This information was gathered and compiled by the League of Women Voters.
3News has partnered with the League of Women Voters, a non-profit and non-partisan organization dedicated to voter education, to help make sure the community has access to all the information they need before hitting the polls Nov. 3.
The following information was gathered and compiled by the League and published in their Voters Guide and on Vote411.org.
- Amend or repeal of any existing ordinance
- Adopt, amendment or repeal a code of ordinances or code of technical regulations
- Convey or authorize the conveyance of any real property
- Prescribe a fine or penalty or establish any rule or regulation for the violation of which a fine or other penalty is imposed
- Regulate the rates charged by a public utility
- Adopt any legislation.
Description of Qualifications:
- Resident of Corpus Christi
- Term of office: 2 years
- Term limit: Yes
- Salary: $6,000
John R. Luis
BACKGROUND: Describe your strongest competency and life experience that qualify you to hold this office.
John R. Luis I’m a life long resident of Corpus Christi. I have devoted my life as a firefighter for 27 years up until my retirement in 2019. My strong commitment to family and community. I have volunteered for the school district and numerous organizations.
ISSUES: During your campaign, what is the number one concern expressed to you by the residents of Corpus Christi? What is your response to this concerns?
John R. LuisThe main concern has been streets (infrastructure) and lack of improvements in district 5. My response id to run for office to improve those conditions. There has to be leadership in district 5 to respond to those conditions in district 5.
EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT: How would you rate the capability of Corpus Christi to respond to natural and human-made disasters, such as hurricanes, pandemics, chemical fires or spills, and flooding?
Poor
Below average
Average
Above average
Excellent
Please explain your answer.
John R. Luis The city manager has been very upfront and transparent. The city has been upfront in setting guidelines to help bring numbers down during the pandemic. I am proud of the way they have handled hurricanes and other natural disasters that have come our way.
ECONOMY: The COVID-19 pandemic has created a feeling of uncertainty. What are your views of the future for our local economy, including local jobs and property values, and general well-being, including healthcare, affordable housing, and schools?
John R. Luis The feeling of uncertainty continues and will continue until we are able to get to a new normal. I do see Jobs bouncing back and we do need to work on health care, affordable housing and schools. The way we will do this is working as a team with the other council members.
PRIORITIES: Other than the issues previously addressed, what are your top three priorities, and, if elected, how would you address them?
John R. Luis 1. Attracting new businesses to Corpus Christi. 2. Infrastructure. 3. Health and safety of the citizens of Corpus Christi.
Gil Hernandez
BACKGROUND: Describe your strongest competency and life experience that qualify you to hold this office.
Gil Hernandez I have a BBA from Texas Tech. I’m a Veteran; Naval Officer w/ 9 years active duty with tours in Asia and Persian Gulf. I worked at Coca-Cola NA for 18 years with responsibility for all national accounts in south Texas. I currently have a consulting business in the food & beverage industry. I served as an RTA board member, and president of the Diamond Lakes HOA. I have served as City Councilman for District 5 for the last year and a half. I have a broad range of experience to serve in this role.
ISSUES: During your campaign, what is the number one concern expressed to you by the residents of Corpus Christi? What is your response to this concerns?
Gil Hernandez The issue I hear most is the poor condition of our residential streets. We have implemented a plan to repave our residential streets with city staff for the first time in years. This will allow us to fix more streets at a faster rate. We still have a long way to go, but the change is happening. However, the problem is systemic throughout the city. We still need to improve the overall preventative maintenance and life cycle management of all city infrastructure. This is my main focus to improve.
EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT: How would you rate the capability of Corpus Christi to respond to natural and human-made disasters, such as hurricanes, pandemics, chemical fires or spills, and flooding?
Poor
Below average
Average
Above average
Excellent
Please explain your answer.
Gil Hernandez 2020 has been a year of challenges, but we were better prepared than in the past. We’ve improved our radio communications system and connectivity with other government agencies. We’ve upgraded the security of our IT systems. We communicated to the public w/ daily briefings. Even though we’ve handled the issues well, there’s always room for improvement. We still need to improve stormwater infrastructure to ensure homes and businesses aren’t flooded. The challenge is managing it all within budget.
ECONOMY: The COVID-19 pandemic has created a feeling of uncertainty. What are your views of the future for our local economy, including local jobs and property values, and general well-being, including healthcare, affordable housing, and schools?
Gil Hernandez The Chinese Corona Virus has created several economic challenges for us. The oil & gas industry was hit hard. I was impacted personally in the food & beverage industry. However, we still have good things happening economically with Steel Dynamics and Exxon Sabic coming into the area. The home building industry has been growing. I believe we’ll recover quickly from the pandemic once it’s over as our long term prospects are strong.
PRIORITIES: Other than the issues previously addressed, what are your top three priorities, and, if elected, how would you address them?
Gil Hernandez Outside of improving our streets and overall preventative maintenance, we have tremendous challenges regarding our utility rates. We are entering into a consent agreement w/ the EPA on wastewater issues, and TCEQ for water quality issues that can increase the utility bill as much as $20 per month. The current plan on Desalination will also increase rates. I will fight to limit the rate hikes on the water bill by exploring all alternatives and options to reduce costs especially on Desalination.
The above information was gathered and compiled by the League of Women Voters, a non-profit and non-partisan organization dedicated to voter education.
3News has partnered with the League in order to help make sure our community has access to all the information they need before they hit the polls. You can find more of this information at Vote411.org.
