Editor’s note: Candidates are listed in ballot order. The first question was limited to 300 words, all others 100 words.
Peggy Bohmfalk
What are your three top priorities and what will you do about them if elected?
My top priorities are public safety, responsible economic growth and protecting affordability for Lubbock residents — particularly within neighborhoods served by LISD.
Public safety is priority number one. We must take meaningful action to reduce violent crime, organized crime, theft, burglary and homelessness in every district. Safer communities encourage private investment, strengthen neighborhoods and improve overall quality of life. Addressing these issues requires standing up to special interests and developers who prioritize short-term profits over the long-term well-being of our city.
Should the city reconsider impact fees or move forward with road bonds?
Yes, the city should reconsider and reinstate impact fees. Choosing not to do so places a greater tax burden on current property owners and renters. This is not just a district issue — it affects every resident of Lubbock.
This would be one of my top priorities. The city’s 2040 Plan explicitly calls for the development of a thoughtful impact-fee program to fund roadway projects and recommends considering water and wastewater impact fees as well. We face a clear choice: reinstate impact fees or abandon long-term planning altogether and leave the city vulnerable to unbalanced development driven by outside interests.
However, as an organization, I would give the police department as a whole a C due to the city’s ongoing struggles with organized crime and other crime.
peggy bohmfalk
What letter grade would you give Lubbock’s police and fire departments, and why?
Based on my personal interactions, I would give individual police officers an A for professionalism and dedication. However, as an organization, I would give the police department as a whole a C due to the city’s ongoing struggles with organized crime and other crime.
As for the fire department, I do not yet have enough knowledge to offer an informed opinion.
What is your opinion about the city attracting AI hubs?
I share many of the concerns expressed by Lubbock residents regarding AI hubs. At this time, I am not convinced that our current water and electrical infrastructure could support a data center at the scale required. Unless a proposal provides clear, concrete evidence that an AI hub would be both sustainable and beneficial to the community, I would not advocate for it.
What’s your opinion about the 2040 plan, which advocates a centralized neighborhood development process, or should people in neighborhoods be allowed to make their own choices?
My understanding is that the 2040 Plan is intended to be a living document that evolves over time. Neighborhoods should be actively involved in shaping their own development and should be encouraged to make decisions locally, provided those decisions are not highly controversial or strongly opposed by neighboring areas.
We know Lubbock will have to fund more roads as it grows. Are you satisfied with the city’s water plans, or is there more to be done?
Overall, I am satisfied with the city’s current water strategy and appreciate the forward thinking reflected in plans such as the development of Lake 7. That said, I have concerns about how the project will be funded while keeping taxes stable. I am open to better ideas if alternative solutions exist that I have not yet seen.
Over the next four years, what kind of leadership talent does the city need to hire in terms of skills and philosophy of local government?
The city needs smart, innovative leaders with unquestionable integrity — people who can offer creative, practical solutions to the evolving challenges facing local government.
What is your view on business development and recruiting large employers?
I strongly support actively recruiting large employers that are a good fit for Lubbock. These employers provide stable jobs, competitive wages, and benefits that allow residents to build their lives here instead of leaving the community. They also create opportunities for local, small businesses through ancillary services and generate increased tax revenue.
While the no-new-revenue rate sounds appealing, it is not realistic given Lubbock’s rapid population growth and the increasing strain on infrastructure and public services.
peggy bohmfalk
There has been pressure on the city to stay at the no-new-revenue rate. Where do you stand and why?
While the no-new-revenue rate sounds appealing, it is not realistic given Lubbock’s rapid population growth and the increasing strain on infrastructure and public services. Without new revenue sources — such as impact fees or expanded sales tax — we risk falling behind and reducing service levels across the city.
What quality-of-life issues would you advocate the city invest in and why?
Lubbock already offers a strong quality of life, which is why people continue to move here from across the country. Our focus should be on maintaining that quality of life by retaining a low cost of living, ensuring public safety and creating conditions that encourage continued investment so we can adequately fund schools, roads, law enforcement, libraries and other essential services.
