Mark Cronenwett

Housing We as a city need to seek solutions that both meet the needs of the homeless and addresses the concerns of the residents. Irving has a number of tremendously successful non-profits working tirelessly to provide food, clothing and emergency shelter, but neither Irving nor any other suburb in the Metroplex is equipped to offer long-term shelter solutions in a fiscally responsible way. Taxes / Budget Consumers will patronize our businesses and increase our tax base. The revenues can provide more funding for our parks, recreation centers, libraries, arts centers, police and firefighters. Infrastructure / Transportation Infrastructure projects of this magnitude are not without their challenges and so I will work with city staff to make sure the completion of this project is done in the least disruptive way possible. Taxes / Budget Irving must continue its practice of being economically prudent. We should not succumb to a momentary crisis by creating a long-term impediment to the City's operations and pay structure. We need to examine what the consequences might be for paying exorbitant salaries for employees in just one department. Education High-performing charter schools like North Hills Prep and Great Hearts Irving, along with the Gifted and Talented programs within Irving ISD, provide these options for some families, but we need more choices for our Irving students. I will use the office to recruit academically rigorous charter schools to Irving. Infrastructure / Transportation The first role of local government is to fix the roads! Economy Savvy and experienced city leaders are needed to ensure that what comes into Irving is beneficial not just for the developers but also for our residents. Destination sites with added retail, housing and recreational offerings will serve as a catalyst for economic growth in Irving. Taxes / Budget I support returning to twice-per-week trash pick-up of garbage bags when it makes sense economically. The City made a sound and practical decision in response to a crisis. They are also actively working to remedy the staffing issue by providing in-house CDL training to increase the number of available CDL drivers. Infrastructure / Transportation All of Irving benefits from the vitality of the Urban Center and Las Colinas through the tax revenues generated here. The success of city leaders, the Las Colinas Association, and the Chamber of Commerce in recruiting new businesses to Irving relies upon having a sound infrastructure in place. Education Our libraries have policies that bar obscenity from their computers, but these same prohibitions do not apply to printed material, even in the children’s section. Obscenity is obscenity whether digitalized or on paper, and both forms are just as pernicious. I will join the efforts of the current council members who are working to return our libraries to a safe place for our citizens and their families. Housing High-density construction should be supported where it makes sense, but not to the detriment of our single-family homeowners. Criminal Justice / Public Safety I support the efforts of our council members who are working to increase the level of pay of our first responders. Housing Irving must protect its single-family homeowners from the encroachments of high-density housing. A financially stable city is generally comprised of 60% homeowners. Irving is at 37%. We need to protect the personal investments homeowners have made to their homes, their neighborhoods and our city. Criminal Justice / Public Safety Our residents and businesses know they will receive immediate and competent care in the event of an emergency. We must continue our commitment to our police and fire to provide them the best resources and compensation so that they can perform their jobs and be secure in their positions. Education One size does not fit all. All too often, young families in Irving who want additional educational options are forced to move to surrounding communities. Providing alternative public school options allows families to remain in Irving while meeting the unique educational needs of their children.