Members of The League of Women Voters of Bandera hosted a moderated candidate forum Thursday at Bandera City Park, giving residents an opportunity to hear from two mayoral candidates and ask questions ahead of the upcoming election.
Rebecca Gibson, a former Bandera mayor and current candidate for the Bandera County River Authority and Groundwater District, moderated the forum. Candidates had a minute for each response.
Mayoral candidates Timothy Galarnyk and Cindy Coffey, along with incumbent Mayor Denise Griffin, were invited to participate. City Council candidates Allen Jehle and Randi Mellon also received invitations. Galarnyk and Coffey were the only ones in attendance; Griffin was ill, and Jehle and Mellon had prior work obligations.
Editor's note: Audio and video recordings were prohibited during the forum. Candidate responses have been summarized and may not reflect their statements in their entirety.
Opening Statements:
Coffey: “I have an extreme level of experience in legal government. I’ve sat on the city council and the economic development corporation, and project oversight is very important to me.”
Galarnyk: “I am a forensic investigator, and I travel the world for construction forensic investigations. I’ve got fifty years of infrastructure experience.”
Question: What is your main catalyst for supporting small businesses and economic growth within Bandera city limits?
Galarnyk: “Bandera has to develop business while also respecting the privacy of its residents. We cannot afford to raise property taxes.”
Coffey: “I owned a business since 2015. I feel much of the attention goes on to the first two streets on Main Street. We have to incentivize owning a business, do more events.”
Question: Do you believe the city should conduct a comprehensive review of employee and administrative salaries to ensure they are reasonable, competitive, and appropriate for the city’s budget?
Coffey: “Yes, I did a cross comparison with other similar cities, and our salaries are 31-42% higher than they should be. We should look at having a part-time city administrator.”
Galarnyk: “We need to make sure those people are doing what they’re supposed to. Number one is to see if they’re qualified. Salaries need to be adjusted with performance.”
Question: How do you feel about supporting First Friday and the small businesses that want to participate in it?
Galarnyk: “If that helps bring businesses in and revenue, we should support it.”
Coffey: “Half the participants are outside the city limits – where does the sales tax go to? I don’t support closing a major road.”
Question: Should Airbnb properties be restricted to P4 and P5 areas of town?
Coffey: “In many communities they are not restricted. But then more and more people purchase properties to make them Airbnb properties. I would like us to limit the number of Airbnb properties.
Galarnyk: “The city needs to develop a policy on Airbnb properties. We have to get some rules of conduct, but I don’t know if we should restrict them to certain areas if they’re kept in good condition.”
Question: Describe your love and joy for Bandera?
Galarnyk: “Bandera is a nice little town with nice people. The town is about the people. The charm of the cowboy capital.”
Coffey: “It’s all about small towns. I moved to Bandera to be a part of a small town; I didn’t want to live in a city anymore.”
Question: Do you believe our city needs more ordinances, fewer ordinances, or better enforcement of the ordinances we already have?
Coffey: “You build a house here and there are a million ordinances. Ridiculous, and a lot are redundant or expired.”
Galarnyk: “No, I don’t think we need more, follow the rules we already have.”
Question: Should taxpayers pay for employee appreciation events such as dinners, birthday parties, bringing in lunch?
Galarnyk: “No, absolutely not. The city people can party if they want to, but not on the city’s nickel.”
Coffey: “No, and in every company I’ve worked in, celebrations were more of a potluck. The city’s credit spending is too much.”
Question: Do you believe the city should conduct an independent forensic audit of city finances to identify any irregularities, waste, or financial mismanagement?
Coffey: Yes, and I realize that an audit presented to the city council [recently] had a significant amount of money not accounted for. I think it’s important to note that that auditor did not apply to come back to work for the city.”
Galarnyk: “My first 30 days I am going to look at expenses. I cannot determine whether a forensic audit is needed until I see the books, but we should be accountable for every nickel.”
