Mayoral candidates further explain positions

In the wake of the April 10 mayoral forum, the Inquirer reached out to all three candidates to better understand their individual visions for Gonzales and the direct they would like to take the city.

Bob Burchard, who missed the forum because of an out-of-town appointment, stated he would like to direct the city into utilizing assets unique to Gonzales, such as the city’s rich history and recreational resources like the Guadalupe River.

“I think our uniqueness in Texas history gives us a story and a position that no other town in Texas may claim,” Burchard said.

Burchard believes that Gonzales should incentivize heritage tourism more, not only as a means of revenue for the city, but also as a way to honor and remember the history Gonzales possesses.

“We have, therefore, a tremendous opportunity in telling this story to realize significant economic impact on our community,” Burchard said.

Burchard listed Gonzales’ memorial museum, the jail museum, the county courthouse and the town squares as tourism assets.

“In my opinion right now, we don’t have that clear direction,” Burchard said. “I see Gonzales in five years as utilizing our assets and becoming this place of destination, but as a community we have to adopt that as our clear direction.”

Mayor Connie Kacir delivered a clear message at the forum: she believes she is the right person to lead the city. Kacir further clarified her style of governance as being team driven and service first.

“My style of governance is a servant style of governance and I am always being a team player, serving at the highest level following the city charter and the Texas Local Government Code,” Kacir said. “My style carries out a strong oversight for the position I serve.”

At the forum, Kacir said, “the future of Victoria College is up to Victoria College.” In the follow up she further clarified that she has “no authority to close the college and would not ever consider closing the doors to higher education in Gonzales.”

She said that in the event of not being able to be reach an agreement between the city and Victoria College, she would consider exploring bringing another college to Gonzales.

“The only true responsibility of the council and the mayor on the college is to negotiate a lease with the tenant of our city owned building,” Kacir said. “I cannot speak for the council; each council member has a vote in every city matter. I can only speak for myself and my individual position is, I am a trustee for the city and I negotiate in the best interest of the city and the citizens each time and every time. Having a community college is a core service and adds much value both in the delivery of higher education, economic development and workforce training.”

The Inquirer reached out to the Rob Brown campaign for further comment, but did not receive a response before press time.