Broderick McGee and Beverly Beavers-Brooks sit for portraits in the Tyler Morning Telegraph studio. (Chelsea Purgahn/Sarah Miller/Tyler Morning Telegraph)

Tyler City Council District 2

Both candidates running for the district 2 Tyler City Council seat are Tyler natives and have broad community and career experience.

Beverly Beavers-Brooks retired and moved back to Tyler in 2012 following a career with the Department of Labor and with Bank of America in several metropolitan markets.

Broderick McGee is human resources manager at Kluber Lubrication and previously worked with Brookshire Grocery Co.

Each candidate noted the biggest issue in the district as a lack of commercial development and said they would like to see more restaurants. They also spoke favorably of the pending development on the West Loop currently contemplated by a Chinese investor.

Beavers-Brooks noted a need for the deconcentrations of poverty, balanced growth and more development of mid-priced housing. She also pointed out the need for more code enforcement for boarded-up homes already tagged by the city.

McGee has served on the Planning and Zoning Commission for 2 years and serves as president of the East Texas Human Resources Association and serves on several community boards.

While both candidates bring a passion for the job and excellent credentials, it seems McGee is more likely to focus on the needs of the district while Beavers-Brooks has a citywide focus on many topics.

After the commitment McGee has demonstrated through his service on P&Z, it seems a natural next step to add council service to his community involvement.

We recommend Broderick McGee to represent District 2.

Mayor

Martin Heines is running for a third and final term as mayor due to term limits. Heines has brought a thoughtful approach to his service and has pivoted well through budget challenges and reprioritizing needs with respect to drainage and other key infrastructure issues such as street overlays and modernizing the Golden Road water treatment facility.

He has demonstrated a connection to reality with respect to such projects as the long-contemplated hotel/convention center and the proposed West Loop development by a Chinese investor.

Heines is opposed by perennial candidate Joel Rando.

Rando asserts safety is a key issue and that more police officers are needed. He indicated he has ideas about how to improve things without raising taxes. While his candidacy seems well-intentioned it is difficult to discern how he would accomplish what he proposes.

Heines has served with dignity and balance and put the work in to earn our recommendation for a third term.

We recommend voters re-elect Martin Heines for mayor.