Two candidates are on the Nov. 3 ballot for the Place 2 seat on the College Station City Council, an open seat after council member William Wright chose not to run again, KBTX reported on Monday. The city's candidate list names Chandler Arden and Michael Kidd.
Both men spoke with KBTX about why they are running. Their answers are summarized below in the order the city lists them.
Chandler Arden
Arden grew up in Bryan and has spent 55 years in the Brazos Valley, according to KBTX. He sells real estate and builds homes in College Station. He told the station that years spent taking photographs for the Bush Library left him wanting to serve the public.
His stated top priority is housing costs. "Even if we can impact houses by a thousand or two thousand dollars, it's a huge impact to somebody that's just trying to buy their first home," he told KBTX.
He also said the city should concentrate on infrastructure and public safety and do more to keep residents informed before major decisions are made, so they have a chance to weigh in.
Arden cited his business experience as a reason to support him. "I've started businesses. I've met payroll," he said.
Michael Kidd
Kidd moved to Texas from Michigan a decade ago and settled in College Station about four years ago; he is raising his children there, KBTX reported. He has 14 years of experience in management, operations and logistics, and told the station his faith shaped his decision to run.
He said he hopes to seek a congressional or Senate seat someday and sees local office as a starting point.
His stated top priority is scrutiny of city spending, such as contracts and projects already underway. "I think there really has to be better safeguards," he told KBTX. He said voters should back him because he is willing to listen, and offered to meet residents over coffee to work on solutions.