Question: What is your solution to the feral cat issue?
Galarnyk: “I know that we have a shelter, and that they are overwhelmed. We have to do something, maybe a catch and trap program.”
Coffey: “I actually provide all the food for Dorothy’s Cat Haven. If local residents want to catch and trap, they should be provided the funds.”
Question: Where do you draw the line between protecting the community and allowing residents to manage their own property?
Coffey: “When I served in 2016, we had a second pick up cleanup day to encourage clean properties. Overall, there are ordinance issues that need to be reviewed.”
Galarnyk: “If the actions and conduct of a homeowner is detrimental to the community, that needs to be stopped. Inside their own homes is for the most part their own business.”
Question: What is your ultimate wish to accomplish if you become Mayor?
Galarnyk: “We have to get the people in the city council and the administration to work together. We need good streets and an efficient wastewater treatment plant.”
Coffey: “We need long-term infrastructure repairs, with repairs prioritized based by urgency. I plan on lowering taxes and working on getting the city more grants.”
Question: As Mayor, define what you see as your duties and responsibilities?
Coffey: “As Mayor, my job is to be involved with the community. I do know the individual jobs of the city, and I would never act alone. I work for you.”
Galarnyk: “We need to get the city council to work together and with the community. People have to be heard. Do what we say we’re going to do.”
Question: How will you encourage teamwork with city council and administration?
Galarnyk: “It’s kind of like a quarterback and a coach. Our city administrator needs to be given authority if it’s in the budget. We need to march in the same direction and same tune.”
Coffey: “My prior senior staff still calls me every Christmas, so I must have done something right. Right now, we have a great council, and I have trained in every job for the city.”
Question: Do you believe current city ordinances make it easier or harder for small businesses to operate and grow?
Coffey: “Harder, definitely harder. I just see don’t see the city really interacting with businesses, and some business owners feel uninspired to grow.”
Galarnyk: “Ordinances should not interfere with the growth of local businesses. Ordinances are meant for the safety of the community.”
Question: What does successful business development in Bandera mean to you?
Galarnyk: “There’s an awful lot of houses that need repair. Somehow, we need to help these people get their homes into livable conditions. We can’t raise property taxes, so we need to find new ways to grow revenue.”
Coffey: “I think it’s important to take stock of what properties the city, the economic development corporation, and private entities own. We need to see what we’re missing, what we desire in order to attract businesses – and get our infrastructure in check.”
Question: What are your views on Bandera’s water supply and quality?
Coffey: “I do not support chlorine or fluoride in water; we need to look at alternative solutions. I personally do not drink the water in Bandera.”
Galarnyk: “Water supply is an issue because of the drought. I personally drink the water in Bandera. We have to find a way to manage our water supply.”
Question: Do you have operational business experience and know how to read a balance sheet?
Galarnyk: “In 1976 I started a construction company and quickly grew to become the risk manager. After 22 years, I became a general manager, and I know how to plan and manage infrastructure and the budgets.”
Coffey: “Yes, I can. I had started a flower shop in Leon Springs, and when that flooded out during the great flood, I was still able to turn things around. I’ve studied finance and economics, and I have been a business owner for forever.”
Question: What are your solutions for water conservation?
Coffey: “We need incentive-based solutions. Incentives go a long way, especially with toilets. [On one of my properties], my first water bill was $1,200. I was able to get that down to $46.”
Galarnyk: “A tax incentive is possible. We should provide resources to our residents for plates to capture rainwater and find out the condition of our potable water.”
Closing statements:
Galarnyk: “Why do I want to get into this headache? Because I like this city. There’s a lot of bad things that have happened in the past, but we can’t go back. We need to find out how to make this city a much better place.”
Coffey: “Being self-employed gives me flexibility. My schedule allows me to be gone as much as I want. I will be very present. The city council should be welcomed into city hall. I will have an open-door policy.”
.png)
