Candidate Forum and Voter Resource Guide Format
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Last week, Leander City Council candidates had the opportunity to engage in the live forum hosted by the Leander Chamber of Commerce. As a supplement to the forum, candidates could contribute to the published Voter Resource Guide below.
To ensure fairness and spontaneity, 12 questions were formulated and placed into a container for candidates to draw randomly during the forum. They were unaware of the questions beforehand, fostering genuine responses and authentic dialogue. Each candidate addressed one question during the live event. Afterwards, candidates who opted in were provided with the complete list of 12 questions from the random selection segment. They were asked to pick the three most crucial questions from the list and provide concise responses within a limit of 1200 characters per answer.
In the interest of transparency, any candidate who responded to more than three questions had their answers truncated to the first three. Furthermore, all candidates were requested to provide a brief biography, and all of their answers have been presented verbatim without alteration.
List of 12 questions
Candidates were given the following twelve questions, comprised of important and pertinent issues facing Leander residents and businesses. From these, they chose three most critical issues to respond to for our Voter Guide.
- What specific measures do you propose to address traffic congestion in Leander?
- How do you plan to balance the need for economic development with preserving the city’s natural resources and green spaces?
- What strategies do you have in mind to ensure affordable housing options for Leander residents amid rising property values?
- How will you prioritize funding for infrastructure projects such as road maintenance and utility upgrades?
- What initiatives do you support to promote small business growth and entrepreneurship in Leander?
- With Leander’s increasing population, how do you plan to address public safety concerns, including crime prevention and emergency response times?
- How will you collaborate with Capital Metro to improve public transportation options and connectivity within Leander and to neighboring communities?
- How do you plan to engage and involve residents in decision-making processes and community development efforts?
- How will you work with Leander Independent School District (LISD), and is there anything specific you recommend on behalf of the City to support education and youth development programs?
- What measures do you propose to ensure transparency and accountability in city goverment operations and decision-making processes?
- How do you plan to address future water needs and ensure sustainable water management practices in Leander?
- What actions will you take to support the Leander Chamber of Commerce and foster a favorable environment for local businesses to thrive?
Candidates for Mayor
There are 5 Candidates for Mayor this year:
- Christine DeLisle (INCUMBENT)
- John David Cowman
- Andy Hogue
- Fred Summers
- Damon Burger
Christine DeLisle (INCUMBENT)
Christine has been serving as Leander’s Mayor since her election win in May of 2021. Prior to that, she served 3 years on the City Council in Place 4. She prides herself on being resident-focussed, business-friendly, and diligent in researching issues and policies.
She enjoys serving on other boards and committees including the Capital Area Metropolitan Transportation Organization (CAMPO), the Capital Area Economic Development District, and currently represents the Central Texas region on the Texas Municipal League Board of Directors.
She’s previously held seats on the Capital Area Council of Governments Executive Committee, Texas Municipal League’s Legislative Priorities Committee, and the National Civic League’s Model City Charter Working Group. She’s a former Girl Scout Leader of 7 years, and has held both Secretary and President roles in PTA.
At home, she is mom to two awesome kids, four fantastic bonus kids and a schnoodle named Sgt. Pepper. She’s an avid reader and chocolate-lover. Christine has been an active member of the Leander community since moving here in 2010. She is a digital marketer and former professional organizer.
vote@MayorChristine.com
How will you collaborate with Capital Metro to improve public transportation options and connectivity within Leander and to neighboring communities?
We’re actively collaborating with CapMetro to expand Pick Up service across more areas in town. While we lack the authority to mandate service changes, our ongoing dialogue with CapMetro gives us confidence that progress is on the horizon. Expanding CapMetro’s reach to additional cities faces challenges due to Texas state regulations, which impose significant hurdles on transit implementation. Many desirable destinations remain inaccessible due to financial constraints. Addressing this issue necessitates legislative action. As a member of TXDOT’s inaugural multi-modal plan working group, I’m dedicated to advocating for recommendations that streamline transit access for cities. Simplifying the process not only benefits us but also enables our residents to access comprehensive transit services.
What measures do you propose to ensure transparency and accountability in city government operations and decision-making processes?