Is there an issue that might require you to take an unpopular vote?
I may take positions that are unpopular with City Council or staff, but I do not intend to take votes that go against the will of the majority of citizens. The mayor’s responsibility is to serve the people — not to work against them.
Stephen Sanders
What are your three top priorities and what will you do about them if elected?
Restore fiscal sanity. Lubbock is facing $106 million in new debt while draining our General Fund reserves by $11.8 million annually. This is unsustainable. I will propose the Taxpayer Protection Act — a Charter amendment requiring the city to balance its budget every year, with an emergency exception only for declared disasters approved by supermajority vote. I will also implement zero-based budgeting to eliminate administrative bloat and move the city to a pay-as-you-go capital model instead of debt-fueled operations.
Prioritize public safety & accountability. Our residents report safety concerns — from stray animal attacks to neighborhood crime — while we spend heavily on public safety departments. I will hold department heads accountable for measurable outcomes. I will ensure Animal Services has the resources and enforcement capacity to protect families. I will also ensure our police and fire departments have the staffing and equipment they need to do their jobs effectively.
I’m pairing this with a $100 million growth plan: $48 million from a festival initiative and $52 million from an inland port.
stephen sanders
Cut red tape & attract growth. I will implement a 30-day permitting guarantee so developers know exactly when they’ll get decisions. I’m pairing this with a $100 million growth plan: $48 million from a festival initiative and $52 million from an inland port. This brings outside revenue into Lubbock — jobs, tax base, and infrastructure investment — without raising taxes on residents. We will build the infrastructure first (water, sewer, roads), then attract the investment. By making Lubbock “shovel-ready,” we grow our way out of this fiscal crisis instead of taxing our way into deeper trouble.
These three priorities work together: fiscal discipline stops the bleeding; accountability ensures we’re investing wisely and growth fills the coffers so we don’t have to hit residents with tax hikes.
Should the city reconsider impact fees or go forward with road bonds?
Impact fees should be transparent and tied to actual costs, not used as a revenue tool to cover general operations. If developers are paying for infrastructure they create that’s fair. But impact fees should never become a hidden tax on housing affordability.
Road bonds: before issuing new debt, the city must answer why we’re already in a $106 million debt cycle while reserves are draining. I support infrastructure investment, but it must be tied to a clear, measurable plan and pay-as-you-go. My inland port and festival initiatives will generate revenue to fund roads without new resident taxes or excessive debt.
What letter grade would you give Lubbock’s police and fire departments and why that grade?
A-minus. Our police and fire departments are staffed with dedicated professionals who show up every day to protect our community. However, the grade reflects a systemic issue: they’re stretched thin because City Hall hasn’t prioritized staffing levels or equipment budgets adequately.
The departments themselves deserve an A. City Hall’s support for them gets a B. If elected, I will ensure these departments have the resources, personnel and accountability structures they need. We will hire the officers and firefighters we need, maintain equipment properly and hold leadership accountable for outcomes. Public safety is non-negotiable.
What’s your opinion about the city attracting AI hubs?
I’m against large-scale AI data centers in Lubbock. They’re water-intensive and power-hungry. They would strain our already-stressed electrical grid and drain the Ogallala Aquifer — our most precious resource.
Lubbock’s competitive advantage is logistics and regional distribution, not data processing. The inland port creates jobs, builds tax base and doesn’t compete with us for water.
I’m not anti-tech. If smaller tech companies want to locate here and use reasonable resources, welcome. But massive data centers? No. Our water is finite. Our grid has limits. We must be strategic about what we invite into Lubbock, not desperate for any business that calls.
What’s your opinion about the 2040 plan, which advocates a centralized neighborhood development process, or should people in neighborhoods be allowed to make their own choices?
Both/and, not either/or. Neighborhoods need a voice in development that affects their character and property values. But centralized planning ensures the city doesn’t become a patchwork of conflicting visions.
The real issue is trust: residents don’t trust City Hall because decisions feel opaque and developer friendly. My answer is radical transparency — publish all development requests online, hold neighborhood meetings before decisions are made (not after) and give residents a genuine vote on major projects.
