Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Candidate Forum topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Highland Village council candidates debate transit, taxes, housing and parks at local forum
Summary
At a Cross Timbers Gazette–moderated candidate forum for Highland Village's Place 2 and Place 6, Dan Jaworski, Lori Hill and Hogan Hevington traded views on DCTA service, the city budget, housing shortages, parks maintenance and public safety ahead of early voting and May 2 election day.
Moderator Buddy Bonner of the Cross Timbers Gazette opened the Highland Village candidate forum and laid out rules for 1‑minute opening statements, 1‑minute answers and 30‑second rebuttals. Candidates Hogan Hevington (Place 2), Lori Hill (Place 6) and Dan Jaworski (Place 6) each gave opening remarks and then answered rotated questions from the moderator.
The candidates converged on several themes: maintaining the city’s small‑town character, finding ways to increase sales‑tax revenue without raising property taxes, and addressing infrastructure and safety concerns such as speeding and trail maintenance. Dan Jaworski emphasized his municipal experience and record serving as mayor and on city boards; Lori Hill highlighted her leadership background in higher education and community ties; Hogan Hevington pointed to volunteer service on Parks & Rec and local beautification projects.
"We pay about 1.6, 1.7, maybe $1,800,000 last year in sales tax revenue to DCTA," Jaworski said when discussing regional transit funding and the city's role on the Denton County Transportation Authority board. Hill and Hevington urged more active outreach to residents and businesses—Hill recommended asking citizens what businesses they want to see, while Hevington called for stronger partnerships with the Highland Village Business Association to fill empty retail spaces.
Candidates differed on specifics but not tone: all described housing affordability as a regional problem beyond a single council term and flagged the need to be fiscally prudent if new service expansions (such as additional emergency facilities) are pursued. The forum closed with reminders about early voting (April 20–28) and Election Day (May 2).
