Arlington City Council
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District 1
Incumbent Mel LeBlanc is unopposed and will keep his seat until 2010.
District 2
Two-year term. Compensation: $200 per month, cellphone, laptop computer, cable modem, land line and Wi-Fi at home, fax machine.
Name: Sheri Capehart (i)
Age: 59
City: Arlington
Occupation: Retired computer security analyst
Online: None
Background: Capehart, the deputy mayor pro tempore, is seeking her fifth two-year term. She has served on the Arlington Tomorrow Foundation board of directors, the Arlington JPS Services Committee and the North Central Texas Council of Governments Regional Transportation Council.
About the candidate: Capehart says that more patrol officers are needed but that the city must also continue providing positive activities for youths and working with community partners to address increased criminal activity. Another of Capehart's top priorities is providing safe routes to school for motorists and for children who walk or ride their bikes to campus.
Name: John Jenkins
Age: 41
City: Arlington
Occupation: District manager for Dallas Park and Recreation Department.
Online: None
Background: He served 22 years in the military and earned a bachelor's degree from the University of Texas at Arlington. He served on the Arlington Library Advisory and Arlington Life Shelter boards; was founder and president of the Arlington and Mansfield Action Committee; was founder of the Friends of Oak Cliff Parks; and is a member of Bethlehem Baptist Church. He is a trustee of the City of Dallas Employees' Retirement Fund.
About the candidate: Jenkins garnered 35 percent of the vote when he ran against Capehart in 2006. If elected, he would push for immediate police overtime in high-crime areas until more officers could be hired, double the gang unit to 12 officers and consider a teen curfew. He also favors a moratorium on new apartment complexes.
District 6
At-large seat. Two-year term. Compensation: Same as for District 2.
Name: Joseph Farah
Age: 31
City: Arlington
Occupation: Information technology and security
Online: farahforarlington.com
Background: Farah was on the 2008 Citizens Bond Committee. He graduated from James Bowie High School and has an associate's degree from Tarrant County College and a bachelor's from the University of Texas at Arlington.
About the candidate: Farah wants to establish a commuter rail regional transportation system with no buses and attract affluent residents and businesses with high-salary jobs. Farah has played soccer since he was 5 and now plays in an adult league.
Name: Dennis Hackler
Age: 61
City: Arlington
Occupation: Retired federal loan officer
Online: none
Background: Hackler worked for the U.S. Small Business Disaster Assistance Office for 22 years and was a financial investigator with the Office of Inspector General. He graduated from Vernon High School and got a Bachelor of Business Administration from McMurray University.
About the candidate: He wants to repair streets, provide more money to the police and fire departments for employees and equipment; redevelop and renovate the Great Southwest Industrial District; and bring more good-paying jobs to Arlington.
Name: Vera McKissic
Age: 50
City: Arlington
Occupation: Director of educational ministries at Cornerstone Baptist Church
Online: vera4council.com
Background: McKissic was an elementary school teacher; ombudsman for two Arlington school district teams; vice president of Heritage and Hope Ministries, an outreach group for needy people; Cornerstone Academy school board secretary; and area coordinator for Honey Child prenatal education program. She has a bachelor's degree from Henderson State University and did graduate work at the Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary.
About the candidate: Her platform focuses on improving public safety by decreasing gang violence, protecting businesses and reducing car and home burglaries; repealing storm water fees for churches; repairing streets and sidewalks; and keeping taxes low by eliminating wasteful spending.
Name: Robert Shepard
Age: 49
City: Arlington
Occupation: Attorney
Online: robertshepard.org
Background: He was a Planning and Zoning Commission member and chairman and Arlington Chamber of Commerce board member and served on chamber and school district committees. He graduated from Western Hills High School and has bachelor's degree from the University of Texas at Arlington and a law degree from St. Mary's University.
About the candidate: His platform is to improve public safety and make sure there is enough money to improve the level of first responders, improve transportation infrastructure and improve residential and commercial standards to make the tax base more robust.
Name: Brian Willett
Age: 44
City: Arlington
Occupation: Attorney
Online: none
Background: He has legal experience dealing with police prosecutors and the court system. He graduated from Rockridge High school in Taylor Ridge, Ill., and has a bachelor's degree from the University of Iowa and a law degree from the University of Memphis.
About the candidate: He is an advocate for public transportation to connect Arlington with other communities and reduce traffic congestion; he encourages economic growth, especially downtown, and favors using better technology to keep police on the street and out of the courtroom.
District 7
Two-year term. Compensation: Same as for District 2.
Name: Jimmy Bennett
Age: 47
City: Arlington
Occupation: Certified public accountant
Online: www.electjimmybennett.com
Background: Bennett holds a bachelor's degree in accounting from the University of Texas at Austin. He volunteers with organizations including Lamar Baptist Church and Boys & Girls Club of Arlington and serves on the Arlington Zoning Board of Adjustment.
About the candidate: Bennett said that as a council member he would be open and responsive to citizens, find money to pay for additional public safety staffing and resources while not raising taxes or compromising other city services, crack down on dilapidated and substandard properties and provide more positive and safe activities for youths.
Name: Michael Glaspie
Age: 61
City: Arlington
Occupation: Minister of Christian education and community outreach at Mount Olive Baptist Church
Online: none
Background: Glaspie spent 21 years in marketing and marketing management with IBM. His church responsibilities include overseeing the Metro Charter Academy and church credit union. He served as president of the Arlington school board and Arlington Chamber Foundation and was a member of the Arlington Memorial Hospital, Arlington Chamber of Commerce and Downtown Arlington Management Corp. boards. Glaspie is a decorated Army veteran, having fought in Vietnam.
About the candidate: Glaspie said that if elected, he would work to get the community organized to understand and fight crime, provide mentorship to troubled youths and work to decrease pollution.
Name: Robert Martin
Age: 19
City: Arlington
Occupation: Biology freshman at the University of Texas at Arlington, where he also attends the Honors College
Online: None
Background: Martin, who is studying to become a pediatric dentist, graduated with honors from Lamar High School last year. Martin's leadership experience includes being an Eagle Scout and serving three terms as senior patrol leader for Troop 380. He was a captain in the Texas 31st Air Force Junior Reserve Officer Training Corp. at Lamar.
About the candidate: Martin said that if elected he would push to lower property taxes for seniors and improve access to transportation and recreation facilities for seniors. He would support light rail in Arlington. He wants to see more pocket parks and zoning standards that would require new single-family homes to be larger. He would also push for more police storefronts in commercial areas, such as Lincoln Square and The Parks at Arlington mall.
