DeSoto City Council Place 7 Special Election February 2
DESOTO – The DeSoto Special Election on February 2, 2021 has three candidates running for the Place 7 seat. The seat was made vacant when Mayor Pro Tem Kenzie Moore III announced his bid to run for the mayoral seat in the Special Election to replace mayor Curtistene McCowan.
Calvin Graham, John William McCalib and Letitia Hughes and are all hoping to fill the Place 7 seat.
Early voting begins January 20 to January 29, 2021.
Focus Daily News asked Calvin Graham these questions about his run for the Place 7 Council seat.
FOCUS DAILY NEWS: What changes are you looking forward to if you win the election for this city council seat?
Calvin Graham: As a member of the council I look to shifting focus from “Business as Usual” to advocating business-centric policies needed to restore our community to one of the best places in the region to live, work and play;
To develop innovative revenue sources in order to offset pressure on modest retail taxes and Reshape the problematic City-Resident Relationship
FDN: What will be the challenges to overcome in the term?
CG: The challenges will be many but the most pressing issue will be gaining trust from contemporaries already on the council. It is anticipated that as the freshman member on the council existing members may be reluctant to accept ideas from the new guy on the council.
FDN: With COVID still present how do you think the City is best served moving forward and is there anything else you believe should be implemented?
CG: People of color have displayed some hesitation regarding taking the vaccine. An outreach might be wise to address unfounded concerns.
FDN: Is there another city in the DFW area you feel is doing things well regarding COVID and learning and moving forward with the current pandemic?
CG: I am unaware of what other cities are doing with the pandemic.
FDN: How long have you lived in this city?
CG: I relocated to DeSoto October of 1988. I have been in and out the city since that time.
FDN: Anything else you would like to add?
CG: [From bio Graham sent with answers] Upon completing university studies leading to a degree to Agriculture specializing in Animal Husbandry, Mr. Graham accepted a position with a global agricultural company responsible for the launch of advanced crop protection chemicals throughout Mid-West. For the following ten years Graham advanced within the organization – sales, Market Development Supervisor, District Manager, and National Sales Trainer – which eventually took him to the corporate world headquarters in Princeton, NJ where is was responsible for delivery of national sales training.
Although time spent within the agricultural industry was most rewarding, Graham grew restless and wanted to pursue new challenges. Having been exposed to real estate he decided to try his hand with what had always been a passion – real estate. The move into real estate would not require major transition given agriculture and real estate both focused on the “highest and best” use of the land.
During the next three decades Graham would achieve numerous successes throughout his real estate career. The founder and Designated Broker at his company, Graham-Rutledge and Company, Inc., as well as the co-owner and president of an innovative mortgage lending company Graham has overseen $4.5B of real estate transactions on his watch.
