What are Lubbock mayoral candidates’ policy positions?

As voters prepare to head to the polls, Lubbock mayoral candidates are making their final campaign pushes ahead of the first day of early voting on Monday before the May 4 municipal election.

Four of the six candidates — Adam Hernandez, Steve Massengale, Mark McBrayer and Stephen Sanders — discussed their policy positions in a forum hosted by Texas Tech Public Media and the American Association of University Women this week. Kolton Bacon and Antonio Renteria were invited but not present.

The Avalanche-Journal was at the forum, moderated by Texas Tech Associate Professor of Public Administration Daniel Scheller, and has summarized some of the main points below.

What is your approach to improving public safety?

As Lubbock comes closer to hiring a new police chief, many are hoping for a future of reduced crime and increased public safety in the city.

More: Final four Lubbock police chief candidates announced

Massengale stressed the need to hire the right police chief — a decision that ultimately rests with the city manager but on which the city council and mayor have influence. He said the chief should hold criminals accountable and know how to lead officers, while the city council should continue to provide resources and support to the police department.

McBrayer said most of Lubbock's crime is gang- and drug-related and the future chief should know how to address those types of crime. He said morale in the Lubbock Police Department is low and the council should continue to provide competitive pay and resources to the department. The Lubbock Professional Police Association has endorsed McBrayer.

Sanders argued the city and police department has become soft on crime and should toughen up and crack down to hold criminals accountable. He said the mayor should support the chief, whoever that will be, and continue to provide resources to the police department.

Hernandez said loose dogs create a public safety hazard in the city and people don't feel safe outside. He said he has a comprehensive plan to address strays so Lubbockites can feel safe to get outdoors.

How will you come to a solution on the sewer lateral ordinance that benefits all stakeholders?

The Lubbock City Council recently reversed a change to an ordinance that left some utility customers paying thousands to repair sewer later lines. The city previously paid for the repairs but briefly shifted that responsibility to property owners in an attempt to speed up those repairs before reversing that decision. The council appointed a citizen committee to look at the issue.

More: 'Just not right': Lubbock City Council backtracks on controversial sewer ordinance

More: Lubbock City Council forms citizen committee to look at sewer repair ordinance

McBrayer said an equitable solution would allow home and business owners to choose a private company or the city to make the repair, balancing cost and responsiveness.

Sanders said the council was uninformed before making its initial decision to change the ordinance and should never have placed something on the citizens that was on the city for so long. He said the city should listen to its citizens and make an informed decision about the future of the ordinance.

Hernandez framed the issue as a failure of municipal government transparency, claiming the council passed the initial change with no discussion. He suggested the city needs to hire additional work crews to balance the workload.

Massengale said he and the council sometimes make mistakes but are willing to correct them. He said the process needs to slow down to allow committee members to gather input from all stakeholders and find an equitable solution that keeps costs down and increases responsiveness.

What about the pools?

In 2022, the Lubbock City Council voted to close three of four municipal pools and replace them with splashpads. Recently, the city announced the remaining pool would not open this summer due to disrepair. Many Lubbockites were not happy with the decision.

More: Clapp Pool, Lubbock's only remaining city pool, to be closed this summer

Massengale said he expects Clapp Pool will reopen at some point and said he has seen excitement about the upcoming splash pads, which are set to open this summer. He feels it's unfortunate that quality-of-life issues like pools are sometimes pushed to the bottom of the priority list in a tight budget, but that parks and pools should still be a priority of the council.

McBrayer said some of the pools were underused and tough decisions had to be made in order to tackle major infrastructure and public safety issues. He offered a budget amendment in 2022 to keep Maxey Pool open but could not get council support, and said he will work hard to keep Clapp Pool open.

Sanders said the city council should look to the citizens to pass a bond supporting pools and quality-of-life facilities, and that citizens would support such a bond. He argued citizens are angered when the council makes decisions without community input, and a bond would give voters a voice in the issue. He suggested an indoor facility which would be open all year.

Hernandez said he advocated against closing the pools and has a plan to bring pools to every part of the city, including where there were none previously. He also suggested an indoor, centrally located aquatics facility that could help bring in revenue for pools year-round and stressed the importance of pools for low-income Lubbockites.

How will you address Lubbock's loose dog problem?

Candidates have spoken out about what seems to be an increase in dangerous loose or stray dogs in the City of Lubbock, and a lack of responsiveness from the city in dealing with the problem. Citizens have in recent years been mauled to death in public spaces.

More: Lubbock police identify man found dead after apparent dog attack

Sanders said the city should expand Lubbock Animal Services. He suggested the city neuter or spay any animals the shelter takes in before returning the animals to their owners. He also said the city should do a better job of holding pet owners accountable when their dogs are out, and advocated for Lubbock to be a no-kill city.

Hernandez also said the city should expand the shelter facility, adding additional proactive animal control officers to patrol the city. He advocated for expanding spay and neuter programs, including a trap-neuter-return strategy for feral cats. He said the city needs to see better enforcement of existing laws and increased public education.

Massengale said the problem lies with irresponsible humans and would welcome a discussion with the council about providing additional resources, including officers, to animal services. He said the council should work with the municipal court to hold pet owners accountable, potentially changing the fine structure for repeat offenders. He also suggested increased public education on responsible pet ownership.

McBrayer said the city council should be willing to move budget funding away from amenities like pools towards services like animal control to address the safety issue. He added that expansion of animal services might be necessary but that the city should do a better job of working with other animal welfare organizations in Lubbock to place animals for adoption and offer spaying and neutering. He also said the city should do a better job of enforcing existing laws.

What are you most worried about and most excited for in Lubbock's next 2 years?

Sanders said he is most worried about marijuana in Lubbock, implying he does not support the Proposition A initiative to decriminalize low-level marijuana possession in the city. He said most people who are using marijuana are involved in more serious drugs or crime. He suggested allowing police to enforce marijuana laws also helps them tackle more serious drugs like fentanyl.

More: It's official: Lubbockites will vote on 'Freedom Act' marijuana decriminalization ordinance

Hernandez said he is most worried about the city's future development and what kind of city Lubbockites will leave behind for their children and grandchildren, focusing on sustainable development. He said he is most excited about citizens engagement and involvement in this election cycle, noting as many voices as possible should contribute to the political process.

Massengale is worried about the city falling behind on street infrastructure, naming Broadway rehabilitation as a focus. He said he is excited about Lubbock's future water supply, diverse economy, business environment, and growth.

McBrayer said his main concern is crime, specifically drug- and gang-related violence. He is excited about Lubbock's low cost of living and attractiveness to businesses and families.

Election Day is May 4. Early voting begins Monday.

This article originally appeared on Lubbock Avalanche-Journal: As voting nears, Lubbock mayoral candidates talk policy in recent forum