Editors note: NPT emailed the questionnaires to the candidates, and received answers from four out of the five. The same questions were asked of all the candidates, and, since this is the Internet, there were no space limitations placed.
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Biographical info:
-- Name: John Allen Burch
-- Age: 33
-- Education: Graduated H.S. from Queensbury H.S., N.Y. in 1994. Currently studying Political Science and I will complete my AA at EPCC in the Fall. I plan to attend UTEP to complete my B.A. in Political Science with a minor in Economics.
-- Occupation: Full time student, Army Reservist
-- Length of Residence in District: 10 months (In El Paso since 2004)
-- Relevant Experience: 14 years of Army service, multiple leadership courses, Student Government Association President for EPCC. I have a passion and drive to serve El Paso.
-- Website: (email) johnburch@live.com
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Questions (no word limit):
1) What is the role of a member of City Council?
I believe the number one role of a member of City Council is to be a direct representation of their district and to speak for the city as a whole. City Council representatives should provide leadership, transparency, and accountability. They enact laws and manage resources that assist in developing programs and services.
As a member of city council and a leader of the city, I will provide purpose, motivation, and direction. The phrase “We the people” is at the heart of my purpose, motivation, and direction to serve. My purpose is to be a transparent representation of and for the people. I am motivated to work hard to beautify and improve our neighborhoods. I will provide direction in assisting El Paso with the transformation of Fort Bliss and its impact on our community.
As a member of city council, I will provide a transparent office in which I will be available to you full time. I will conduct monthly open-to-the-public meetings, much like Mayor Cook does now, where we can discuss the issues we face. I will also have weekly town hall meetings in different areas of the district to provide all neighborhoods the opportunity to speak with me. I will work closely with our neighborhood associations, school boards, and business owners to ensure an increased quality of life for all El Pasoans.
I expect to be held accountable for my decisions as your representative, and I understand the value of building and maintaining trust between our government and the people. I will research each issue and attempt to gain all the perspectives in the matter before coming to a conclusion. I will be open to sharing all information and building strong effective relationships with each of the other representatives already on council.
Becoming a member of city council is more than a job, or a role to be played; it is not a place to fulfill a personal agenda that hurts those you represent or a position to build business ties. It is a responsibility that should be taken on with great care. To me, it is a drive deep within myself to become involved in our government. I believe it is my life purpose to assist in representing the people of El Paso and one day our nation. I am motivated to be a positive, impactful leader, and I understand I have some things to learn, as we all do. I desire that we learn them together to build a stronger city. I will assist in leading our city in a direction that is beneficial to all El Pasoans. I believe by working together we can move forward and be progressive while maintaining the traditional values that make El Paso unique.
2) What are the five most important issues facing the district? How would you address those?
Representation- This seat on city council is often considered a swing vote, and as such, I will vote for what I believe is best for El Paso. That belief is, and will continue to be, derived from communication with the citizens and leaders in our city. My goals include serving the city as a whole and directing my attention to ensure that District #3 is improved. I believe while other areas of the city have grown and improved, the southern portion of District #3 has been neglected. I have walked those streets and talked with the people that live in those neighborhoods. I can see, as many people can, these citizens need representation. There are many issues that have not been dealt with in this city, and I am willing to step up and deal with those issues and more. I understand the learning curve before me, and I anticipate overcoming it daily through my passion to serve. I desire and will work toward bringing people together for the betterment of El Paso.
Reaching our youth- We are seeing record high numbers in drop out rates and an increase in “tagging” in our community. We must open a dialog with our children and encourage them to achieve great things in their lives. I believe our educational system is failing them and that the youth of today face challenges and pressures that are amazing, yet we are doing little in the way of supporting and discussing these issues. I will implement afterschool programs and encourage involvement by our youth. They need to know that we believe in them, and we support them; they need to know as a whole they can turn to us instead of gangs, drugs, or dropping out of school.
Parks and recreational space- I see many places in District #3 that need park space improvements, take the land next to Riverside school for example. We need to ensure our citizens have safe and effective recreational space to enjoy the outdoors. I will work closely with all areas of our government and communities to ensure that this is accomplished.
Beautification- I have spent time assisting the Cielo Vista Neighborhood Association cleaning up an area of Viscount Blvd and will continue to do so throughout our city. I think of El Paso as our house. What is the first thing you do if you know you have company coming over? You tend to tidy up the place a bit. Well, we need to tidy up our house. If we expect people coming to El Paso as well as our own citizens to respect what we have, then we must clean up. We must become more environmentally conscious and expand our recycling program to include all apartment complexes, businesses, and schools. We must also expand what we recycle to include glass, for instance.
Street improvement- We have many streets that suffer from drainage issues, little or no lighting, and some have no sidewalks. I will work to continue to explore all options to improve these conditions. I have great concern that in the near future many areas in the Lower Valley may be facing issues dealing with blighted property and eminent domain if we sit idle and continue to do nothing to improve these areas. There are also streets that are under consideration for closure and expansion. Be assured, I will vote for what is in the best interest of the communities most impacted by these potential changes.
3) What are the five most important issues facing the city? How would you address those?
Fort Bliss build up- I believe we need to continue to build strong relationships with Fort Bliss. They are letting the city and the businesses of El Paso know what to expect and what the needs of the soldiers and their families are going to be. I believe it is upon the city representatives to prepare and communicate to the citizens of El Paso these needs and impact messages. We are faced with affordable housing issues, spousal employment opportunities, and school growth impact, just to mention a few.