Neighborhoods should have a seat at the table. City Hall should facilitate, not dictate. That’s how you build trust and sustainable growth.
We know Lubbock will have to fund more roads as it grows. Are you satisfied with the city’s water plans, or is there more to be done?
Water is Lubbock’s most critical long-term asset. I’m not satisfied with current plans because they’re reactive, not proactive. The Ogallala Aquifer is finite. We need:
1. Aggressive conservation incentives for residents and businesses.
2. Water reuse and recycling infrastructure built into new developments.
3. Long-term diversification of water sources (treated wastewater, rainwater capture).
4. Transparent, public reporting on aquifer levels and 20-year projections.
Roads follow water. If we don’t secure water first, growth becomes a liability. I will make water planning the #1 infrastructure priority before we expand anything else.
Over the next four years, what kind of leadership talent does the city need to hire in terms of skills and philosophy of local government?
Skills: Lean operations, data-driven budgeting, project management and transparency/communications.
Philosophy: I need leaders who believe government exists to serve taxpayers, not the other way around. I need people who ask, “why are we doing this?” before asking “how much will it cost?” I need builders, not bureaucrats — people who have worked in private sector or nonprofits, understanding accountability and deadlines.
Most importantly: I need leaders who will push back if I’m wrong. Yes-men destroy cities. I want a city manager and department heads who have the courage to tell me no and discipline to back it up with data.
What’s your opinion on business development and recruiting large employers to Lubbock?
Business development is a mayor’s No. 1 job. Cities don’t grow on accident — but because a leader recruits investment.
My approach: cut permitting timelines to 30 days, build infrastructure first (water/sewer/roads) to reduce developer risk and use targeted incentives (fee waivers, gap financing) tied to measurable outcomes — jobs created, wages paid, tax revenue generated.
No blank checks. No corporate welfare. Every incentive comes with a claw back if goals aren’t met.
My inland port and festival initiative aren’t hopes — they have timelines and execution plans. I’ll recruit three-to-five major employers in year one. That’s how you grow a city.
There has been pressure on the city to stay at the no-new-revenue rate. Where do you stand and why?
I strongly support the no-new-revenue rate (NNRR). When property appraisals rise, the city gets a windfall — more revenue without a tax increase. The NNRR rate returns that windfall to taxpayers.
This is about trust. If City Hall keeps every dollar appraisals produce, residents learn their home appreciation means higher taxes. That’s wrong.
My position: adopt the NNRR rate every year, period. If City Council needs more revenue, they come to voters and ask for it publicly. No hidden tax hikes. No tricks. This is the “Taxpayer Shield” — and it’s the foundation of the fiscal discipline I’m proposing.
What quality-of-life issues would you advocate the city invest in and why?
Public safety, parks, walkable neighborhoods.
Public safety is the foundation — families won’t invest in a neighborhood they don’t feel safe in. Parks are the glue building community and increases property values. Walkable neighborhoods (sidewalks, street lighting, traffic calming) make cities livable for families, seniors and kids.
These aren’t luxuries — they’re economic drivers. A city with safe neighborhoods, well-maintained parks and walkable streets attracts families, keeps property values up and reduces crime.
But we fund these through growth (my inland port and festival initiative), not through raising resident taxes. We build a bigger pie, not a bigger burden on existing residents.
City Hall is bloated. We have 1,693 General Fund positions and many are administrative roles not directly serving residents.
stephen sanders
Is there an important issue that might force you to take an unpopular vote and why?
Cutting administrative positions to balance the budget.
City Hall is bloated. We have 1,693 General Fund positions and many are administrative roles not directly serving residents. If I’m serious about the Taxpayer Protection Act and zero-based budgeting, I’ll have to make cuts that upset city staff and their families.
That’s a mayor’s job. You can’t fix a budget crisis by only cutting materials and contractors — you have to be willing to restructure the organization itself.
I will do this transparently, with severance plans and retraining support. But I won’t shy away from it. Hard decisions separate real leaders from politicians.
