Name: William Depew
Office seeking: Blanco City Council
Occupation: Retired
Education: UT, SWTS, TX LUTHERAN, HCC, ACC, GED
Have you held elective office? If so, what office(s) and how long? I have never held elected office.
What organizations are you an active member of? I am the longest continually serving volunteer at the Blanco Good Samaritan Center. Every week for the past 16 years.
What are the biggest issues facing the City of Blanco?
Water. Maintaining our small town character in one of the fastest growing areas in the state. Affordable housing as part of that inevitable growth. Preparing for the anticipated economic impact of a relief route. Planning for the future transition of hwy 281 back to Main Street. I mention these issues first only because I do not believe they have been receiving the attention they deserve. I have not forgotten about taxes or traffic or wasteful spending or the myriad other issues facing us on an ongoing basis. These must all be addressed with careful consideration, cooperation and fair minded leadership which I intend to bring to office as your next city council member.
How do you plan to address those issues mentioned above?
I propose to find solutions to the issues stated above through leadership and involvement of the community. I want to rally the citizens to become involved in the decisions that will affect our future and determine the kind of home our children will inherit from us. Water is critical to our survival and effective action by the city council to address the issue will only be achieved with demands from the citizens for action. Incentives for rain water collection and water reclamation. Education on one water systems. Ordinances on water conservation methods for new development. An increase in fees for new meter connections. I’ll lead the efforts for these and other solutions but it will be up the people to see them initiated.
Preserving our small town character will require participation from us all. What keep Blanco Blanco means is different to each of us. I want to bring our voices together to join in a shared vision of what we want our legacy to be for future generations. A new Comprehensive Master Plan is being developed to address that legacy. We must join together to get it right.
I have studied and researched the effects of a relief route on the economy and transitioning 281 back to Main Street. I have been on the 281 task force and TPAC. Together we can make our streets safe again. I am prepared to lead the discussion on these issues. With your help we can prepare for what may come.
Why are you running for office?
I have been actively involved in the community for many years. Blanco is my home town and I care deeply about seeing her remain a place we can call home and not just some place where people happen to live. My involvement consist of membership in local organizations and volunteer work as well as committee memberships and extensive research on the issues as part of my continuous participation as an active member of our community. I think the next step in being involved is to seek a seat on the city council. From that position I can place on the agenda for the citizens consideration ideas and possible solutions that I have proposed and ideas that others have offered but were never given a hearing. I want to lead an effort to bring the voice of the people back to city government. Transparency in government is the result of communication between those elected and the people they are elected to serve. I want to reestablish those lines of communication and I am not afraid to have an open dialogue with those that call Blanco home. I look forward to leading us back to a government by the people.
Why are you the best candidate for the position?
I was the first candidate to apply for a place on the ballot. That was no accident. I did not need time to think about it. I did not have to be convinced to run by political ‘friends’. I did not decide to run at the last minute on a whim. I have been committed to running for the office of city council for more than a year. There are seven candidates now from which to choose to fill two seats. I believe we all possess the honesty, integrity and willingness to serve that is the foundation for a good council member. What sets me apart from all the others with the exception of only two is my degree of participation at various levels of our government and the hours I have spent becoming familiar with the issues and my involvement in the efforts to find viable solutions. I have not sat idly by waiting for others to do all the work. I have been involved. I am prepared to join the new administration and work for consensus and compromise on the difficult issues that lay ahead.
What previous experience will help you if elected to this office? (200 or fewer words) I am a Viet Nam veteran. I managed two furniture stores in Austin and supervised 6 employees with the responsibility for maintaining inventory, book keeping and payroll. I was an administrative assistant to the director of staff services at the Texas Employment Commission state offices in Austin. I am a PADI certified Master Scuba Diver Trainer. I teach specialty classes, Dive Masters and Open water Instructors. I was a the captain of a dive boat in Tamuning Guam and led dive tours to the islands of Palau and Truk. This is not meant to be a resume but is intended to illustrate my adaptability and skills over a wide range of endeavors. Teamwork, supervisory skills, finance, business management, education and training and all requiring problem solving skills and leadership ability. This is the experience I bring with me and will utilize to achieve a successful term as your next city council member.
Name: Greg Vest
Office seeking: Blanco City Council
Campaign phone number: 512-736-2715
Campaign email address: [email protected]
Campaign website or social media page: @voteteamblanco on X (formerly Twitter)
Occupation: Self-employed
Have you held elective office? If so, what office(s) and how long? No
What organizations are you an active member of? Blaconians and Friends president (Founders Day Dance)
What are the biggest issues facing the City of Blanco?
I think the biggest issues facing the city of Blanco are the infrastructure repairs, the Comprehensive Master Plan, and the division within the city and council.
How do you plan to address those issues mentioned above?