Tax revenue- We need to decrease the tax burden for residential property owners. One way is to increase commerce tax by bringing more businesses to El Paso. A temporary solution until this is achieved is to request for an increase of 0.25% on our sales tax. Bottom line, we need to expand our tax base to increase revenue. I believe the solution is before us and can be implemented quickly to provide for our needs.
Economic development- We must work together on a master plan to gain a hold of and steer our development in the right direction. Some steps are already in place to make this happen. I would become involved in this process and work toward its success.
Asarco- I am still researching and seeking the truth to this issue. Asarco was a polluter and needs to be accountable for that damage. We are currently fighting the reopening of Asarco, which honestly I am not completely for or against. I am against an increase of pollution to our community and environment, I am against any company abusing our city, and I am against spending tax payer money inefficiently. I am for having well paying jobs for El Paso, I am for accountability of Asarco’s past transgressions, and I am for open dialog between Asarco, all levels of government, and the citizens. However, I believe we will achieve nothing if our outlook on this and many of the issues we face is negative. I will continue to discuss this issue with anyone that it deserves discussion with; I am always open to new knowledge.
Traffic on I-10- Traffic on I-10 is becoming an increasingly pressing issue that we need to begin to deal with now. Road budgets are being cut, and we are getting a massive increase of people to El Paso over the next 5 years. We need to begin the process of looking at solutions, creating an additional layer above I-10 for traffic just passing through, light rail, alternate highway routing, and so on. This issue will be a major concern before we know it. Let’s deal with it now.
4) What are the largest businesses in your district?
This can be measured a number of ways. We can look at impact, number of employees, and amount contributed to the community in dollars and cents. I would have to say the two refineries, the medical hospital/school, and perhaps Wal-Mart. Of course there are more but as I mentioned it depends on what you define as largest.
5) If you could bring any business to your district, what would it be?
I encourage all businesses to come to El Paso and welcome the opportunity for economic growth, jobs, and commerce tax. I would like to see more small business, such as clinics and an indoor climbing gym come to our district. I would also invite larger companies such as Waste Management and Six Flags to find a new home in El Paso. It is important that the business is responsible and the impact to the surrounding community is managed in a very positive way.
6) Do you think public amenities and services are being fairly distributed among the eight city council districts, including libraries, parks and facilities for youth and adult sports and street paving and improvement projects?
Not at all, for instance the Lower Valley, Cedar Groove, and Riverside, these areas have been neglected for years.
7) Do you support impact fees (that would require developers and, ultimately, home and commercial property buyers in new developments to pay more of the costs to provide those areas with water service, police and fire stations and amenities) on new development?
Yes, a moderate impact fee, I believe, is justifiable.
8) Would you support a definition of blight as a precursor to use of eminent domain that evaluates blight property by property, rather than by neighborhoods or districts?
Most definitely, in fact I believe it is the responsibility of our government to define blighted and ensure that eminent domain is used only when absolutely necessary.
9) Do you support the eventual use of light rail and other mass transit options that will be competitive to private auto use?
Absolutely, we should be very proactive on this issue. My vision includes light rail along Hwy 54, I-10, and into downtown. I look at Denver, CO as an example of the proactive approach to supplying options to
10) If so, how much emphasis would you put on supporting new roads in El Paso versus building a mass transit system that more people would choose?
I believe we need to have forward vision on this issue. I would encourage our local government to communicate with the state level authorities to provide a thoroughfare for I-10, much like what was done in Austin.
11) Do you support the city's efforts to keep Asarco from reopening?
As I have stated, I am still seeking the truth about Asarco. I think this is a multitude of issues in one. I believe what you resist, persists. If we continue to fight a reopening, we close the possibilities of improving that location. I truly believe the bottom line is clean up. I think with the proper levels of communication with the company and a forward vision of what that property could become, we can create a non-polluting, job providing company on that site. I believe one possibility is to create the El Paso Southwest Recycling Center on that site.
12) Do you believe Western Refining or Phelps Dodge poses a threat to the health of nearby residents, and how would you deal with that?
I believe Western Refinery and Phelps Dodge are very responsible to the community on many levels, to include health and safety. If at any time a health risk is detected, I will be proactive in a course of action to correct this matter. I will demand accountability from any company that is destructive in their business practices.
13) Do you support the Medical Center of the Americas concept? What would you do to limit its impact on the neighborhood, or, conversely, what would you do to support its growth, or both?
I am still reviewing this concept and look forward to learning more about it. Although, I believe any responsible expansion to improve healthcare should be explored.
14) What is your view of the Public Service Board’s new storm water utility and the monthly fees that homeowners, business owners and apartment dwellers are being charged to finance it?
Unfortunately we are paying for past neglect of this issue. I believe these fees should be reduced and that we must be creative in the financing of this issue.
I would like to say that I did not grow up here, I do not speak Spanish, and I do not have all the answers to all the issues we face. I do, however, posses a deep inner calling to serve, a desire to represent El Pasoans, and an eagerness to make a positive difference in the daily lives of all people. My knowledge of the language and the culture is increasing daily, and I am learning the issues and generating creative solutions for them. I will fight to ensure the proper choices are made to better El Paso, and I am dedicated to improving the region. I believe El Paso is unique in many ways, I believe we can be a better city, a beacon of hope and prosperity to the border, the state, the nation and the world. I believe we have an opportunity to break down divisions and set the example of how a group of diverse people can come together and rebuild a city that has many saying, “I want to live in El Paso!”
