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MIDLOTHIAN TOGETHER
- Putting UNITY back in OUR CommUNITY-

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What is your position on city parks and trails system?

Frizzell
I believe our parks and athletic fields are a valuable window into the city for people from outside Midlothian who attend functions here. As our city grows, and it will grow, more and more people will be looking to a healthy parks and trail system for their recreational needs. Our outstanding Soccer, Basketball and Girls Softball Associations bring many people into Midlothian during their seasons that may not currently live here but may have an interest in establishing a business or residence here. First impressions generally are lasting and could very easily be first and last if not favorable

Kyle
I believe that our city parks are a reflection of our community, and as such great care should be taken to ensure they are well planned out and maintained. When I visit Hawkins Springs Park, Kimmel Park or Jaycee Park I see lots of families playing together and developing friendships and memories that will last a lifetime. As our community continues to grow we need to pursue a park and trail system that will help us maintain that “small town” feel that has drawn so many people to our city. In 2006 the voters in Midlothian approved a bond package for a multi-use sports park. I believe we need to move this project to the forefront to get this park completed as quickly as possible.

Ken Chambers and Duff Hale Declined to Participate.

What challenges do you see in expanding our parks and recreation in the years to come?

Frizzell
The primary challenge I see in expanding our park system is money. The current state of our economy presents unique problems in regards to building and maintaining parks.

Kyle
One of the biggest challenges will be finding the necessary resources to expand, and then to maintain, our parks. The current economy makes it difficult to expand any program. I do not think that we should do any expansion that would require raising taxes, or cutting back in other high priority areas such as police and fire protection. However, we can pursue other means of financing some of the costs such as grants and other government programs.

Ken Chambers and Duff Hale Declined to Participate.

How have you in the past involved yourself in the Midlothian community and how long have you served in these capacities?

Frizzell
I firmly believe the quality of a community is a direct result of all the men and women who have given their time, energy, and talents back to the community. I believe that each of us has an obligation to return more to the community than we take from it. During my four years in Midlothian I have reached out to serve the community in the following ways:

· Board of Directors - Mission Midlothian

·        Board of Directors - Midlothian Senior Citizens Center

·        Three years on Midlothian City Council including one year as Mayor Pro Tem

·        Chairman of Midlothian City Council Utility Subcommittee

·        Past Chairman of Midlothian City Council Public Safety / Transportation Subcommittee

·        Member of North Central Texas Council of Governments - Regional Emergency Preparedness Planning Council

·        Vice-Chairman of Trinity River Authority Mountain Creek Wastewater System Advisory Committee

·        Member of Midlothian Chamber of Commerce "Leadership Midlothian" class of 2009-2010

·        Member of Midlothian Chamber of Commerce “Bike Around Midlothian” planning committee

·        U.S. Weather Bureau Certified Ellis County Amateur Radio (R.A.C.E.S.) Storm Spotter

·        American Red Cross Disaster Assessment trained

Kyle
I have always believed that we should be involved in our community, and my wife and I have tried to instill that value in our children. Here are some of the ways I have been involved in the Midlothian community:

     ·        Founding member of the Midlothian Downtown Business Association, and current Treasurer. Some of the      MDBA functions include:

          ·        Farmers Market in downtown Midlothian

          ·        Christmas Light Up Parade

         ·        Easter Egg Hunt at Kimmel Park

     ·        Board of Directors for the Corporation for Economic Development of Midlothian (4a Board)

     ·        Board of Directors for the Midlothian Chamber of Commerce

     ·        Graduate of Midlothian Citizens Academy

     ·        Soccer coach in Midlothian Soccer Association for 6 years

Ken Chambers and Duff Hale Declined to Participate.

What is your position on regional city / county governmental cooperation?
Frizzell
I believe that government today is becoming ever more costly for the tax payers. To me it makes sense to pool resources when there are mutual benefits for all entities. Fire departments have been providing mutual aid to each other for years particularly when specialized equipment or operational units are involved. Sanitary sewer processing is another example of where governmental cooperation saves the individual cities considerable money.

Kyle
I believe that there can be some real benefits to the taxpayers when city and regional governments cooperate. Local governments can form buying groups where they can get better pricing on construction and on other materials the city needs to purchase. Another great example of city cooperation is the Northern Ellis Emergency Dispatch which is located right here in Midlothian. This dispatch center handles calls for Midlothian, Red Oak and Ovilla, which allows them to spread some of the common costs over all three cities, which saves us money.

Ken Chambers and Duff Hale Declined to Participate.

What is your position on residential, commercial, industrial and retail development? What would you change to improve the end product of our development process?

