation to the airport. Southwestern students need to be able to shop for groceries more often than they need to go to Sixth Street. Elderly residents want to be socially active even if they no longer feel comfortable driving their private vehicles. Not every family can afford a separate automobile for each driver.

Georgetown needs to start developing some bus routes that can be used by our own residents to go to medical centers, grocery stores, and shopping/entertainment areas. And we must be prepared for the fact that it will take a while to develop ridership and to find the routes that serve the greatest population. People will not depend on public transportation until it has proven itself to be dependable.