Infrastructure, bond ratings, religion and social media were the main topics of discussion Monday night when candidates for Odessa’s three city council seats participated in a PBS-sponsored debate.
Candidates for District 1, District 2 and the At-large position each gave an opening and closing statement and answered questions during 30-minute segments.
The candidates remained civil and with a couple of exceptions did not attack each other personally.
At-large candidates
The debate between At-large candidates, Incumbent Denise Swanner and Craig Stoker was the most spirited.
“I often get attacked unfairly by those desperately to seek power again, who happen to be the very same people who got us in this mess we are in in terms of infrastructure, water, sewer and trash,” Swanner, reading her opening statement, said. “I believe in Christian principles, limited government, low taxes protection of innocent life, strong borders. My opponent, however, is a Democrat.”
Stoker, speaking spontaneously, said he wants to give everyone in Odessa a chance to realize their dreams and to make Odessa great.
”We’ve got to accept the responsibility and take on the role. As city council we need to worry about water, sewer, the infrastructure of our roads, public safety, the things that city council should be worried about. We need to leave the other things alone. We have great leaders in Austin,” Stoker said. “Let’s leave the issues of social, national politics to them and let’s worry about the business of the city.”
Stoker, who is open about being a gay married man, was blunt when he and Swanner were asked their thoughts on civility and campaigning.
Stoker said they were all asked to sign a fair campaigning document that says, “No personal attacks. Go after the issues. Go after their platform. Stay away from personal. Stay away from family. The end. That’s what I signed. That’s what I meant and that’s what I’ve done. Can’t say the same. I’ve been attacked personally. I’ve had friends attacked. Mr. (Cal) Hendrick and his family have been attacked. The church has been attacked. It’s too far,” Stoker said.
Swanner said social media is the “devil’s advocate” and she has been trolled over the last four years.
“We all signed saying that we’re going to run a campaign, but we can’t control other people’s actions,” Swanner said. “We could go on and on about the social media attacks. They attack all of us unfairly and at the end of the day you just have to hang your head high and know what your beliefs are and I answer to the Lord Jesus Christ and that’s the only one I have to answer to.”
Stoker and Swanner were also asked if they believe religion should play a role in campaigning.
”That’s a great question. Absolutely it should play a role. Nowhere does it say separation of church and state…I believe that my moral compass comes to the dais when I make decisions and so I absolutely I believe that that plays a vital role,” Swanner said. “I believe that God is first.”
Stoker, who is the CEO of Meals on Wheels, said people should be the “best living example of the Bible you can be.”
”I try to do that every day by feeding folks who can’t provide for themselves, the homebound elderly, the disabled. I work with the Food Bank feeding those who couldn’t provide for themselves. I try to be that living example of the Bible,” Stoker said. “I work with faith leaders in the community. I work with different churches and pantries to get our mission done at Meals on Wheels.”
Swanner and Stoker were reminded the City of Odessa lost two bond ratings and were asked how they can ensure voters’ money is used wisely.
Swanner said when the audit is finished, the city will have a AAA bond rating.
”The good news is we are not issuing debt right now, so we don’t need that bond rating at all,” Swanner said. “So that’s a positive thing and so in just moving forward, it’s not an issue.”
Stoker said the loss of the bond ratings will stay with the city forever and if the city does need to borrow money it will hurt their chances. He attributed the loss to the mass exodus of department heads since December 2022. One of those who left was Assistant City Manager Cindy Muncy, an accountant who played a pivotal role in annual audits and budgeting.
”(Losing the bond ratings) is not a good thing. You find us losing entire departments, that’s attributable to leadership. You had 18 department heads, maybe more, walk out within a year period, that’s attributable to leadership. Council should be leaders. We should hire leaders who inspire people to work for the city,” Stoker said.
The firings of City Manager Michael Marrero and City Attorney Natasha Brooks cost the city hundreds of thousands of dollars and the city could lose far more if former Assistant City Manager Aaron Smith wins his whistleblower lawsuit against the city, Stoker said.
Swanner said many of the employees who left didn’t want to be scrutinized or didn’t like the changes being made.
”We, you know, happily replaced those people with good leadership and we are in a good place with our city manager who has saved the city already millions of dollars,” Swanner said.
Swanner told voters to do their homework; she and her fellow council members have accomplished much and a lot of good things are in the “pipeline.”
”We stood up for medical practices and personal freedom. We stood up against government overreach, higher ethics and transparency, effective budget. We went to a zero-based budgeting, mineral rights, responsible for employment and their budgets, and the list goes on and on and we are solving our water issues,” she said.
Stoker said that if he’s elected he plans to get to work immediately on the city’s water, trash, understaffed police department and pay and morale issues.
”It’s time to make Odessa the place we all know it can be, the place we deserve, the place we want to live,” he said.
District 2
In his opening statement, District 2 Incumbent Steve Thompson noted there have been some “terrible controversies” over the last few years, but he feels like he’s been the “voice of reason” for the city.
“I feel like great strides have been made, but we still have a lot more to do,” Thompson said. “We’re growing very fast and I’m very proud of the fact that Odessa is finally enjoying some good growth.”
The 40-year businessman and native Odessan said he’s just trying to give back to his community.
District 2 candidate Nayely Urias told the audience she’d like to use her skills as a business owner to help the city that she loves.
“Taxpayers deserve a council that knows where the money is spent. I decided to stop waiting for somebody to lead and start leading,” she said.
She said current leadership has been reactive and slow to meet the needs of her district.
”We need better leadership that will solve the problems that Odessa are facing,” she said. “I am committed to work just as hard for you as I have for my family and my business.”
