Red Oak City Council, Place 5
The next election for the Red Oak City Council is set for May 7. In Place 5, incumbent Michael Braly will face Jeffrey Smith. Candidates were asked to fill out a questionnaire regarding their campaign, and below are their responses:
Michael Braly
Occupation: Police lieutenant
Number of years in the city: 14 years
Campaign website: facebook.com/elect.michael.braly
What are the biggest issues facing your city, and what are your suggestions to help address them?
The city of Red Oak will be facing a number of critical issues over the next several years. Infrastructure concerns, expanding needs of our growing community, and managing a limited budget are just a few of the hot topics on the agenda. My suggestion for meeting these demands revolves squarely around planning. As municipalities grow, the problems associated with expansion can sometimes appear daunting. In those scenarios, I believe that proper strategic planning lends the best opportunity for overcoming obstacles. By establishing long-term goals, we can prioritize our objectives and address them in an organized and incremental manner. By taking small, well-planned steps, we can attain goals while remaining fiscally responsible.
What is your history of involvement in the city?
– I served three years as a commissioner on the Red Oak Planning and Zoning Board (2017-2019).
– I served three years on the Red Oak City Council (2019-2022).
– For the past year, I have held the position of mayor pro tem.
Why are you running for the city council?
I care strongly about our city and for the well-being of my neighbors and fellow residents. I believe that being on the City Council provides my best opportunity to help guide the growth and direction of our city; and, to provide a lasting, positive impact on our community.
Why are you the best candidate for this position?
My opponent in this election is long-time resident of Red Oak and by all accounts a good guy. I am encouraged when residents want to step up and take an active role in our city. If he is elected over me, I will be the first to congratulate him and offer my support. With that being said, I want the voters to know that I wholeheartedly want to be re-elected to my position on the council! To that end, I hope the following points will make the case that I am the best candidate for the position:
First and most importantly, I possess the leadership acumen to best serve our community. I subscribe to the tenets of servant leadership. I believe that being in a leadership role, above all else, is an opportunity to serve others. I have spent my entire adult life in public service. I honorably served our country in the US Army and served our state the Texas Army National Guard. Since leaving the military, I have served as a municipal police officer for 32 years. I understand appreciate the sacrifice that goes into being a public servant, and I am committed to exceeding those expectations.
Second, I possess the real-life experience important to being a council member. Over the past six years, I have served the residents of Red Oak, first as a commissioner on the Planning and Zoning Commission, then as a member of the City Council, and now as the mayor pro tem. During my time with Red Oak, our city staff and our leadership team have attained a number of noteworthy accomplishments. The city’s industrial development district has boomed with the addition of companies like Compass Datacenters along with their hi-tech clients. We attracted the tech giant Google to our city. They purchased land in Red Oak with designs for a future data center. We also saw Bombardier (in cooperation with Texas State Technical College) graduate their first cohort of “Red Oak based” apprentices. On the Commercial front, development has kept at a strong pace. Companies including Te’jun Restaurant, Soulman’s BBQ, Chick-fil-A Restaurant and Starbucks have opened new locations in Red Oak. And on the horizon, we look forward to seeing the completion of the highly anticipated Legacy Square project in the northwest section of the city. In concert with commercial growth, the pace of new home construction is at an all-time high. To meet the community needs, we have focused on improved family friendly amenities including a new splash pad, new youth soccer fields, new baseball and softball fields, park improvements, and improvements to the seating and turf at the youth football fields. All of these achievements were reached while the city observed budgetary constraints and maintained a strong financial position. In testament, our city finances were so well managed that Red Oak achieved a “AA” bond rating.
Finally, I believe it is my work ethic and commitment to the job that elevates me above other candidates for this position. I have been an overachiever my entire life. I relentlessly pursue my goals and I don’t shrink from a challenge. If I am re-elected, I will bring the same determination and resolution to representing the concerns of our residents.
Jeffrey D. Smith
Occupation: Federal law enforcement
Number of years in the city: 39 years
Campaign Website: Facebook – Vote Jeffrey Smith For Red Oak City Council
What are the biggest issues facing your city, and what are your suggestions to help address it?
Rapid growth. Until recently we had nothing to offer citizens here, but thanks to the city’s parks department we now have a disc golf park, an extremely nice softball complex and a soccer complex. But we still need more. We need more restaurants like Te’jun. We need to go after some like Babe’s, Texas Roadhouse something that is family oriented.
What is your history of involvement in the city?
Several years on the Parks Department Board. Board members of several of the local sports organizations.
Why are you running for the city council?
To be able to help the citizens of Red Oak. I want a city that will grow but still keep the hometown feeling. We need to make people feel welcomed here, want to choose this city as a place to grow their family young and old.
Why are you the best candidate for this position?
Having grown up in Red Oak since I was 3 years old and graduated from Red Oak ISD, I have seen this city struggle to grow. I chose to move back to Red Oak in 2014 even though I could have moved to several other cities closer to DFW airport where I work. I want to ensure that we keep the small-town family atmosphere even while growing. We are missing out on potential items that would help raise revenue that would help with the continued growth of Red Oak that will benefit every citizen.