I’m proud of the progress we’ve made in enhancing transparency within the Leander government. Our efforts have included:
Public Comments: We’ve reinstated the public’s right to address the council on any matter during public comment sessions.
Public Space Rentals: By reopening public space rentals, we’ve enabled people to convene and discuss a wide range of topics freely.
Agenda Item Details: For every agenda item, we now provide information indicating whether an expense is already budgeted and specify which special use budget the funds are allocated from.
These steps demonstrate our commitment to openness and accountability. Moving forward, I am dedicated to further improving transparency and fostering meaningful dialogue between the community and our government.
How do you plan to address future water needs and ensure sustainable water management practices in Leander?
We’ve made a tremendous investment in our water the last few years. We have secured the rights to more of Lake Travis’ supply, and have begun expansions at both the BCRUA and Sandy Creek water treatment plants. We also doubled our capacity at the Travisso water reclamation station and plan on creating a similar system around Horizon Lake and Northline.
Moving forward, our attention shifts to diversifying our supply. It would be great to have another source besides Lake Travis, but it’s not easy to do – if it were, everyone around us would be doing it. It’s going to require finding a water source outside of our area, purchasing right of way and building infrastructure to bring it here, and more than likely some governmental red tape to allow us to transport from one area of the state to another. But as cities closer to us do the same, it makes it easier for us to tap in some day in the future, we just need to identify those opportunities and and plan for the right time.
John David Cowman
Mr. Cowman’s summary of awards and achievements includes:
- Mayor, City of Leander, 2003-2012;
- Board of Directors – Envision Central Texas Board Member, 2005 – 2007;
- Board of Directors and Co-Founder with Austin Mayor Will Wynn – Alliance for Public Transportation 2006;
- Board of Directors – Founding Member- Brushy Creek Regional Utility Authority, 2007 – 2012;
- Board of Directors – Capital Metropolitan Transportation Authority, 2004 – 2010;
- Board of Directors – ASA Inter-Municipal Commuter Rail District, 2008 – 2012;
- Board of Directors – Finance Committee – Capital Metro Board Member, 2004 – 2010
- Board of Directors – Alternate to Campo through Capital Metro
- Board of Directors – Leander Library Foundations, 2007 – 2012;
- Originator – Leander Mayors Committee of People with Disabilities – 2006-2012;
- Committee Member – Texas Dental Association – Texas Mission of Mercy – 2008;
- 2005 Local Leader of the Year for the State of Texas – John Ben Shepherd Award Recipient;
- 2008 Best Public Servant Award – Hill Country News;
- 2006 Envision Central Texas Public Policy and Planning Award – Leander TOD;
- 2006 Graduate: Leadership Leander I.S.D.;
- 2004 Graduate: Leander Police Academy;
- 2004 Represented Leander on Austin Chamber of Commerce inner-city visit to Washington D.C.
- 2005 Represented Leander and Williamson County on Austin Chamber of Commerce inter-city visit to Portland
- 2006 Represented Leander and Williamson County on Austin Chamber of Commerce inter-city visit to Denver
- 2007 Represented Leander and Williamson County on Austin Chamber of Commerce inter-city visit to Seattle
- 2008 Represented Leander and Williamson County on Austin Chamber of Commerce inter-city visit to San Diego
What specific measures do you propose to address traffic congestion in Leander?
We are a policy board. We create the mechanism (Ordinance, Policy, Funding, TIA etc.) from the dias to give the operations arm (City Manager and his professional staff) of the City the tools they need to perform the task at hand. For instance, the City Manager may request Council approval to hire a traffic consultant regarding traffic issues. Clearly defined objectives are in the council packet regarding the request. The request is read into the record, discussed, then voted upon. This is more of an operational question than a policy question, but I thought I would address such.
With Leander’s increasing population, how do you plan to address public safety concerns, including crime prevention and emergency response times?