Mark McBrayer
What are your three top priorities and what will you do about them if elected?
Safety, affordability and growth. For safety, I will work to add a significant number of patrol officers to our police force. For affordability, I will continue to vote to keep city taxes low, even though a no-new-revenue rate may not be possible next year given my priority to add police officers. And for growth, I will continue to work on bringing new business to Lubbock, moving forward with our downtown Civic Center expansion to draw more conventions and trade shows to Lubbock, prioritizing water source development and maintaining and improving our existing assets such as streets and parks.
I believe my vote was the right vote on impact fees. I think road bonds, voted on by Lubbock’s citizens about every five years, is the proper way to fund building our major roadways.
mark mcbrayer
Should the city reconsider impact fees or go forward with road bonds?
No. I believe my vote was the right vote on impact fees. I think road bonds, voted on by Lubbock’s citizens about every five years, is the proper way to fund building our major roadways. Since our major roads serve all of Lubbock, I don’t think it is right to impose a significant part of the cost of them, only on businesses and homeowners in the areas in which they are built.
What letter grade would you give Lubbock’s police and fire departments and why that grade?
I would grade them both as an A in terms of the personnel who serve in them and based on their leadership and training. The only weakness I see is that we do not have the number of police officers that we need.
What’s your opinion about the city attracting AI hubs?
We should not be trying to attract them to the exclusion of other businesses that provide more employment. We should be very particular about the data center prospects we are willing to engage with, based on their location (away from city residential areas), technology (low water use technology vs. high volume use), utility demands (do they provide some or all of their energy needs) and whether or not they are speculative builds (data service owner builds being preferred).
What’s your opinion about the 2040 plan, which advocates a centralized neighborhood development process, or should people in neighborhoods be allowed to make their own choices?
Ideally, this should not be either/or. A long-range plan is just that and a plan that seeks to strengthen neighborhood development is best. All plans are subject to revision as they develop and input of the neighborhood residents on an ongoing basis is necessary.
Lubbock’s 100-year water plan will meet the needs of our future growth. Lake 7 (about 2 1/2 times the size of Buffalo Springs Lake) will begin impounding the city’s treated water, rainwater and water from the Leprino cheese plant in 2032.
mark mcbrayer
We know Lubbock will have to fund more roads as it grows. Are you satisfied with the city’s water plans, or is there more to be done?
Lubbock’s 100-year water plan will meet the needs of our future growth. Lake 7 (about 2 1/2 times the size of Buffalo Springs Lake) will begin impounding the city’s treated water, rainwater and water from the Leprino cheese plant in 2032. It will provide about a third of our water needs, adding to Lake Alan Henry and the Canadian River/Lake Meredith Water Authority (CRMWA) pipeline that currently supply our needs (along with supplement from the Bailey underground fields). And we are working with CRMWA to build a second pipeline in the late ’30s or early ’40s.
Over the next four years, what kind of leadership talent does the city need to hire in terms of skills and philosophy of local government?
Lubbock has great city employees at all levels. We assist our employees with getting training to improve skills and advance to new levels. We have a good retention rate and I find our employees are very happy to be working for the city. At all levels, employees need to understand that they serve and are accountable to the citizens and taxpayers. I want us to have management that understands the need to be efficient and that their role is not to build a bigger department, but to deliver outstanding service.
What’s your opinion on business development and recruiting large employers to Lubbock?
I support the Lubbock Economic Development Association’s efforts to recruit larger manufacturing and distribution businesses that will bring numerous good paying jobs to our city. Small business development will be fostered by a low regulation, efficient permitting and low-tax environment.
There has been pressure on the city to stay at the no-new-revenue rate. Where do you stand and why?
I have always voted for the NNRR during my time on the Council and as mayor. That was the right vote, although the majority on the Council did not vote with me for the NNRR. Nevertheless, the rate that was adopted did not raise homeowners’ taxes by much, and I believe that is one of the reasons the 2024 road bond passed just two years after the 2022 road bond. Given my priority to add a significant number of police officers next year, I cannot promise I will be able to vote for the NNRR in our next budget.
