Candidates for the empty City Council District 3 seat were given the opportunity to present statements and answer questions at a forum Monday night.
The forum, which was presented at Monterey High School and hosted by the Lubbock Chamber of Commerce, brought candidates Kevin Glasheen, Richard Quade, Todd Klein and Frank Sikes together.
Candidates - running to replace Gary Boren, who resigned from the position in March - addressed questions ranging from issues affecting the whole city, such as the future of water, to issues specifically concerning District 3, including the current condition of 34th Street.
In his opening statement, Kevin Glasheen, a Lubbock attorney, said if elected, he would bring unity and leadership to the City Council.
"I think having three teenagers qualifies me for taking care of the problems down at City Hall," he said. "I want to bring common sense to City Hall."
Glasheen said "nonsense" such as issues surrounding the red light cameras and the Chippendales incident earlier this year have to stop, and he said he would focus on code enforcement.
"If I'm elected, I will listen to the citizens of Lubbock, and I think that is something we have not had enough of in the City Hall," he said.
Fiscal responsibility is something else Klein said he believes needs to happen in the city government.
Richard Quade, a Texas Tech professor of physics, spoke of Lubbock as the West Texas capitol of academics and culture, among other things.
The lack of jobs for Tech graduates was one issue he addressed.
"If we have a problem in Lubbock, it is that a lot of our graduates from Texas Tech have to move to Dallas, Houston or Austin to find an appropriate job," he said.
He said attracting businesses and keeping those businesses in Lubbock is important.
The other three candidates, Frank Sikes, real estate appraiser and realtor, Glasheen and Klein said they are in favor of business as well.
When it came to discuss water, Sikes focused on Lubbock's connection with agriculture.
"Agriculture still drives the City of Lubbock," he said, "… and I think it will continue to drive the city in the future. Somehow, we have to balance that with the needs of the city."
Quade spoke about the importance of water conservation and the need to use rechargeable water sources.
"We have to capture storm water as it falls on Lubbock, before it goes downstream," he said.
On the issue of the City Council and its current condition, Klein said he supports term limits for council members and also spoke about the public's opinion of the council.
"Public confidence, I think, is the most important part of this campaign," he said. "I think I can provide mature leadership."
In his closing statement, Glasheen had a positive view about the state of the City Council and Lubbock.
"I'm optimistic about Lubbock," he said. "I think we have a great future."
Being a council member is something he said he believes will not be difficult.
"I have a long history of being involved with this city," Glasheen said. "I think that serving on the City Council will not be anything new or different for me."
Quade took time during his closing statement to tell constituents about himself, because he said he had focused on speaking about his family before.
He said he is sensitive to the issues at hand for District 3 and spoke of his past experience in various fields that would help him serve.
Early voting for District 3 began on Monday and continues through May 8. The election will take place May 12.
Be the first to comment on this article!