Our 2025 plan is nearing its conclusion. I purchased, with Council approval, our current police station out of Bankruptcy Court in Atlanta Georgia in 2006. We believed back then and it so seems that the Police will have out grown this facility by 2025. In the Leander 2050 plan that we are forming, Police will have a new station and the current station will be re-purposed. Chief Minton will be relied upon to determine the wants and needs of the department for the next 25 years. Police and Fire take up the majority of the city’s budget. It will be imperative that we make every dollar count, just like we did from 2003 to 2012.
What actions will you take to support the Leander Chamber of Commerce and foster a favorable environment for local businesses to thrive?
I am pro-chamber and pro-business. I acquired the Victorian home at no cost where the chamber is located currently back in 2008 except moving the home ($30,000) and renovating ($50,000). We (the “City”) funded the chamber I believe +-$30,000 per year to get them started and engaged. I do not know the current relationship between the city and chamber, but I would fully support a funding mechanism to help the chamber market the city, especially to small business. The Chamber and its president and directors are doing an outstanding job. As Mayor, I would definitely through policy work on ease of process for small business. Delays in processing and costly reviews from the city will be addressed.
Andy Hogue
AndyHogue@ymail.com
512-298-9996
What specific measures do you propose to address traffic congestion in Leander?
While this is a complicated subject involving many moving parts, I will start with communicating with neighborhood groups, HOAs, and residents to identify traffic choke points and hazardous situations; find cost-effective, commonsense ways to address many of these. Alternatives may include turning a red light into flashing yellow at certain hours (or vice-versa, pouring asphalt for a temporary right-turn lane, etc.).
I have a background in transportation reporting. I can understand the often-complex reports and plans that come before the Council — or I know someone who can decipher them! My experience working with state agencies will help tremendously when interacting with TxDOT and regional transportation entities.
How do you plan to balance the need for economic development with preserving the city’s natural resources and green spaces?
By open and honest, good-faith negotiations with developers. But as it stands now, we are too reliant on developer fees and population growth to take too firm of a stand with them, e.g. bargaining successfully for green belts, xeriscaping, retaining natural features and native trees/grasses that do not require constant irrigation, etc.
By expanding our tax base and recruiting job-creating businesses to Leander we will be in a better position to be picky when it comes to preserving our Hill Country ecology and way of life. As conservative as I am, I’m a conservationist at heart and will be on-guard to preserve the vistas and valleys that attracted so many of us to this community.
Additionally, modern planning methods and improved communication can put us in a better position when it comes to water planning, as can increased tax revenue. While I believe we are on a good path forward in terms of easing water restrictions and planning for future water needs, we should not be in Stage 4 right now. Let’s do better.
How will you work with Leander Independent School District (LISD), and is there anything specific you recommend on behalf of the City to support education and youth development programs?
There are numerous state programs and legislation that allow for partnerships between the city, school district, and local businesses to offer internships and diploma endorsements for our high school students. During my time with the state, I worked on laying the groundwork for what became HB5 (2013), which established degree pathways for our students. As a father of three, and watching the price of a college degree increase and the value of most degree drop, I believe this is an important role the Council can play. Let’s explore more ways to give our juniors and seniors ways to learn profitable skills, start their careers with good-paying jobs, and even finish college debt-free. Let’s pick up the phone and see what options we have.
Additional Mayoral Candidates
Fred Summers
Mr. Summers declined to participate in our Voter Resource Guide.
Damon Burger
Mr. Burger was unable to participate in our Voter Resource Guide due to family emergency.
Candidates for Council Member Place 2
There are 2 Candidates for Council Member Place 2 this year:
- Esmeralda Mattke Longoria (INCUMBENT)
- Michael Herrera
Esmeralda Mattke Longoria (INCUMBENT)
Esmeralda Mattke Longoria was duly elected to the Leander City Council in June 2021. She was appointed to the CAPCOG General Assembly in 2021 and the Clean Air Coalition of Central Texas in 2021. She was reappointed to the Clean Air Coalition of Central Texas in 2024. In January of 2022, she joined the Executive Committee of CAPCOG (Capital Area Council of Governments). She is starting her 3rd year on CAPCOG’s executive committee. She has served on the Leander city council for almost 3 years. She has also served as Mayor Pro Tem for the Leander City Council since May of 2023. She also serves as the council liaison for the Economic Development Advisory Committee with the City of Leander.