Frizzell
I believe a city must have a balance of all four. The tax base of a city must be diverse in order to maintain high bond ratings. High bond ratings result in lower interest payments when bonds are sold. Standards should be adopted that encourage quality development while not placing oppressive restrictions on builders and developers. I believe that commercial and industrial development produces jobs which facilitates residential and retail. I believe a periodic review of our development standards should be performed in order to ensure they continue to meet the expectations of the community. I also believe the permitting and inspection process should periodically be reviewed to eliminate any archaic and unnecessary “red tape”.

Kyle
I believe that growth will continue to come to Midlothian, and it is incumbent upon us to manage that growth properly to ensure that we preserve the “quality of life” that so many people moved to Midlothian to enjoy. Residential development should be monitored so that we encourage quality homes that will enhance our community. We should encourage a diversity of commercial, industrial and retail development so that we do not become too reliant on one segment. It seems as though there is a negative view of Midlothian in some areas of the development community. I think we should look into this negative image more to see if there is any merit to it, and if there is what we can do to change that image.

Ken Chambers and Duff Hale Declined to Participate.

What are your position on city / school district collaboration on specific projects?

Frizzell
I believe the city and school district should cooperate on projects where the taxpayers of both benefit, such as land swaps associated with new school facilities and parks when feasible. An example of this is the exchanging of land for the new Ag Science Complex and a future city park east of LaRue Miller Elementary School. Sharing of athletic facilities is another way for the city and school district to save the taxpayers money. An example of this is the Sports Park located south of Frank Seal Middle School.

Kyle
Our new Agriculture Building on Mockingbird lane is a perfect example of how city/school board collaboration can be a big benefit to the community. This facility gave us, and a number of other families, the opportunity to raise an animal and participate in the Junior FFA program this year. The Midlothian FFA program is a first class operation that teaches our children responsibility and values. This facility allows more families in our community to participate in this wonderful program. I believe that collaboration on projects like this are a great benefit to all of our citizens and I think we should continue this type of cooperation.

Ken Chambers and Duff Hale Declined to Participate.

What are your position on city / county / state / federal collaboration on specific projects?

Frizzell
I believe that governmental bodies should cooperate when there is a mutual benefit to be gained. I also believe that regional cooperation is essential for the planning of transportation infrastructure projects. Regional cooperation is important when competing for state and federal grants.
Kyle
I believe that we should collaborate with other government entities when it is to the benefit of our citizens. By keeping the lines of communication open between the different levels of government we can help influence decisions that will affect our citizens in the future. We should always keep the best interest of Midlothian citizens at the center of our decisions, but I think that cooperation is better than not cooperating.

Ken Chambers and Duff Hale Declined to Participate.

What is your position on RailPort and the T.I.R.Z.?

Frizzell
I support RailPort and the Tax Increment Reinvestment Zone (T.I.R.Z.). RailPort presents a major economic development opportunity for the city. RailPort will continue to provide commercial and industrial development tool for the city. Tax money derived from the T.I.R.Z. is used to defray operational expenses associated with the infrastructure within the zone. The T.I.R.Z. can also support capital improvements projects that have a direct benefit to zone. An example is the new overpass that is about to be constructed on Highway 67 across RailPort Parkway. The ability of the T.I.R.Z. to do this minimizes the potential need to sell bonds or burden residential taxpayers with increased taxes.

Kyle
I support projects like the TIRZ when they provide long term benefits to the community and the taxpayers. The Rail Port project seems to be a great public/private partnership that has provided benefits to both the business community as well as to the taxpayers. I think we need to continue to promote and build out that area of our industrial and commercial community in the future.

Ken Chambers and Duff Hale Declined to Participate.

What is your position on city tax abatements and incentives for industrial and commercial growth?

Frizzell
Tax abatements and incentives for industrial and commercial growth are good when they result in new jobs and increased tax values. Any organization receiving tax abatements and incentives must be required to meet all the requirements and stipulations of these agreements. The school district tax rolls are not affected by abatements and therefore they receive the benefit of the full tax appraisal.
Kyle
Today cities are put in the precarious position of having to “market” themselves to businesses looking to move to their area. It is common practice for cities to offer tax abatements and other incentives as a way of enticing business to locate there, and so we may have to offer those things to stay competitive. I think we must look at them on a case by case basis. When new businesses come to town they bring jobs to the area, home sales go up and sales tax revenues and property tax values can increase. These are all big benefits to the community. We should make sure that these benefits will more than pay for the abatements and incentives offered to draw the business to our community.

Ken Chambers and Duff Hale Declined to Participate.

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