Focus Daily News: What elected official seat do you sit in?
Wayne Sibley: I currently hold City Council seat Place 1.
FDN: How long have you sat in this seat?
WS: I have been in this seat for 15 years. I was a City Councilmember from 2005-2009 and again from 2011-present.
FDN: What is your main goal as a city council member during this term?
WS: My primary goal is to do what is right for the citizens. I was born and raised in Midlothian, so it means a lot to me. In the past two decades, Midlothian has more than doubled in size every ten years. While we might not be able to stop growth, we can ensure that we get the best quality growth possible.
FDN: What made you decide to get into politics?
WS: When my property was annexed into the city, I decided that I wanted to become more involved in what’s going on in the city. I ran so that I could have a say in how decisions are made.
FDN: What have been some of the surprises?
WS: It’s hard to remember what surprised me 15 years ago, but one of the most impressive things about Midlothian that I don’t think most citizens know is how well the city has planned for our water supply. Midlothian runs two water treatment plants, which ensures reliability of our water supply. The city also has maintained a “superior” water rating for many years. Our ample supply of water is one of reasons that Google constructed a major data center in Midlothian.
FDN: What have been your challenges?
WS: One of the biggest challenges we are facing is maintaining the safety of our state roadways. This includes our freeways as well as our Farm to Market roads. We will continue to represent Midlothian’s needs to TxDOT. We also must stay on top of maintaining and improving the safety and quality of the city’s roads and streets.
FDN: Where do you see the city going in the next few years and how will you contribute to that?
WS: Midlothian is going to see a lot of exciting improvements during the next few years. Last May the voters approved a new public library and City Hall to be built downtown, which is going to do a lot to revitalize our historic downtown. A new Public Safety facility was also approved, which is going to house our expanding public safety services. It will be the City Council’s duty to ensure that these projects come online without being a burden to the taxpayers.
