Vote for stability in Colleyville
Finally, Colleyville is booming.
Long trapped in an identity crisis over whether to promote business growth or stay a quiet country-lane town, Colleyville is on track to collect $6 million in sales tax this year with the arrival of Whole Foods Market.
That’s still less than half what neighbors Bedford, Euless and Keller collect, and a small fraction compared with Southlake.
Every dollar from businesses is a dollar homeowners don’t have to kick in.
Colleyville can no longer afford to cling to its horse-farms-and-feed-stores history. Business growth should be Colleyville’s goal, or else residents will face shouldering the entire cost of city services.
With that in mind, Colleyville voters face a decision May 9 on whether to look to progress and the future or hew to the small-town infighting of the past.
Two elections for City Council and a vote over a simple thoroughfare project will send the rest of North Texas a message about which way Colleyville wants to go.
Only Nancy Coplen, a former Grapevine-Colleyville school board president, and council incumbent Mike Taylor offer a clear, positive vision for Colleyville’s growth and success.
In Place 5, Coplen, 60, a freelance landscape designer, has worked with residential and commercial developers. As a former school trustee, she understands the importance of building Colleyville’s business tax base and sales tax base to relieve the burden on residents.
Opponent Elizabeth Zeitlin, 47, a former hotel sales manager, started out campaigning and then petitioning against a Glade Road improvement project that would take part of her family’s yard. She argues against widening the Glade right of way and also says homeowners’ complaints are going unheard about the Fort Worth-based TEX Rail airport-commuter rail line and a privately owned gas pipeline.
Both Coplen and Zeitlin call for a complete sidewalk along Glade but not a wider hike-and-bike trail. Coplen wants turn lanes and drainage to replace the current country-lane bar ditches.
A lengthy proposition on the ballot would leave all future decisions about the major east-west thoroughfare solely up to “polling of area residents.”
This proposition is based on the false and absurd premise that only those who live along a busy crosstown traffic artery should decide its future size and use forever for all motorists.
In Place 6, Mayor Pro Tem Mike Taylor, 62, a financial adviser, argues against the proposition and for keeping city sovereignty over a city road. He also argues for enhancements to mitigate noise and nuisance from Fort Worth’s airport train.
Challenger Bobby Lindamood, 43, a partner in a major demolition and excavation company, sent word by phone message and email that he is much too busy with work and family to have even a short conversation or discuss his campaign or goals.
He does not appear to have the time to serve Colleyville.
The Star-Telegram Editorial Board recommends Nancy Coplen in Place 5 and Mike Taylor in Place 6 on the Colleyville City Council, and a vote against the Glade Road proposition.
This story was originally published April 21, 2015 at 5:52 PM with the headline "Vote for stability in Colleyville."