Election 2009: Corsicana City Council, Precinct 4

By Janet Jacobs

Dana Collins and George Walker are both seeking the Precinct 4 City Council seat in Corsicana. Below are profiles on the two candidates.



Collins seeks council seat

Dana Collins, owner of Sign Pro’s, is taking her first leap into politics by running for the Precinct 4 City Council seat being vacated by Randy Dill.

Collins, 46, has been an independent business owner for the last 10 years, and opened her Corsicana store four years ago. Before that, she ran businesses in Longview, Tyler and Waco. She’s lived in Corsicana all her life, and in Precinct 4 for the last 16 years.

She’s a busy woman, but said she felt compelled to run for council.

“I really feel like the people need more representation,” she said. “From my experience before the city council there needs to be more representation of citizens’ views.”

Last year, Collins went before the council to ask for a Special Use Permit for a U-Haul truck rental business on Seventh Avenue, which was declined. About the same time, she was enrolled in Leadership Corsicana with the Corsicana/Navarro County Chamber of Commerce.

It was an eye-opening experience, Collins said.

“I want to try to inject a little optimism and enthusiasm,” she said. “I want to be a liaison with the public. I don’t want them to feel like it’s us against them.”

She’d like to see more industry, retail and other amenities in Corsicana, including the reopening of the Oak Trail golf course. She admits, she’s not sure how it should happen, but Corsicana needs the golf course to help draw visitors, she said.

“Whether it’s through a non-profit, the city or individuals, we need to find a way,” she said of the golf course. “We need to have a public golf course.”

Her vision for Corsicana would be for the city to become a North-Central Texas version of Fredericksburg or Salado, which draw shoppers from all over.

“I think that’s a good fit for Corsicana,” she said. “You’ve got to market your city. We’ve got the bakery, there’s a huge draw right there.”

Collins said she’d like to work with the Strategic Planning Group and other recruiters to get things done for the town.

“I think if we can get some young hard-working people on the council we can get some things done,” she said.

In order to accomplish some of her goals, including the new loop she’d like to see, or cleaning up Seventh Avenue, it will take change, which she admits some people won’t welcome.

“But you don’t have progress without change,” Collins explained. “I think it’s time to get progressive.”

—————

Walker hopes for return

George Walker served on the Corsicana City Council for five years before moving out of Precinct 1, then resigning in October 2007. Since then, he’s tasted retirement, even moved temporarily to Maine. Now, he has moved back permanently and wants to serve again.

“I’m running because we’ve accomplished a lot in the last eight years and I don’t want to see it deteriorate,” Walker said. “We’ve gone from a general fund of $50,000 to nearly $2 million. We must continue to control taxes and spending to make sure our gains will not be lost.”

For Walker, the race against Dana Collins for Precinct 4 city council isn’t an issue of experience and inexperience, or youth and age, it’s about time.

“This is a full-time job, it’s not a part-time job. It’s not two nights a month, you have to be available every day for the people,” Walker said.

Although he’s no longer on the council, Walker has continued to attend city council meetings and stayed involved.

“Economic development, I served on the original committee, is one of my primary interests and I still keep up with what’s going on, as an interested citizen,” he said. “I think it’s important to stay abreast of everything.”

Walker wants to see the city adhere to the plans for improving the city’s main thoroughfares, and stay on track financially.

“We don’t have the luxury of the federal government, we can never run a deficit,” Walker said. “About 70 percent of our budget goes to personnel, since the city is a service organization. We don’t sell anything other than water. We’re a service organization, and service takes people.”

The challenges the city faces are real, because of the economic situation now, he said.

“I’m good with numbers. I handled a budget of $48 million a year with J.C. Penney Insurance, so I’m familiar with budgets and what you have to do to maintain them,” he said.

“A budget is a living, breathing entity, in that once you put it into force in October, you’re not done. You have to maintain it, adjust it, according to how sales taxes go and unexpected expenditures come up,” Walker said. “Sometimes, a budget will fool you. You think you have it down this month, but then a piece of equipment goes out that you can’t do without and you have to repair or replace it.”

The bond project is ambitious, but it’s part of a larger plan that the city can do, Walker said.

“Everyone likes ice cream that doesn’t melt, but nobody wants to buy the freezer,” he said. “We can’t raise taxes. If we can just maintain what we have right now and improve it each step, we’ll be in great shape.”

—————

Click here to e-mail Janet Jacobs.

Click here to Soundoff on this story.

Text Only