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A business consultant and construction project manager will compete in the November 2nd election for the sixth district position on Georgetown City Council.
Both Chere Heintzmann, 66, and Jake French, 34, say they have experience with local politics.
They are vying for the seat of Rachael Jonrowe, who resigned in the summer. She was re-elected for her fourth three-year term in November 2020.
District 6 includes Georgetown Downtown Square and the neighborhoods south of it.
Heintzmann said the concerns she hears from the district’s residents include maintaining the charm of the inner city square, improving pedestrian-friendliness in the area, and affordable housing.
“We have people coming in and building huge modern houses right next to little downtown houses that have been there for 60 to over 100 years,” she said.
Some residents are also concerned about the homeless who camp in some of the district’s parks, said Heintzmann.
“Homelessness is a little more hidden in Georgetown, but it does exist. … We (the city) have to deal with this, ”she said.
Heintzmann said her goals in the event of an election include “ensuring intelligent growth by preserving our history while steering and directing future development”.
She also wants to expand mobility in the district by improving roads, bridges, sidewalks and transportation services.
More: Georgetown councilor says she will resign and move to schools, citing stress and racism
The city stopped its bus system with fixed lines on October 1st because it couldn’t get enough passengers.
“We have to rethink what appropriate transportation is,” said Heintzmann.
She said her proven leadership skills and expertise in business growth and complex executive-level contract negotiations made her the best candidate for the position.
“Additionally, I understand the complexities of local governance, having served two terms on the General Government and Finance Advisory Board, co-chair of the city’s Mobility Bond Committee, and currently vice chair of the city’s planning and zoning commission,” said Georgetown Heintzmann.
Her opponent, French, said the biggest concerns he hears from residents of the district are pedestrian safety, parking, the lack of public transportation and the affordability of housing.
He said local residents were also concerned about the Confederate statue on the district court grounds, which is located in the middle of the downtown square.
“A lot of people want it removed because they feel like it’s racist and doesn’t reflect their values,” French said. He said many people he spoke to also wanted to remove the statue because they were tired of seeing weekly disruptions between people who wanted to move it and those who didn’t want to remove it.
A decision to request the relocation of the statue can only be made by the Williamson County Commissioners Court as it is located on the county property. The court must seek permission from the Texas Historical Commission to remove the monument.
Both French and Heintzmann said they were in favor of moving the statue to another location. Georgetown City Council voted against a proposed resolution in June to ask commissioners to request removal of the statue.
French said that if elected, he would work on improving the sidewalks and crosswalks on the busy pedestrian walkways in his district.
“I would like to work on parking solutions that are becoming more and more of a problem around the square and work on a long-term parking garage solution that does not detract from the aesthetics of the city center,” he said. He also wanted to develop solutions for public transport, he said, because the city’s regular bus service was not working.
He said he had experience working with governments in various cities through his work in construction management.
More: Georgetown plans to cancel the Go-Geo fixed bus route in October
“My work has given me the opportunity to work closely with city workers, planning and building codes, city councils, fire departments, transportation agencies, utilities and a variety of other government agencies in the application, planning and construction of projects,” said French.
He said he was the best candidate because he was committed to listening and communicating with residents of District 6 as well as all other Georgetown residents.
Early voting starts Monday for the November 2nd elections. The Georgetown resident ballot also includes several amendments to the statutes.
About the candidates:
Chere Heintzmann
Education: Studied at the University of Texas with a focus on accounting
Social Commitment: Participation in the government and financial advisory board of the city; Co-chair of the city’s mobility bond committee; is currently vice chairman of the Georgetown Planning and Zoning Commission, volunteer in the CareBOX nonprofit program that helps care for cancer patients in central Texas, volunteers at Habitat for Humanity, volunteers at Texas Special Olympics, and teaching and advising high school entrepreneurs.
Jake French
Education: Bachelor’s degree in business administration from Wheaton College, Illinois
Social Commitment: Serves on the Georgetown Transportation Advisory Board; serves as a sacristy member of the Light of Christ Anglican Church in Georgetown; volunteer at the Ride on Center for Kids, a non-profit organization that offers riding therapy; volunteered at Habitat for Humanity; and volunteered at TreeFolks, an Austin nonprofit that helps people plant and care for trees.
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