Esmeralda Mattke Longoria, a multi-generational Texan, was born and raised in Corpus Christi, Texas. She is one of four girls and has a large extended family. She has spent more than 25 years in the Austin area, with the last 8 years here in Leander and 15 years in Williamson County. Esmeralda’s family has been in Texas for hundreds of years and her family owned a ranch in South Texas.
Esmeralda recently worked at Dell and has over 17 years with the company. During her time at Dell, as well as her work with General Motors, she has held roles as Business Architect, Product Owner, Product Manager, Enterprise Architect and Program/Project Manager. During her tenure at Dell, she was awarded a patent for a System and Method for Managing Images Using a Parent-Child Relationship. Esmeralda has worked on $18 million plus portfolios. While at General Motors, Esmeralda served on Texas-wide Hispanic recruitment teams and participated in women organizations. Esmeralda regularly attends the Texas Women’s Conference. Esmeralda is a member of the Hispanic IT Executive Council (HITEC). The planning work that Esmeralda does as part of her recent jobs is very much like city budget approval/planning.
Esmeralda has two children in Leander ISD schools.
What specific measures do you propose to address traffic congestion in Leander?
For traffic, we certainly have seen a great amount of people on our roads lately. I think giving people options on how to get to work and back home is ideal. Many are not a fan of our train service, but we are in the agreement with Cap Metro until another vote could happen in 2027. (5 years since the last vote). Since we do have the train and pickup service, we should encourage those who can; to use those. We do have the tollway expansion on 183A. We should give people options on many different ways that they can use to get to work. We should ask for an expansion of our pickup service radius to include a greater portion of our city. We cannot ask for more service, if people aren’t using the pickup service. Many may not know that we have that. We would love if people could work from home or have campus employers to have more people work closer to home. That would help in our traffic woes. Attracting large employers is our goal to help out traffic and to help pay for our infrastructure. Previously, many companies did not want to do business here for various reasons but over the past 3 years, we have seen a city council focused on being civil to attract companies here.
With Leander’s increasing population, how do you plan to address public safety concerns, including crime prevention and emergency response times?
I believe funding the police is key for crime prevention. Making our salaries comparable to other cities is imperative. If it is very expensive to live in Leander, we should provide some benefits to our police staff such as vehicles they can take home (when possible). Right now, so many are leaving our city and we want fire and police officers to want to come to Leander. We need proper funding for our fire department and to expand to other locations as well to ensure we are meeting emergency response times as we grow to a much larger city. As the incumbent, I understand their concerns. I have worked with fire and police. I’m proud to say I’ve been endorsed by the fire and police associations. As a sitting city council member, I have worked with fire and police to ensure we have a safe city for now and as we grow. We want to make Leander a place that fire and police officers want to live and work. I will listen to fire and police because we have a goal as part of the vision of the city to ensure public safety is a TOP item. As we grow, we understand we will go through some safety challenges and we need to be prepared for that.
How do you plan to address future water needs and ensure sustainable water management practices in Leander?
The fix that is happening to the water line right that caused us to have no outdoor watering and be in Stage 4 for six weeks was planned. We are hopeful that this is the last planned fix to the water as we transition to the deep water intake in 2027. Look, I live here and want to water my outdoor plants. We should all do our part to conserve. We have water for Leander for years to come, but we need to be able to treat the water we do get. Unfortunately, some city council members previously voted to sell our water to other cities. That is something we have to deal with until we can get out of those contracts. We need to have a better relationship with all the surrounding cities. We have two water treatment plants and have made a lot of updates to our smaller plant. This city council that I’m 1 of 7 on, has prioritized water fixes and made those forward-thinking decisions on how to plan for water. Unfortunately, the extreme drought issues are far-reaching past Leander. We will have our lakes go down quite a bit when the drought is severe like last summer. We will setup our emergency barge this year that will help if the water gets very low in Lake Travis.