The main thing that I would do to address the problems facing Blanco is to try and bring respect and civility back into city politics. I have a lot of experience in high stress environments where everyone may not agree but a common solution that is the best for all involved is necessary.
Why are you running for office?
I am running for the office of city council because I believe that service to the community is a vital part of what makes city government work. I believe that the people of Blanco need calm heads and people with integrity and ethics to help prepare the city for the future.
Why are you the best candidate for the position?
I believe that I have the necessary temperament and nature to get things that must be done for the future of Blanco accomplished. I am very good at being a bridge between opinions and helping both sides to see where there is common ground for advancement.
What previous experience will help you if elected to this office?
My previous experience in working with large events and productions which can take a year to plan and organize gives me a viewpoint that some do not have. I have worked in many environments with people with differing viewpoints and have helped move towards a common goal.
Name: Rodney Thrailkill
Office seeking: Blanco City Council
Campaign phone number: 512-905-3037
Campaign email address: [email protected]
Occupation: Self-employed antique dealer
Education: Texas Independent School systems Community College
Have you held elective office? If so, what office(s) and how long? Yes. City of Blanco Councilman, 2 years. City of Blanco Mayor Pro Tem, 1 year.
What organizations are you an active member of? Keep Blanco Beautiful and Blanco County Friends of the Night Sky
What are the biggest issues facing the City of Blanco?
Crumbling water-wastewater pipes and streets and regional water scarcity-prolonged drought
How do you plan to address those issues mentioned above?
The state of our infrastructure is an ongoing emergency that must be addressed now. We have an opportunity to start the process by passing both Proposition A and Proposition B on the May 3rd bond election. With frequent system failures resulting in periods with no city water the need could not be clearer.
More efficient use of the limited water we do have access to will be part of the answer to addressing our water scarcity and another reason the Bonds should be passed.
Why are you running for office?
I am incredibly grateful to live in Blanco. I want to see our city thrive and our small town, rural, quality of life preserved.
Why are you the best candidate for the position?
I am an independent voice for the citizens of Blanco. I have no personal agenda and I am beholden to no special interests.
What previous experience will help you if elected to this office?
2 previous years serving on the Blanco City Council
Name: Wesley H. Murrah
Office seeking: City Council Member
Campaign phone number: (210) 264-6922
Campaign email address: [email protected]
Education: Second through 12th grades at Blanco ISD. 3 years at Dallas Baptist University.
Have you held elective office? If so, what office(s) and how long? No prior politics.
What are the biggest issues facing the City of Blanco?
Blanco has a major water source issue. We need to do some serious research on other water source possibilities and what needs to happen to procure those sources. Also, the highway bypass needs some major attention. The list goes on and on and I’m here to help in whatever way needed.
Why are you running for office?
Well, I’m not running because I want to be a politician. I’m running to help guide the right kind of growth that our small town needs/wants, which is ultimately up to the people. I feel this town has been led by outsiders that have only one interest in mind and that’s not our town, but their own interests are at the top of the list and thats evident. I also think that our taxes/rent have gotten so high that its driving the people who either helped start this town and have been here for a long time or have grown up in this town and work here to provide for their families. We have been a tight knit town for a long time and I think we should all come together, new and old neighbors, and bring this town back to its roots!
Why are you the best candidate for the position?
There are four generations on Murrahs in this town. I have seen the ups and downs throughout my time here. My objective is to help this great town get back on track and most of all, do what’s best for the people that live in this town. I want my kids to be able to grow up in this small town atmosphere, as it’s (in my opinion) the best place to raise children and families.
I moved to this town in 1985 and have lived here all but three of those years (1998-2001). When i first moved here there was a stop sign at 281 and 4th Street, just for reference. People that have lived in this town for that long or longer take great pride in Blanco! I have kids going to school here and they have learned the small town ways, which includes much respect and gratitude not only towards this great town, but the people that live here as well. I want to help this town stay on the right track and grow at the right speed, in the right direction, without hemorrhaging money for new, possibly unneeded, projects.
What previous experience will help you if elected to this office?
I used to work for the city works department and after a while, I was appalled at what was and what was not getting done around here that I ended up leaving. Promises were made, with witnesses there, that were not only not kept, but things ended up worse than they were before the issues came up and the promises were made. I’m not here to promise anything, however, I am here to get to the bottom of issues and get them resolved the way the people want them resolved.
EDITOR’S NOTE: There are two candidates for Blanco mayor and seven candidates for two city council seats. (The questionnaires for mayor candidates Candy Cargill and Jim Reed were included in last week’s edition). For city council, the two candidates with the highest vote totals will be elected. The questionnaires are unedited other than minor grammatical changes or spelling changes. Each candidate had the same number of words to respond to each question. Questionnaires from city council candidates Ryan Moses, Richard Anthony Ketay and David Behrends Jr. were not received.
