Real Frisco

  Frisco City Council Candidate

  Hunt Reifschneider

  Candidate for:

  City Council, Place 3

  Occupation:

  Business Management Consulting

  Contact information:

  www.Hunt4Frisco.org  This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Why are you running for office?

I have been involved in helping the community in Frisco since my first week after moving to Frisco in 1999 when I volunteered to manage the concession stand for the Frisco Soccer Association out at Warren Sports Complex.  Since my first year in Frisco, I have been involved in the community as the President of the Frisco Soccer Association , President of Griffin Parc Homeowners Assoc., President of Frisco Community Development Corporation and volunteering in many other areas of the city.  The city will be going through some unprecedented changes and opportunities and my experience, passion and commitment make this an ideal opportunity.  Additionally, through my city involvement, I have worked to work with current and past councils and I believe that my experience and passion will allow me to continue to build on the foundation they’ve created.

What is the key issue you are campaigning on?

What’s going to be crucial for the city moving forward is continuity of leadership and direction during this economic downturn. My knowledge of the city’s budgeting processes and experience in working with the City Council and staff over the last 10 years uniquely positions me to face these challenges. Leadership continuity is essential as the Council continues to plan and focus on growth for the future by building on the vision of the previous Mayors, councils and staff.

What experience do you offer for this position? 

 My passion has been in helping people and the community.  Since my move to Frisco 10 years ago, I have been involved in many areas of the city.  A few examples of my community contributions include: leadership in running the largest sports organization in Frisco (Frisco Soccer Association), Miracle League of Frisco volunteer, 2006 Bond Election Committee, President of Frisco Community Development Corporation, Frisco Athletic Center Art Committee member, St Francis Monte Carlo night volunteer and many other areas.  My years of involvement with the Mayor, Council, Staff, CDC board and budgeting as well as personal involvement with the residents of Frisco have given me a unique perspective and appreciation for the leadership and vision of previous City.  This combination of city experience, passion, commitment and understanding of the vision for Frisco makes me an ideal candidate to represent the citizens of Frisco on the City Council.

What is in your platform that makes you different from your opponents?

My long history of involvement in the community, City boards (CDC) and previous City Mayors and Councils!  I have a passion to help people and be involved in helping to make Frisco a destination city that all the residents will be proud of while drawing new growth to the city.  The relationships I have built within the community will allow me to quickly address critical issues affecting the city without the usual learning curve others will naturally have.  I have been at the beginning stages of Grand Park and was lucky enough to be a part of the original round table discussions with FC Dallas and Pizza Hut Park owners in order to bring them to Frisco.  I have the experience needed to allow me to focus more on the citizens and the issues at hand instead of the extensive training part of the position.

With the current economic situation - budgets are tight.  Are you more inclined to raise taxes or cut costs?  And, where would you cut the costs as part of the solution?

Frisco has benefited from unprecedented growth through the vision of the City Council and City Staff.  I have been lucky enough to see first hand the budget process of our city.  Being on the CDC, we have worked with staff on our budget and been able to understand what creating the budget entails.  Our city leaders have been very conservative with citizen’s money—historically holding property tax rates steady and looking for ways to grow our tax base instead. I agree with that approach and believe that as long as we continue to be conservative in our growth estimates and maintain the current cost containment efforts already in place, our budget for next year won’t require major recalibration. 

What do you feel needs to be changed in City Council?

Balance.  We have quite of few new Council members who have only lived in our city for a short time. I balance that new infusion with experience and a historical perspective that has helped to make Frisco the very place where so many people want to live and build their businesses. I believe the council needs to work as a team with each other and with staff. And, I believe council members should represent the needs of the city as a whole and should be making decisions that are aligned with our Comprehensive Plan.

What do you feel needs to be maintained?

Continued balance throughout the city.  I know that with the economy the way it is, it may be a challenge.  But we still have citizens moving here and developers building here, so we need to continue to look at the roads, zoning issues, and constant quality of life for our city. Admittedly, things have slowed down significantly, but they haven’t stopped—not in Frisco. We can be confident that our foundation is strong and we will emerge just as strong as ever once the economy picks back up.

What do you think City Council could do to increase attendance at meetings?

Well, first, let’s consider why citizens attend meetings in the first place. Typically, they go to a meeting because they have a particular issue or concern about a posted agenda item. Our citizens are busy people and they’re not going to come to council meetings if they don’t have some specific reason to attend. So, I’m not sure we should spend precious budget dollars to entice people to cram the council chambers just to get more bodies in the room. In fact, I think with the introduction of the SIRE system, we’ll see a reduction in attendance at the actual meetings as more people follow the proceedings from home.

As long as people have the opportunity to voice their concerns through a variety of convenient mediums, whether it’s live at the meetings, or virtually through technology such as e-mails, voicemails, the message board, etc. then I believe we’re using our communication dollars wisely. I’d like to explore using something like real-time chat during meetings but we have to balance how we use technology with the laws regarding open meetings and accessibility.

And of course, I know there are citizens who attend council meetings, town halls and coffees, just to keep up on what’s happening in the city without any specific issue to address. For them, I’m not sure there’s anything that needs to be added to incent them to attend meetings…they’re just doing it because they too love the city. We all benefit from those “regulars” who help to keep the council and staff accountable. That’s another reason I’m excited about the SIRE system because I think it adds to the number of citizens who are keeping tabs on the council’s decisions over time.

What would you like your legacy to be and what do you want to be remembered for doing after you leave office?

I would like to be recognized as a team player who was a strong leader.  Hopefully people will see that I am passionate about people, about the community and about doing what is best for the residents of Frisco.  That means a delicate balance of both short term needs as well as providing for a strong future.  In addition, I hope that people feel that I represented the needs of the residents well and that I understood my role as a short term ambassador in helping to build the City of Frisco’s brand equity.

List your awards/accomplishments

¨       My son is my best accomplishment.  He keeps me honest and passionate about the future.  Everything else is a distant second.

¨       Frisco Soccer Association President

¨       Frisco Sports Council

¨       Frisco Community Development Corporation Board Member, appointed 200x, 200x, 2000x, elected President by Board 2008

¨       2006 Bond Election Committee member

¨       Involved with Frisco Miracle League

¨       Buddy Petty Foundation volunteer

¨       Contributed to Frisco Arts

¨       Mike Simpson Roast for Miracle League

¨       Art Committee member for Frisco Athletic Center

¨       Donations to St. Francis Monte Carlo event

¨       Volunteer SW Region III Soccer Tournament at Pizza Hut Park

¨       Organized initial meeting leading to the development of Pizza Hut Park in Frisco

¨       Leadership role to develop soccer program in Frisco Middle School

¨       Applied and received North Texas grant to help light Warren Sports Complex

¨       Frisco Soccer Association Appeals & Discipline Chairman

¨       CDC projects: Grand Park acquisition and planning; Bacchus Community Park development; Phillips Community Park development; Heritage Village Cabin acquisition and development;