Michael Herrera
Michael Herrera is a Leander, Texas resident and General Manager of CSSI Solutions, an investment operation services company started by Mike’s wife, Diane, in 1995. Prior to joining Diane at CSSI, Mike was a Regional Sales Manager at Nestle Beverage Company. After 29 years in business, and with Mike’s careful planning, CSSI grew from one to 40+ employees with multiple offices operating out of Orlando, Louisville, Phoenix, London, and, most recently, Austin. Mike found the tasks of strategizing and growing the business successfully while managing business cycles, to be both challenging and rewarding.
Mike currently serves on the Leander Parks, Arts, and Culture Commission, as well as the Tax Increment Reinvestment Zone (TIRZ) Board, and he previously served on the LISD Bond Steering Committee. He is committed to Leander and excited to help the city not only grow, but to also grow well. While Mike is not a native-born a Texan, Diane is, and she, along with the rest of her family, inspired Mile’s love of Texas and his understanding about what makes Texas special and Texans proud.
In addition to community service, Mike and Diane are heavily involved in Generations Church, their local church in Leander. They both serve as Life Group and Bible study leaders and as board members of Chainbreakers, a prison and family outreach ministry serving Central Texas. Chainbreakers works with youth at the Williamson County Juvenile Justice Center and adults at the Central Texas Treatment Center, providing prayer, worship, ministry, and support to residents and families both during incarceration and transition.
Mike is man of utmost integrity as well as a visionary thinker and team player. He believes his experience and proven success growing CSSI Solutions, along with his involvement in the community and service in his local church, are evidence of his unwavering faith and his commitment to public service and the growth of businesses and communities.
What measures do you propose to ensure transparency and accountability in city government operations and decision-making processes?
In my opinion, transparency and accountability go hand in hand. Many of the citizens I have talked to are confused by the City’s messaging and the decision-making processes. I would like the City to take out a half-page ad in Community Impact each quarter and highlight the statistics related to key infrastructure, development, and current relationships (BRCUA, CapMetro, and other relationships). Being able to see Key Performance Indicators will allow citizens to assess current relationships. Visibility into Key Performance Indicators provides the City and our partners the opportunity to make sure the relationships work for all parties. For example, when the CapMetro relationship was put on the ballot, CapMetro came forth with an interlocal agreement to fund some infrastructure in the City. Bringing relationships and agreements into the light of all will allow each of our relationships to turn into real partnerships.
How do you plan to address future water needs and ensure sustainable water management practices in Leander?
Brushy Creek Regional Utility Authority (BRCUA) has struggled for a number of years to provide treated water to the City of Leander. The reasons range from equipment issues to process failures. This ongoing problem has eroded the trust of the community and undermined the City Council. I would like to see the BRCUA put a robust risk management process in place that would create an environment of contingency planning and ongoing risk mitigation. Routine audits of these processes will rebuild the trust and confidence of the community. Currently, the BRCUA is completing a maintenance project that should ensure that we can pump the amount of water to meet the needs for Leander for the foreseeable future even as we build out the city. While this will allow us to pull and treat the water we need, we have a long-term problem related to sustainable water sources. Our city council needs to partner with both county and state governments to provide a solution.
What actions will you take to support the Leander Chamber of Commerce and foster a favorable environment for local businesses to thrive?
In talking to business owners who decided to locate elsewhere, a number of concerns are brought up that have impacted their decision. In almost all cases they describe that the city is hard to work with. By implementing the transparency measures and KPIs mentioned about, we can determine where we might streamline processes to better support business growth. The Chamber has a number of different member businesses in the city, ranging from retail to business-to-business. Each type of business needs its own set of processes and environment to drive success. I would like to see the City (and the Council) partnering with the Chamber, and with top-tier developers, we can bring retail and commercial growth to Leander in a timely manner. This means that all three partners work together to hold each other accountable to meet the goal of timely delivery. I think this can be done but it takes effort both from the Council and City to put in place the structure to get it done. I would work hard for well-structured growth in my position as a City Council member.