What quality-of-life issues would you advocate the city invest in and why?
Quality of life will be impacted by developing our downtown alongside the Civic Center expansion, establishing a better working relationship with Texas Tech, maintaining and upgrading our parks and recreational facilities and by making significant improvements to our current Canyon Lakes system and development of the recreational potential of Lake 7. The city’s healthy growth will promote private development that will improve the quality of life.
Is there an important issue that might force you to take an unpopular vote and why?
Unpopular with whom? I think my basic conservative values align well with the values of Lubbock’s citizens and taxpayers. Some of my votes may not have been well-received by certain interest groups in town, but I have always felt like my votes reflected the interests of the average citizen. I know who I represent and I believe that is why I was elected by an overwhelming margin.
G. Todd Winans
What are your three top priorities and what will you do about them if elected?
1. Financial responsibility: It’s not about bringing my ideas of a budget to the table. It’s about leading the citizens and the Council to go back to the basics of what we need to do to take care of the citizens of Lubbock.
2. Public safety: The reason that financial responsibility is number one on my list, is because we must have the finances to afford to pay citizens to handle our safety needs. Safety is the responsibility of every citizen of Lubbock. Our police, EMS, firemen, animal control, parks and recreation, and maintenance, they are citizens of Lubbock and surrounding communities.
3. Economic development: People have great ideas? Economic development really takes off when citizens get involved, communicating, and compromising with city government to build innovative, modern businesses for the city for the citizens.
Should the city reconsider impact fees or go forward with road bonds?
Yes I believe the city should reconsider impact fees and try to stay away from bonds.
I would give Lubbock police and fire departments a grade of C. There has to be more accountability and less leniency! If you break the rules, you have to pay the consequences.
todd winans
What letter grade would you give Lubbock’s police and fire departments and why that grade?
I would give Lubbock police and fire departments a grade of C. There has to be more accountability and less leniency! If you break the rules, you have to pay the consequences.
What’s your opinion about the city attracting AI hubs?
The year is 2026, we have advanced technology. We have to find a way to harness all of our resources to live our best life.
What’s your opinion about the 2040 plan, which advocates a centralized neighborhood development process, or should people in neighborhoods be allowed to make their own choices?
I am not familiar with 2040 plan, so I’ll have to do some research on that. I am a huge supporter of citizen participation. If there’s a neighborhood in Lubbock that chooses to flourish and share how they did it with other neighborhoods in Lubbock that’s positive growth.
We know Lubbock will have to fund more roads as it grows. Are you satisfied with the city’s water plans, or is there more to be done?
There’s a small analogy I learned back when I was a teenager, “as people we all have to do what we need to do when it needs to be done whether we want to do it or not.” I do like the city’s water plan. There are always things to be done and we should tackle those things together.
Over the next four years, what kind of leadership talent does the city need to hire in terms of skills and philosophy of local government?
Faithful, loving, caring, educated and experienced leaders who understand authority.
What’s your opinion on business development and recruiting large employers to Lubbock?
Sharing is caring, caring is sharing, as long as businesses are respectful of the citizens, I’m all for business development. My problem comes when businesses start treating employees like numbers instead of humans.
What does no-new-revenue rate mean? If we break that down, it makes no sense! Revenue should be what we all want! Let’s get back to basics!
todd winans
There has been pressure on the city to stay at the no-new-revenue rate. Where do you stand and why?
What does no-new-revenue rate mean? If we break that down, it makes no sense! Revenue should be what we all want! Let’s get back to basics! Let’s kept it simple and try to get away from all the rhetoric and political mumbo-jumbo!
What quality-of-life issues would you advocate the city invest in and why?
Quality of life is different for everyone. I believe in loving God, loving people and living life to the fullest! We need inexpensive quality outdoor activities to reconnect with one another.
Is there an important issue that might force you to take an unpopular vote and why?
Because of my philosophy, I don’t think that all issues are important or that all issues are unimportant. Opinions, assumptions, judgment, I’m trying to find a way to eliminate these things in my every day interactions with people. Be kind, not popular.
