Lewisville Leader > News
Daniels files for Place 5 on Lewisville City Council
By Heather M. Goodwin, hgoodwin@starlocalnews.com
Raymond Daniels said he wants to give Lewisville residents a choice, which is why he filed to run for Lewisville City Council, Place 5.
Mayor Pro Tem Rudy Durham currently holds Place 5. He has also filed for the seat.
"I like Rudy, and I think he's great for the city, but he's been on the council for a while and hasn't drawn an opponent since 1996," Daniels said. "I think if you're in too long, you can become complacent. I promise, if elected, to retire after two terms. One of the things I'm in favor of is term limits for the city council."
Daniels moved to Lewisville just less than two years ago. He said growing up, he moved around the Lake Cities area a lot. For the past nearly 10 years, he has worked as service manager for Daniels Air and Plumbing, Inc., a family-owned environmental services company. He said his job requires him to deal with and negotiate with customers including a lot of corporate clients. He said that has provided him with problem-solving skills that will come in handy if elected.
"I am running for city council because I love Lewisville. I'm looking to buy a house here and settle down," Daniels said. "I think it's a great city, and I think the city has done well. I want to ensure that Lewisville is watched over with its residents' best interests in mind. Politics has always interested in me, and you can do so much at the city level."
Daniels said he has been involved in numerous local, statewide and national political campaigns and currently serves as a Lewisville precinct chair for the GOP.
Daniels described himself as "very pro-business and pro-growth." He said he can be instrumental in shaping the city's 2025 Plan and "will work to ensure that it provides positive long-term growth while maintaining fiscal responsibility."
Daniels said he believes that transparency and accountability in city leadership is important to Lewisville residents.
"I believe that the public should be informed. If elected, after every vote I make, I will post why I voted the way I do on my website," Daniels said. "I will show how and why I voted on each issue so that the citizens of Lewisville will know not only what they are getting from their leaders, but also why."
Daniels said completion of the Old Town expansion is one of the top priorities for Lewisville in the near future. He said it will bring growth to city. He also said a priority needs to be more funding for beautification.
"If you go to cities like Coppell and Flower Mound, you see the difference. They have architecture that welcomes people into the city," Daniels said. "I know their tax base is higher, but I would like to try to find ways to beautify and bring in more businesses into Lewisville. The main thing right now is economic growth."
Daniels said while he is "definitely friendly" with some of the council members, including John Gorena and TJ Gilmore, no one asked him to run.
"I respect John and his opinions, but my issues don't always align with his. We have run into each other a lot with the Republican Clubs, but I'm not running because he asked me to run," Daniels said. "It seemed like everyone was expecting me to run before I filed, and thought I had a shot."
Daniels said he won't aggressively campaign until the end of the filing period.
"Right now, I'm getting with associates to get everything prepared, but I won't start campaigning until filing period is over," Daniels said. "I will play it slow right now, but after the period ends, I'll have signs out, I'll knock on doors and have a website."
The filing deadline for the May General Election is March 1. Election Day is May 11.
For information visit danielsforlewisville@gmail.com
Mayor Pro Tem Rudy Durham currently holds Place 5. He has also filed for the seat.
"I like Rudy, and I think he's great for the city, but he's been on the council for a while and hasn't drawn an opponent since 1996," Daniels said. "I think if you're in too long, you can become complacent. I promise, if elected, to retire after two terms. One of the things I'm in favor of is term limits for the city council."
Daniels moved to Lewisville just less than two years ago. He said growing up, he moved around the Lake Cities area a lot. For the past nearly 10 years, he has worked as service manager for Daniels Air and Plumbing, Inc., a family-owned environmental services company. He said his job requires him to deal with and negotiate with customers including a lot of corporate clients. He said that has provided him with problem-solving skills that will come in handy if elected.
"I am running for city council because I love Lewisville. I'm looking to buy a house here and settle down," Daniels said. "I think it's a great city, and I think the city has done well. I want to ensure that Lewisville is watched over with its residents' best interests in mind. Politics has always interested in me, and you can do so much at the city level."
Daniels said he has been involved in numerous local, statewide and national political campaigns and currently serves as a Lewisville precinct chair for the GOP.
Daniels described himself as "very pro-business and pro-growth." He said he can be instrumental in shaping the city's 2025 Plan and "will work to ensure that it provides positive long-term growth while maintaining fiscal responsibility."
Daniels said he believes that transparency and accountability in city leadership is important to Lewisville residents.
"I believe that the public should be informed. If elected, after every vote I make, I will post why I voted the way I do on my website," Daniels said. "I will show how and why I voted on each issue so that the citizens of Lewisville will know not only what they are getting from their leaders, but also why."
Daniels said completion of the Old Town expansion is one of the top priorities for Lewisville in the near future. He said it will bring growth to city. He also said a priority needs to be more funding for beautification.
"If you go to cities like Coppell and Flower Mound, you see the difference. They have architecture that welcomes people into the city," Daniels said. "I know their tax base is higher, but I would like to try to find ways to beautify and bring in more businesses into Lewisville. The main thing right now is economic growth."
Daniels said while he is "definitely friendly" with some of the council members, including John Gorena and TJ Gilmore, no one asked him to run.
"I respect John and his opinions, but my issues don't always align with his. We have run into each other a lot with the Republican Clubs, but I'm not running because he asked me to run," Daniels said. "It seemed like everyone was expecting me to run before I filed, and thought I had a shot."
Daniels said he won't aggressively campaign until the end of the filing period.
"Right now, I'm getting with associates to get everything prepared, but I won't start campaigning until filing period is over," Daniels said. "I will play it slow right now, but after the period ends, I'll have signs out, I'll knock on doors and have a website."
The filing deadline for the May General Election is March 1. Election Day is May 11.
For information visit danielsforlewisville@gmail.com
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