Star-Telegram endorsement: Keller needs mayor to calm political waters | Opinion

After a turbulent few years in which politics has infected city business too often, Keller needs its mayor and City Council to get back to basics.

The best mayoral candidate to do that is two-term council member Ross McMullin. Though he’s also been active in Republican politics, he has a track record of service and an understanding of what Keller needs to move forward and retain the character that its residents demand.

McMullin, 40, is a civil attorney who is touting his record on public safety and economic development. He wants to find ways to improve pay and benefits for police and firefighters so Keller isn’t constantly losing those it trained to bigger, better-paying cities. And in our interview with the candidates, he noted the city’s work to expand the Keller Sports Park.

Interacting with the volatile Keller school district is part of the mayor’s portfolio, and McMullin is poised to be active and effective. He said he would oppose the proposed closure of Shady Grove Elementary School in the city. Keller is just one of nine municipalities in the school district that bears its name, so its officials must balance advocating for residents with an understanding of the district’s varying priorities.

It will be important for McMullin to govern differently than outgoing Mayor Armin Mizani, who moved on to run for the Texas House. Mizani pushed the city to consider an unnecessary, divisive resolution against the Islamic code known as sharia, part of an escalating Republican push against a threat that largely does not exist. The council managed to amend the resolution to be less of an embarrassment, but it was the culmination of a series of moments in which state or national politics trumped city business.

Candidate Ed Prem, 61, is a lifelong Army officer who retired to Keller in 2018. He would bring a no-nonsense leadership to the job, pledging to focus on redevelopment that fits the town’s character. As a first-term candidate, he can’t match McMullin’s experience, and he would benefit from service on city boards or committees first. For instance, in our interview, he mischaracterized the city’s agreement with the federal government for processing immigration holds.

Also running is Tag Green, 61, who resigned from the City Council to run. He did not respond to our interview requests. Green also ran for mayor in 2020, losing to Mizani.

Early voting is available from April 20 through April 28. Keller registered voters can cast ballots at any Tarrant County polling location.

If no candidate wins an outright majority in the May 2 election, the top two finishers will compete in a runoff. The winner will earn a three-year term.

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