Leading Rowlett Forward

Deb's Core Principles of Leadership

Visionary Direction and Strategic Planning:

Leading a city requires a vision for the future and the ability to translate that vision into actionable strategies. Deb understands that, going forward, Rowlett needs an updated plan that addresses both immediate challenges and long-term opportunities.

Long-Term Strategic Plan: Deb will initiate a comprehensive, community-driven strategic planning process to outline Rowlett's vision for the next 10-20 years. This plan will address key areas such as infrastructure, economic development, public safety, and environmental sustainability.
Proactive Infrastructure Investment: Rather than merely waiting to react to infrastructure failures, Deb will advocate for a proactive maintenance and upgrade program to help ensure that our roads, water systems, and public facilities are prepared for future growth.
Economic Diversification: Deb will work to diversify Rowlett's economy, attracting new industries and supporting local businesses to reduce reliance on certain sectors and help shift the tax burden off of homeowners.
Technology Integration: Deb will advocate for the strategic integration of technology into city services to increase efficiency, transparency, and engagement with the citizens.

Action Items:

Within the first 100 days, convene a citizen-led strategic planning committee to begin developing a long-term vision for Rowlett (Rowlett 2050).
Request a comprehensive infrastructure assessment to identify critical needs and prioritize investment.
Support collaboration between the city's economic development team, Chamber of Commerce, and small businesses.
Support implementation of a user-friendly app that residents can use to communicate with the city and to get information about city projects.

Transparent and Inclusive Governance:

Trust is the cornerstone of effective leadership. Deb believes in open government that encourages residents to provide input to city leaders in the decision-making processes. This means easier access to information and creating more opportunities for meaningful engagement.
Details:

Open Communication: Deb will prioritize clear and consistent communication with residents through various channels, including regular town hall meetings, online forums, and social media.
Accessible Information: Deb will ensure that city documents are readily accessible to the public in keeping with state law.
Citizen Advisory Boards: Deb will explore ways to better utilize citizen advisory boards for input on key policy decisions, including ongoing training opportunities for board members, more sharing of board activities with the full council by board liaisons, and more frequent joint meetings with the council.
Community Engagement Initiatives: Deb will actively seek out opportunities to engage with residents to foster a sense of community ownership and participation.

Action Items:

Better publicize the live streaming and video archiving of all city council meetings so citizens know how to access the meetings even when they can't be there in person.
Explore how we can improve the Action Center and other ways for residents to submit questions, comments, and concerns directly to city staff and elected officials.
Establish a series of quarterly town hall meetings.
Work with HOAs and neighborhood leaders to hold informal informational meetings in different areas of the city.

Collaborative Partnerships and Regional Cooperation:

Effective leadership requires the ability to build strong partnerships both inside and outside the city limits. Deb recognizes that Rowlett's success is intertwined with the success of our neighboring communities and regional partners. She will work to build bridges, forge alliances, and leverage collective resources to address our shared challenges and achieve common goals at lower cost.
Details:

Regional Collaboration: Deb will actively participate in regional planning initiatives, working with neighboring cities and counties to address issues such as transportation, emergency and disaster response, and economic development.
Public-Private Partnerships: Deb will advocate for the city to develop more partnerships with local businesses, non-profit organizations, and educational institutions to leverage their expertise and resources for the benefit of Rowlett.
Intergovernmental Cooperation: Deb will work to secure state and federal funding and support for Rowlett's priorities.

Action Items:

Continue to participate in regional and state organizations such as county strategic planning committees, North Central Texas Council of Governments programs, Texas Municipal League regional and state-wide conferences and committees, and others.
Work with neighboring cities to collaborate on addressing traffic congestion and improving regional connectivity.
Continue and establish additional relationships with other area mayors, councilmembers, county commissioners, and staff members.

Fiscal Responsibility and Planned, Controlled Growth:

Sound fiscal management is essential for Rowlett's long-term stability and prosperity. Deb is committed to responsible budgeting, strategic investment, and controlled growth that balances economic development with the desire of residents to retain the home-town ambiance and preserve open green spaces.
Details:

Transparent Budgeting: Deb will work to make the city's budget process transparent and accountable, providing residents with clear information about how their tax dollars are being spent.
Strategic Investment: Deb will prioritize investments that generate long-term returns for the community, such as infrastructure improvements, economic development initiatives, and public safety enhancements.
Planned Development: Deb will promote development practices that prioritize the interests of citizens over developers and preserve our natural resources for future generations.
Debt Management: Deb will support a responsible debt management strategy that, whenever possible, puts decisions on incurring debt for large capital projects on the ballot for citizens to vote on.

Action Items:

With city staff and the rest of the council, conduct a comprehensive review of the city's budget and identify opportunities for cost savings and efficiency improvements.
Review and bring to the council any needed revisions to our long-term capital improvement plan, prioritizing infrastructure investments based on need and return on investment.
Ensure that the city has a solid long-term financial plan that is published online and updated yearly.

Caring and Capable Leadership:

At its core, leadership is about serving people. Deb believes one of the most important duties of the mayor and councilmembers is to listen to the citizens. She will prioritize policies and initiatives that promote public safety and enhance the quality of life for all Rowlett residents.
Details:
- Supporting Vulnerable Populations: Deb will advocate for policies and programs that support vulnerable populations, such as children, seniors, veterans, and individuals with disabilities.
- Promoting Community Well-being: Deb will prioritize initiatives that provide essential functions of government - law enforcement, fire protection, animal services, emergency management, water/sewer, and roads and streets. Building on that foundation, she will support programs that enhance the overall well-being of our community, such as parks and recreation programs and cultural events.
- Active Listening: Deb will make it a point to listen to the concerns of all of the citizens of Rowlett.
Action Items:
- Promote healthy living practices for residents and city employees, provide facilities and opportunities for exercise and activities that improve physical and mental health, and invest in mental wellness programs and benefits targeted at first responders.
- Work with the senior advisory board to explore ways the city can enhance the quality of life for our older residents and with the youth advisory council to create opportunities for our young people to become more involved in the community.
- Deb will answer her email from citizens within 24 hours and will set up phone calls and in-person meetings with individuals and groups when requested to hear and address residents' concerns.

Deb Shinder's leadership will be defined by these core principles. She is committed to building the foundation for a brighter future for Rowlett, where our businesses thrive, our residents feel heard, and our potential is finally realized.