Focus Daily News: What elected official seat do you sit in?
Casey Lewis: I sit on the Mansfield City Council Place 4
FDN: How long have you sat in this position?
CL: I was first elected in 2018 and re-elected in 2021.
FDN: What is your main goal as a city council member during this term?
CL: I’m focused on the type of city Mansfield is going to be in 2030 and beyond. I want to complete our Master Land Use Plan update, cultural arts master plan, and have strategies in place for a sustainable tax policy into the foreseeable future.
FDN: What made you decide to get into politics?
CL: I care about our city and want it to be a place my kids and grandkids return to after college. I was concerned about the only housing options being built in Mansfield being 3,500 square foot $600k+ homes and wanted to make sure we had options for retirees to downsize, young adults to live and work in the same city, lock and leave lifestyle homes, and still have extremely high quality housing.
FDN: What have been some of the surprises?
CL: There is a lot to learn about everything from water supply, city operations, infrastructure networks, to bond financing and budgeting, and even economic development. The time commitment to do the job well is more than anyone initially thinks.
FDN: What have been your challenges?
CL: Competing agendas within the residents of Mansfield. It’s difficult to lower taxes that some residents expect and still provide the amenities and quality that other residents expect. It’s difficult to balance growth for those that wish Mansfield were still the farm town from 1995 and those that wish we had more restaurant and retail options in town. It’s challenging to concisely explain why certain land use decisions are sustainable for the city and why others don’t make sense.
FDN: Where do you see the city going in the next few years and who will you contribute to that?
CL: Mansfield is a world class hometown with great city amenities, housing options for all, and a robust job economy. The City Council’s of the past and present and the residents of Mansfield help that happen.