Candidates for Council Member Place 4
There are 2 Candidates for Council Member Place 4 this year:
- Na’Cole Thompson (INCUMBENT)
- Monica Roussel-Methena
Na’Cole Thompson (INCUMBENT)
Na’Cole Thompson has been a resident of Leander since 2007 and has witnessed first hand the unprecedented growth in the City. She’s a dedicated member of the Leander City Council, currently running for re-election to Place 4. Na’Cole Thompson is known for her commitment to serving the community and advocating for its residents. With a background in public service, small business and a passion for improving the quality of life in Leander, Ms. Thompson brings valuable insight and leadership to her role on the council. She works tirelessly to address local issues, promote transparency, and ensure that the voices of all citizens are heard and represented in decision-making processes. Ms. Thompson’s collaborative approach has earned her the endorsement of the Leander Police and Fire Associations. Ms. Thompson’s proactive initiatives make her a respected figure in Leander’s governance as she strives to foster a vibrant and inclusive city for all.
What specific measures do you propose to address traffic congestion in Leander?
I would propose creating a community task force to review traffic issues throughout the city; then with the help of an updated traffic study, direction from the City’s finance director and plans from the Director of Infrastructure, move to make specific adjustments at high traffic/concern areas to alleviate congestion and unsafe intersections throughout the city.
With Leander’s increasing population, how do you plan to address public safety concerns, including crime prevention and emergency response times?
Leander is a great place to live, work and play due in large part to our phenomenal public safety teams and strong leadership within those teams who stay engaged in service to the community through a variety of programs, initiatives and events hosted year round. In Leander, we prioritize funding our public safety departments, accountability, education and engagement to maintain public safety. These efforts also improve our ability to recruit well trained, experienced and customer oriented staff which helps to improve emergency response times.
How do you plan to address future water needs and ensure sustainable water management practices in Leander?
With our rapid population growth and commercial development expansion, long term planning, conservation of our natural resources and exploring new technologies are key. Leander’s proactive approach currently includes creating collaborative opportunities with energy providers like Atmos, PEC and LCRA, developers and the county and state to maintain and update infrastructure needs throughout our growing city. This approach ensures access to more resources, accountability and relevant communication which ultimately benefits our city and our residents.
Monica Roussel-Methena
The reason I got involved in the city in the first place is because of my life experiences. I grew up in France, in a suburb of Paris. And I always felt like there was a force, a system, stopping me from achieving my dreams. I always say the sky feels small over there. After France, I moved to California where I attended college, and met my husband. We both loved San Diego, but we knew it was not the place to raise children. We could not make our family dreams come true – a house, 2 cars, 3 kids, a college fund, a retirement fund – these dreams, as simple as they are, are completely out of reach in California. We were then stationed in Singapore while my husband was serving in the US Navy. Living outside the US made me remember what is so special about America and why I love it so much. So when we decided to move to Texas, we knew this was it, this is where our children will grow up. We needed to establish our roots and make sure it was the place we needed it to be for our children.
I was determined. When France became too difficult to live in, I left. When California became too difficult to live in, I left. I’m done leaving. I am going to protect this state, this town, however I can. That is why I work for the state, and that is why I am running for Leander city council. My goal is to give this city a solid foundation it can trust for the next 25 years. I want our children to want to stay here, raise their own families here. I don’t want Leander to just be on the way to Austin, I want it to be our hometown.
I am a wife and mother of 3. I hold an MBA with an emphasis in Management, I am a Certified Texas Contract Manager. I was the manager of a Business Operations Team overseeing multi-million dollar projects that serve Texans all around the state. I have written policy, regulation, and passed a rule in the Texas Administrative Code. I’ve served Leander on the Charter Review Board, on the Public Arts Commission, and the Board of Adjustments.
With Leander’s increasing population, how do you plan to address public safety concerns, including crime prevention and emergency response times?
As part of my holistic approach to development planning, accounting for safety needs is a top priority. Stations need to be built, and roads need to be able to support the increased traffic. If the roads are congested, emergency vehicles can’t respond to needs in time. The Police and Fire chiefs have been creating growth plans for years, and do a great job of it. City needs to approve funding and facilitate building to help them.
How do you plan to address future water needs and ensure sustainable water management practices in Leander?
Water is definitely top of mind, as everyone in the area draws from Lake Travis. I want to explore alternative sources and partnerships. Perhaps other cities or counties can pair with us, or maybe we can lobby the state to source water elsewhere. The key is money. That’s why my focus is economic development, to diversify and grow the city’s income. That way we can afford to explore expensive water options that are currently out of reach.
