The following information was? provided to the Kennedale News by Josh Altom, candidate for Place 1, Kennedale City Council. {{more: continue? …}}?
Personal and contact information -??
Josh Altom?
Age: 42
Occupation: Firefighter/Paramedic
City of residence: Kennedale, Texas
Campaign email address: [email protected]
Facebook Page: Josh Altom for Kennedale City Council Place 1?
Education background –?
North Central Texas College, Brookhaven Community College, Navarro CollegeCertifications pertaining to current career position: Master Firefighter, Master SCUBA Diver, Driver Operator, Hazmat, Instructor, Paramedic, Drone Operator?
Past Municipalities or Governments entities that I been involved –?
Town of Little Elm, City of Highland Village, City of Hutchins, City of Waxahachie, Pinkerton Government Services and KBR (Wackenhut) Baghdad, Iraq
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Boards sought and/or held –?
President of Brookstone Estates HOA since 2012, Kennedale Board of Appeals and Board of Adjustments, Kennedale Economic Development Committee.?
1. Kennedale is facing water and infrastructure challenges. Water rates continue to be an issue. Sections of the city have outdated systems and in need of upgrades and repair. We must find solutions for stabilizing water rates while upgrading the system. We need to look closely at the Arlington contract so as in a few years when it?s time to renew, Kennedale isn?t locked in and forced to pay what Arlington proposes. I believe capping the city?s wells is very risky as well as giving away a major fund for the city.?2. Bringing business to the city will assist in lowering taxes, securing funds for infrastructure improvements, helping city employee salaries and replenish the budget. For example, the racetracks need to stay operational. The money spent serves our town greatly. The city should concentrate on other areas of the city and allow them to be open for business at least until we establish another revenue stream.?3. Managing our development is a hot topic. The City of Kennedale is in the center of a rapidly growing area. Growth surrounds us and is knocking on our front door. We need to take this opportunity to help facilitate what we envision for Kennedale. Every developer whether we agree or not should have the opportunity to present, request and to build here. There are many other boards and steps in place a developer must go through before they are actually allowed to proceed. If there is an issue or an undesirable situation it will eventually be stopped and on the flip side if it is a promising endeavor it will be pushed forward for the betterment of the community. Developments, retail spaces, youth dedicated businesses, should be considered to help us to prosper. We need managed growth to assist in our declining attendance of KISD.?
?My top priority if elected to office –?
1. Stay true to the master plan with a few minor changes. When I first moved here, the master plan and UDC (Unified Development Code) was in the planning stages. Our youth played a significant role in creating this vision. We need to honor our youth and respect the fact that they envisioned a unique city they would raise their children in.?
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2. Children need to be more of a priority. We have minimum opportunities for our youth to prosper and grow. We have no recreation center, no sports programs and no after school assistance outside of KISD. Just this year, KYA (Kennedale Youth Association) moved its program to ASW (Arlington Southwest). The fields here in Kennedale are an embarrassment when hosting other cities. They are unsafe and continuously vandalized. Arlington Southwest is a top notch program we can definitely learn from.
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3. I envision small/local business, I am not for big franchised businesses. I would like to be a huge part in the uniqueness of Kennedale. We need shops and restaurants that will bring citizens of other cities in and not away. For example, Taco Oasis in Everman, Juicy Taco in Longview, or something similar to the Twisted Root or Mellow Mushroom in Mansfield. Reds Road house and the Tipsy Turtle are great examples of what I envision, but we will need more small/local businesses to open.
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4. Last, I would like the city to have more of small town feel. We need to do activities that get the citizens involved; we need parades and advertise more for the downtown events. I would like to create a program called Kennedale 101 where citizens can meet once a month and learn about a different department each month from the department head. Citizens need to be more educated on what it takes to run a city and what their tax dollars do behind the scenes. Create an intern grant writing program. There is too much Free State money out there for us not to be utilizing it to our advantage.
Why I am the best-qualified candidate for this office –?
The years I spent on these boards and with these cities have prepared me for service on the City Council and have helped me to understand the complexities of City Government.?
In Closing –
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I believe with hard work and citizen involvement, we can grow and prosper while keeping that small town feel.?
Please contact me by Facebook messenger or my email if you would like to donate or meet to talk. I will not be doing any debates for I would like my campaign to be personable. I would enjoy coming to your home or meeting with your HOA to discuss your goals and get your feedback. I wish Jeff Nevarez the best of luck and invite him to any of my meetings out of respect. This was a tough decision and it takes a respectful person to represent the thousands of Kennedale citizens. I?m honored to be on the ballot.?
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Note by Kennedale News – Early voting begins April 22, 2019 and continues until April 30, 2019. Election Day is May 4, 2019. Statements by candidates are printed for the benefit of voters and do not represent an endorsement of any candidate by the Kennedale News.?