When asked about the city’s water issues, Thompson said he is proud of the fact the rehabilitation of the city’s water treatment plant is almost done. Had the council waited to take the matter to voters, like some of his fellow council members wanted, the city would just be starting the project, he said.
Thompson also said one of his priorities will be getting a new water storage tank in the northeast.
Urias alleged the city has enough money in its coffers to address all of the city’s water issues and Thompson countered it’s good for the city to have reserve funds in the event the city does have to seek bonds.
Asked about the loss of the bond ratings, Thompson said he is the only council member who was “screaming” about the unfinished audits for the last year and a half and he’s concerned the 2023 audit still isn’t done.
Urias didn’t discuss the bond ratings, but instead said the city needs to “come up with a solution to have a better budgeting for our city to where we can use it and prioritize and attack the main concerns and the main issues that we have right now.”
Thompson and Urias were asked how they’d improve Odessa’s infrastructure.
Urias said that from what she’s been reading the city is already addressing some of the issues, but she wants to make sure there’s always money in the budget for roads, especially on the east side which is experiencing high growth.
Thompson, who pointed out he’s on the Permian Basin Metropolitan Planning Organization board, said there are a great many designs in the works for his district, where 5,000 homes, Bass Pro Shops and the new sports complex are going in.
The candidates were also asked what they would do to make sure employees have a voice in what happens in their organization.
Thompson, taking a dig at some of his fellow council members, said it’s improper for any elected city official to walk into staff meetings because it amounts to intimidation.
”Our job as a city council is to set policy, not to manage people,” he said. “Now that’s what I understood when I took the job, that my job was to set policies, budgets and priorities, not to manage people. We have a city manager who does that.”
Urias confessed to not knowing the city’s employees policies, but took the opportunity to criticize the city council for signing three-year contracts that will allow City Manager John Beckmeyer, Deputy City Manager Gapi Bernal, City Attorney Dan Jones and City Secretary Norma Aguilar to walk away at any point with the balance of their salaries.
Thompson said the contracts were not properly addressed at the city council meeting when they were voted upon. He also noted that as a businessman he relied upon his attorneys, whom he trusts, to read contracts.
The moderators also asked Urias and Thompson how confident they’d be working with council members they might not agree with.
Thompson said he’s had a lot of practice the last four years, but especially since three new council members were elected in November 2022.
”Things got very contentious. They were personal.They were nasty. They were ugly and there’s no place in politics for that,” Thompson said. “I told my lovely wife, I said, ‘I’m not going to fight ‘em. I’m just going to try to get along. I disagree with them, I will vote no, state my reason and move on.”
Urias said she wants to be a team player and will try her best to come together in agreement.
District 1
District 1 Councilman Mark Matta, who also worked from prepared statements in his opening and closing remarks, told the audience he has a strong desire to see Odessa grow and prosper for future generations and strides have been made toward that end.
Matta said he wants to leave “a strong foundation with a strong infrastructure that can support future growth here. Working to improve the quality of life for me has been a personal issue. It’s been one of my top priorities.
He said the sports complex will be the “crown jewel” of Odessa and its sales tax revenue will help improve the city’s infrastructure, along with Bass Pro Shop. He also mentioned improvements to McKinney and Salinas parks.
His opponent, Eddie Mitchell, said nothing has been in District 1 in the 20-plus years he’s lived there and he will focus on beautifying downtown while also addressing the city’s water, road and trash issues.
”When President Trump come to Odessa, Texas, he had to come up that ugly Grant Street off the interstate. That is one of the ugliest sights for people outside this city. That is just ugly and I’m pretty sure Trump said something,” Mitchell said.
He also said he’d like to get more input from city residents when it comes to prioritizing issues.
”I’m just telling you folks, if you want somebody that’s going to fight for your downtown, for your District 1, I’m the guy you want,” Mitchell said.
Matta said there have been some major changes to downtown Odessa and mentioned giving Odessa College land for its green space project. He also said the council just approved a new parking garage that will have space for micro retail spaces.
Matta also mentioned money left over from when the council approved certificates of obligation in 2019.
”We’re having First Fridays every month, the first Friday of every month, those are bringing down people,” Matta said. “We have $6 million for downtown and instead of spending that in two blocks, we’re spending that throughout the whole downtown so we can make the whole downtown improve, not just two streets.”
The pair were asked how they’d improve Odessa’s infrastructure.
”We got to quit throwing rocks to the streets. We got to replace those streets sometime. You just can’t keep packing and packing and packing. Sooner or later, you going to have to repave that street,” Mitchell said.
In order to do that, Mitchell said the council needs to ask some questions about the current council’s decisions.
”They cutting all these budgets. Where’s the money at. You cutting people’s money. What are you doing with it? We don’t see what you’re doing with the money,” Mitchell said.
Matta pointed out that a lot of Odessa’s streets, including Grant, Second Street and West County Road, are the responsibility of the Texas Department of Transportation.
It cost $30 million to widen a two-mile stretch of Faudree Road, Matta said.
”Sometimes we have to do these little gluing the rocks to the pavement as he stated, because that’s the most effective way to do this and it extends the life of those roads by up to five years,” Matta said. “That’s just the conservative way to do it.”
Matta also said that now, for the first time, the city is receiving paychecks from oil companies for mineral rights and that only will be used to fix the city’s streets.
As for water, Matta said Pioneer Natural Resource’s contract with the city to purchase recycle water has been effective.
”That has been helpful to us. We’ve used that money to implement new strategies in our water treatment plant. We use that money to help do the first that happen on our day-to-day operations in the city,” Matta said.