What actions will you take to support the Leander Chamber of Commerce and foster a favorable environment for local businesses to thrive?
I absolutely want business to thrive in Leander. Local businesses bring jobs and sales taxes, the literal lifeblood of any city. I will do everything I can to support that. That includes identifying city policies and codes that can be revised to facilitate business; and working with city staff to identify best practices to accelerate projects. The behind the scenes work.
Candidates for Council Member Place 6
There are 3 Candidates for Council Member Place 6 this year:
- Becki Ross (INCUMBENT)
- Pulla Reddy Yeduru
- Anna Yelaun
Click here to watch our council member candidate forum.
Becki Ross (INCUMBENT)
I have lived and voted in the Leander area for over 20 years. My background includes serving on Planning and Zoning with one year as chairman, three years on Leander City Council with one year as Mayor ProTem, three years as the Suburban Cities representative on the CapMetro board currently in my second term as Board Secretary, many years as booster and team mom while my daughters’ participated in school and club sports.
I have owned a small business for 15 years and have multiple industry recognized designations along with a bachelors degree from LSU and an MBA from University of New Orleans.
How will you prioritize funding for infrastructure projects such as road maintenance and utility upgrades?
By continuing to do what this council has been doing. We supported the new PEC substation to better serve customers, approved road adequacy fees which allow developers to pay proportionally into a fund to build roads in areas of town their projects will impact, and have approved several hundred million in stabilizing and upgrading our water delivery system with wastewater projects on the horizon. Through our membership with CapMetro the city has been able to fund planning through the Old Town and 183 Corridor studies and fund the feeder road that was a major piece of landing Home Depot in Leander.
The current council demanded better of ATMOS which has installed larger pipes and has been better prepared for the last winter freeze. ATMOS has also completed a gas line to Old Town which has been a request of restaurants considering the area.
How will you collaborate with Capital Metro to improve public transportation options and connectivity within Leander and to neighboring communities?
By continuing to do what I’ve been doing over the last three years. We made some pretty good headway over the last three years with the infrastructure fund that brought $7.5M to Leander and participation in Build Central Texas that has brought back about $3.5+M to date.
There are ongoing conversations happening around CapMetro funding, ridership, expanding PickUp services, and more efficient ways to allocate cost of service to suburban cities. This progress only happens when Leander is willing to sit at the table and have the conversations. I plan to continue to represent Leander and the rest of the suburban cities so we are a part of the regionality discussions to offer efficient public transportation around the area.
How do you plan to engage and involve residents in decision-making processes and community development efforts?
As a Planning and Zoning Commissioner, we expanded the notice requirement so more residents and businesses surrounding projects would be notified of public hearings. As a councilman, I supported efforts to move development services over to a new platform that would allow all parties involved to see where a project is in the pipeline, funded a new city website that is easier to read with more information and content being added almost daily, and voted to bring back public comments. I supported the hiring of additional public information staff to enhance the city’s social media presence and accepted the role as council liaison to the Chamber of Commerce to help with the dissemination of information to the community. Moving into the next term, I will continue to champion clear and concise communication.
Pulla Reddy Yeduru
Pulla Reddy Yeduru is a devoted family man with a loving wife and two children currently working as a Senior Director of Technology at a Fortune 500 company. As an innovator, Mr. Reddy is a proud US patent holder No: 11,515,022 & No:11,468,320.
As a founder of “Leon Human Foundation” a non-profit charitable organization focused on fighting hunger and supporting students, Mr. Reddy spearheaded multiple yearly Holiday Food Drive events with large food donations to Central Texas Food Bank, Hill Country Community Ministries along with providing backpacks to LISD students and other charitable activities internationally.
