If you are elected, what will be your top three (3) priorities and why?

04/21/2013 -

• Financial strength - Brentwood is financially strong and must remain that way so we make decisions from a position of strength, so we keep the tax burden low on families, empty nesters and those who worked hard all their lives and now their largest expense is their property tax bill. Property tax has a direct correlation to home values. When individuals purchase a home they look at the overall price of the home but what they really want to know is how much is my monthly note going to be. The lower the tax portion, the more a family or individual can afford to pay a month; therefore they can pay more for the home. In Brentwood, if your house is worth $500,000, you will pay $1500 less than you would in Murfreesboro and $2500 less than in Nashville.
• Traffic Mitigation – At every opportunity we must seek ways to reduce traffic during peak hours, continue to work with federal and state on projects like Concord Rd and Franklin Rd., establish wise signals such as Concord-Crockett, Wilson-Split Log, and always strive to do these projects with the least burden on the tax payer. Traffic is a sign of desirability of a community and is a challenge that is best addressed by wise management and the community seeking solutions that are the best for all of Brentwood.
• Green Space – Our aesthetic natural beauty is such that we want to strive to obtain Park land, if possible, for free as in Mallory Park and Margaret Hayes Powell Park, and at a great bargain with great historical treasure, such as, Smith Park and Ravenswood Mansion. Great parks and bikeways raise everyone’s property values and greatly enhance Brentwood’s quality of life.

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What is your motivation for seeking election?

04/21/2013 -

My love for Brentwood and Brentwood’s citizens has always given me a desire to serve the City and citizens, whether as a businessman, through community service organizations, church or as a Commissioner. My wife and I are blessed to be raising our family in Brentwood, having had daughters attend and attending Sunset and Ravenwood, wonderful Williamson County Schools, this gives me a great perspective of our families with children in Brentwood. While serving these last four years as a Commissioner and having seen the many ways my contributions to the governance of our City has helped to strengthen Brentwood and enhanced Brentwood as a whole. This has led me to seek another term as a Brentwood City Commissioner and to carry out my duty with heritage, integrity and service. There is a passion in me that runs deep by being blessed to being born into a family that has served Brentwood and Williamson County for over 200 years, our family has always believed the greatest of all is the servant of all.

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How does your background and experience qualify you to hold this position?

04/21/2013 -

As already mentioned my heritage and the fact that I have been a part of the Brentwood community all of my life. My tangible service to the Brentwood community in our family business, seeking to help and satisfy the needs of Brentwood citizen’s for 35 years through my work. Having a family that has attended the public schools in Williamson County, as I did, and face the challenges we all face every day and enjoying the many more benefits we receive by living in Brentwood. My many and varied experiences serving Brentwood: City Commissioner, Vice-Mayor of Brentwood, Brentwood Planning Commission, Emergency Communications District Board, Environmental Advisory Board, WCCVB Board, Brentwood Chamber of commerce Board 2000-2003 (Board Member of year 2003), Brentwood Rotary Board, Brentwood Rotary Foundation Trustee, Taught youth and children at church for many years, and many other community activities and support, YMCA, BHS athletics, RHS athletics, and many other different help projects that Brentwood citizens are known for.

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What should be Brentwood's priorities over the next several years?

04/21/2013 -

To stay financially strong so we can determine our future rather than our future determining us. To constantly look at ways to mitigate traffic and enhance traffic flow, to keep our schools strong through being fiscally sound, (one note: Brentwood City government does not directly control the schools). To always seek to add green space and park land when it is financially prudent.

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How would you address and/or fund these priorities?

04/21/2013 -

As I have in my first term, to constantly look at ways to be more efficient in delivering services, to have the courage to look at projects and see if they are the Best for all of Brentwood in what they do and where they are located, to always study issues diligently and to always seek input from the citizens of Brentwood on decisions we make, understanding there will be citizen’s on each side of an issue; therefore, in the decision making process, deciding what is best for all. We have low taxes, wonderful amenities, one acre density and a high quality of life because we are financially strong. We are financially strong because of the fiscal responsibility of our Commission, our commercial area only takes up 4.7% of ourland area and provides almost 60% of our revenue, and our government operates at an efficiency level that requires one-third less employees for a City our size. This means a savings of 6.7 million dollars a year, without this efficiency alone taxes would be 57% higher than they are now. Continuing the correct course we are on is how I would address these priorities. Brentwood is one of the foremost places in the world to live, work and play and I know that if we can continue to be wise we will still be so 20-30 years from now.

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What is your vision of commercial and residential development within Brentwood over the next decade?

04/21/2013 -

That we keep our commercial strong and viable but still maintaining it in an area that is less than 5% of our land space. Our residential area is about 90% of our land space and has one acre density and that is a wonderful benefit in Brentwood and a benefit that I desire to be maintained into the distant future; however, we must keep our commercial strong and fresh and we can only do that by having the courage to look at proposals when they are brought to us.
How should municipalities balance the needs between economic development and protecting its natural resources and the environment? This I feel Brentwood does a wonderful job. Many of our parks actually came to us as part of a development and had no land cost, examples, both Mallory parks and Powell Park. Also, we purchased Smith park at a great value because of the recession and the fact we were good stewards so that we prepared to take advantage of the opportunity when it arose. Parks, green space, bikeways and trails greatly enhance quality of life and real estate values and done with wisdom and prudence, should be considered a prudent investment.

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What should or should not be done to make Brentwood more attractive to businesses?

04/21/2013 -

Brentwood is very attractive to business already, just a few examples, our location, our per capita income, our educated demographics, our strict codes that means what is built and purchased is good, our disposable income, etc. If Brentwood remains fair at looking at proposal and strives to do what is best for all of Brentwood, we will remain attractive to businesses.
How would you like to see the land developed on the former Murray of Ohio property? As a commissioner we have to be careful on speculating what we would or would not like to see, we don’t do the developing, we have to decide on the appropriateness of the development and if we do decide we are in favor, we have to make sure it is built properly. It is now zoned for Office Space, or C-1, my hope would be if that is what is built there it will be done functionally well and aesthetically beautiful. From traffic, real state value stand point for nearby residents, and a revenue standpoint, there are better options possible for this property but that is dependent on the developer, not the commission to make the determination if they want to propose something different and go through a re-zoning.

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Do you think Brentwood should continue to pursue a Town Center?

04/21/2013 -

Brentwood already has a Town Center, the question is what shape and form will Town Center take now and in the future. At present there seems to be some citizen dissatisfaction with some or all of the C-4 Ordinance, and so I think the Commission needs to look at C-4 and with lots of citizen input, determine what shape or direction the Town Center will take. We need to make sure we are listening to all of Brentwood and be deliberate about changes so we can be sure they are satisfactory for the commercial area to stay viable and also be amenable to the majority of Brentwood residents.
Do you feel Brentwood has enough park land and green space? We have a very nice amount of Parks and Green Space for a city our size being so close to a large Metropolitan area. However, when it is financially feasible and the opportunity arises I feel as a city we should always consider purchasing more or obtaining more where appropriate. We also are blessed with citizen groups that help raise funds to come alongside the government to make these purchases. As mentioned before because of the quality of life that parks add, the increase of real estate values for those close to the parks and the health benefits to the community, Parks and Green Space are a good investment when done with wisdom.

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