Southlake will elect its new mayor come May. So now is the time to get to know the candidates on the ballot in the upcoming election. Want to learn about candidates in other races this election season? Click here!
Each candidate in this race was provided the same questions. We are publishing their answers in their own words. The views expressed in these articles do not directly reflect those of Southlake Style.
Candidate Name: Debra Edmondson
Occupation: Edmondson Law Firm, PLLC Attorney and Managing Partner
How long have you lived in Southlake? What brought you to town?
I moved to Southlake over 25 years ago. We chose Southlake because of the large lots, natural beauty, great school system and great football team as my oldest son, Jonathan, wanted to play football. Jonathan was an all-district defensive end for the Dragons when he went to Carroll High School.
What inspired you to run for this position?
I love Southlake and feel very protective of this community. Right now, Southlake and its residents are hurting. There are people in charge who are not stepping up to help resolve the racial divisions and animosity that are ongoing. Southlake is a national news story and not for its excellence or great football or its great planning. It is in the national news because of hate. Hate that is pervading this city by a small group of people. I know that most of Southlake is better than that. Southlake needs a leader who is not afraid to stand up for what is right for all of our residents, not just a few. As the mayor of Southlake, I will take on that responsibility. Rather than implementing a personal, politically charged agenda — as is the current situation — I will actively seek input by going out into our community to learn first-hand from our residents about their concerns and ideas for positive changes and solutions. I love this city, and when you love something, you want to do right by it. I vow to lead us forward together with trust, integrity and transparency, acting upon the wishes and needs of Southlake’s citizens, businesses and the protection of our local environment.
What in your background has prepared you for this position?
I have been involved in Southlake since I moved here. My prior experience has prepared me to lead Southlake at this difficult time. I previously served on Southlake City Council, two terms on Southlake’s Planning and Zoning Commission and was president of the Bob Jones Nature Center Board of Directors, where I helped raise over $1 million in private funding to support the nature center. I do a great deal of litigation as an attorney and that is helpful for working in tense situations and for negotiations. I have a strong knowledge of Southlake’s ordinances and have a good idea of what needs to be changed/improved. I can hit the ground on the first day of my term due to my extensive knowledge of both Southlake’s’ past, its present and hopes for Southlake’s future.
What do you hope to bring to this role?
As we sadly witness current city leaders, including my opponent, openly associate themselves with a divisive PAC, I will commit to taking a balanced and non-partisan approach to addressing the needs of Southlake and its residents and businesses. Partisanship has no place in city politics. It is the first and foremost responsibility of the mayor of Southlake to act upon the concerns of residents and forego political biases that affect one’s ability to successfully represent and lead. I have always been, and will continue to be, an authentic voice for my community.
What do you hope to accomplish in this position?
As mayor, I will lead the way in promoting culture, the arts, physical activity, technology, youth activities and mental wellbeing for all Southlake citizens. I will commit to leading initiatives to promote entrepreneurship, support small business growth and recruit major corporations in order to serve all levels of Southlake’s workforce. I will continue to support Southlake’s community policing and ensure that Southlake’s police officers and firefighters receive the appropriate training and tools they need to protect and interact with our residents. As your mayor, I will also support bringing back “Safety Town,” which will help educate our children on how they can stay safe in a fun but educational manner. My track record in environmental protection is well known. As your mayor, I will ensure that Southlake’s parks and recreational facilities have adequate funding to improve our parks and protect habitats, which will provide more outdoor recreation opportunities for Southlake families to get outside in nature. We will build a world class science center at Bob Jones Nature Center, and we will have that facility open every day of the week as it was when the nonprofit that I chaired for 10 years managed the nature center. As your mayor, I promise that the clear cutting that recent city councils have allowed with new developments will end. We can build great developments and preserve a site’s natural beauty. We did it while I served on City Council and the Planning and Zoning Commission, and we will do it again! We also need to take a look at our land use plan as the city is already bumping up against its planned population buildout number. Low density lots need to become the norm again, not the exception. I will work with key stakeholders to determine what concrete actions the city can take toward mending the racial divide that has placed Southlake in the national news. We must build our city not just for today, but with the future of our citizens in mind.
Why do you believe you will be successful in this position?
Right now, Southlake needs a leader who will not be afraid to stand up for what is right and who will work to protect the interests of all of Southlake, not just a small minority. I am that person. I am a mother, a small business owner and have been a community advocate for Southlake for many years. As Southlake’s mayor, I will prioritize quality-of-life issues to protect Southlake’s homes and families. My prior leadership roles have prepared me to successfully lead as the mayor of Southlake.
What are your top priorities if elected?
I am running for mayor because Southlake is facing unprecedented crises with respect to public health and safety, economic decline, and rising racial tensions about which the current mayor and City Council have done little. If anything, they have exacerbated the problem by openly taking sides in the current Carroll ISD controversy. The city council and Carroll ISD must work together for the sake of all our families. Southlake’s residents deserve to live in safe, clean and healthy neighborhoods. I am running to ensure that the city focuses on quality-of-life issues to protect Southlake’s homes and families. Southlake must enact a better system of informing residents regarding emergency situations affecting the entire town, so every household is notified which did not happen during the recent water crisis. Relying on social media doesn’t help our older residents who may not be connected. I am running to stop the city’s recent economic decline. Southlake must support and recruit quality businesses that are adaptive to 21st century realities and embrace Southlake’s standards of excellence while contributing to a stable tax base. I am running to ensure that all voices in Southlake are heard. We must work together to find solutions to the current racial tensions in Southlake. We must make sure that Southlake’s parks and recreational facilities have adequate funding needed to improve our parks and protect existing habitats, and thus provide more outdoor recreation opportunities to encourage Southlake families to get outside in nature.
What actions do you believe are necessary to help unify the community?
In light of various racially charged incidents that have occurred at Carroll Senior High School and a subsequent lawsuit on the matter, there is a clear and pressing need for the city and its school district to work closely together, as it is in the best interest of our students and taxpayers. The current city council — including my opponent — have actively worked against the school district by supporting — both with their words and their money — a particular extremist PAC and its point of view. The fight to end social division and injustice within our city will not be an easy one. Southlake must have a leader who will end the division that is harming our city’s reputation, our residents and their wellbeing. Only by bringing our residents together with our diverse views can we continue Southlake’s positive growth.
Is there anything else you would like our readers to know?
I am the mom of three children, Jonathan, Joshua, and Amanda, who are all products of Carroll ISD. I am also the proud grandma of two beautiful little girls named Josephine and Mary Margaret. I am a member of the Hills Church, and I am a born again Christian and not afraid to say so.