Pulla Reddy Yeduru is running for Leander City Council Place 6, aiming to provide strong leadership. His mission is to tackle pressing community issues emphasized on sustainable commercial development, improving city’s infrastructure (Roads & Backup Water Systems) and public safety. As a proven Leader, Pulla Reddy is dedicated to achieve long lasting scalable solutions through collaboration for better and even more prosperous Leander. #REDDY4LEANDER
What specific measures do you propose to address traffic congestion in Leander?
while, I understand traffic congestion is a major issue in Leander, there are many other factors that contributed to this problem and got us here. So, I propose and plan on bringing a group of experts and revising the TIA studies that have been done in the past and see how those scale and meet the needs for the City’s current and future and make cognitive decisions that would help uplift the time spent by our citizens on the roads and facilitate getting from point A to point B in the least amount of time possible. Also request planning and zoning team proactive traffic before they approve neighborhoods and new business.
How do you plan to balance the need for economic development with preserving the city’s natural resources and green spaces?
By thinking out of the box and bringing in experts we have in the community, I’ll plan and build economic zones that would boost commercial growth without compromising the natural resources, like lakes, parks, water, trails, etc.. I believe any development within the city is interlinked with other items like roads, natural resources, traffic, public safety, that would improve the quality of the life of Leander residents.
What strategies do you have in mind to ensure affordable housing options for Leander residents amid rising property values?
Affordable housing is very important for any city especially in these difficult times with Rising property values while salaries are not matching with raising cost. I definitely support affordable housing, but there are many ways, this can be done by planning effectively and bringing in builders that are proven to be interested in the community and not have profit as their only bottom line.
Anna Yelaun
Anna is a wife and mother, small business owner, and passionate community leader. She has earned multiple post-graduate degrees including an MBA, a Masters degree in Geophysics, and a PhD in Finance. For 12 years, she was a senior financial advisor. Then, seeing a need for high quality math programs, she started her own math academy and is now the Director of the Texas Region of Math Kangaroo USA, a worldwide Olympic level math competition. Her experience has earned her a wealth of knowledge including an extensive understanding of water source management and drilling processes, the inner workings of business management and longevity, budgeting and forecasting, organization and time management, and people skills, with a particular affinity for risk assessment.
What specific measures do you propose to address traffic congestion in Leander?
The development that I wish to attract to Leander will foster more commercial expansion, pedestrian friendly development and infrastructure, seamlessly limiting traffic congestion, once daily needs are met within a ten minute walk and the need for vehicular travel becomes minimal. Necessities such as grocery stores, schools, daycares, and hospitals in communities such as Travisso where the average duration of driving to these places can exceed twenty minutes, will be in closer in proximity and intentional to benefit its residents.
How will you work with Leander Independent School District (LISD), and is there anything specific you recommend on behalf of the City to support education and youth development programs?
I am extremely passionate about education and for advocating on behalf of students. I aim to expand avenues for engaging children through a diverse range of educational and athletic opportunities. Additionally, I hope to foster a culture of volunteering and instill in our students a love for our community and a sense of investment in its future by creating both long term opportunities within the community and short term opportunities at events, thereby limiting barriers to participation. A specific program that has already seen outstanding results from Leander students is the olympic level Math Kangaroo program, of which I am the Texas director. Last year, our students placed on a national level. This year’s competition was held at the Leander Public Library. In the athletic arena, I wish to facilitate enriching experiences and opportunities. For instance, my daughter will serve as a volunteer at the Winter Olympics in Milan, providing her with tangible insight into her aspirations as an athlete. It is imperative to extend such enriching experiences to other children in Leander. All of these initiatives hinge on the safety of our children as the highest priority.
What actions will you take to support the Leander Chamber of Commerce and foster a favorable environment for local businesses to thrive?
As a representative of small business owners within Leander, my intention is to cultivate a close partnership with the Leander Chamber of Commerce. This collaboration will involve promptly conveying the interests of entrepreneurs and advocating for their protection during decision-making processes. Furthermore, I am committed to fostering the development of commercial infrastructure within the city and establishing collaborative relationships with business communities across other municipalities, counties, and states. Additionally, I will actively contribute to the formation and execution of beneficial socio-economic development programs, including initiatives focused on tourism, festivals, and investment projects, while ensuring compliance with local regulations. Ultimately, my aim is to facilitate a business friendly environment characterized by integrity, a fair marketplace, and give commercial developers the proper support and incentivize their efforts to launch their business here to become a part of our thriving community.
