With the goal of keeping local parents (and voters) as informed as possible about all things parent-related, the editors of Rocket City Mom compiled “4 Questions for the Candidates”. We asked all the Huntsville City and Madison City candidates to answer the same four questions, and have published their responses unedited and as they have sent them to us.

4 Questions with Brian Goodwin

Q. What do you see as the top three most pressing issues facing Huntsville today? What are your plans to address those issues?
1. Smart Growth
The City of Madison absolutely needs growth, but it must be “smart growth.” That means we need growth that includes adequate funding for our roads, infrastructure and personnel, and growth that will not overly burden our nationally-ranked school system. The right mix of commercial and residential development, as well as a commitment to maintaining the high quality of our public schools will allow our city to thrive like never before. By building the right plan – a smart plan where city leaders collaborate with educators, developers, businesses and residents – we can meet this goal, together. Our city government must balance our sources of income (commercial and industrial development) with our sources of expense (residential development) in order to build an equation for our smart growth plan. All sources of income should be investigated and considered in order to make this equation “balance.” This is the single largest issue facing Madison today.

2. Support Madison City Schools
Madison City’s schools are truly the heart of our city. Our schools consistently rank in the top 1 – 2 percent of America’s best schools, and are the crowning jewels that draw people to live, work and shop in Madison. As a community, it is vital that we protect and support our schools by ensuring they are well-funded and not overcrowded. To make the continuing success of our schools a city-wide priority as we continue to grow will take the support of all levels of our city government, our residents and our businesses, and will be hugely beneficial to all of us. Any growth plans considered by the city should include a school funding plan. We cannot wait until after the residential developments have been approved to react to the overcrowding this causes in our school system. Working cooperatively with our superintendent and school board is the only way this can happen.

3. Transparency
Residents deserve to be kept informed about issues regarding city government, and to have their voices heard and valued by their City Council. There aren’t “good” issues and “bad” issues, there are just facts, and all “facts are friendly” as long as they are properly shared and discussed with stakeholders. As your representative in District 3, I can guarantee that I will make sure you are informed, I will listen to your opinions, and I will thoughtfully make decisions that I believe are in the best interests of our community. We may not always agree on every issue, but we will work together as citizens of this great city who all have a common goal: to support the people, schools and businesses in the City of Madison. Open communication channels are required to make sure our citizens stay informed. To me, this is more than just sharing agendas and minutes from council meetings. As your representative on the Council, I will seek ways to keep my district informed of the issues that most impact them.

Q. Why do you believe you are the right person for this office?
I moved to the City of Madison District 3 26 years ago. I have established roots and raised my family in this district. I have 2 children in Madison Public Schools. I have been with my current employer 26 years, where I manage a diverse group of engineers. I believe in oversight, planning, and integrity in all pursuits. I’ve put these skills to use as an active member, and past president of my neighborhood’s Homeowners Association where I have served for many years, as a current Deacon at my church, and as a volunteer at my children’s schools.

I believe my past and present experiences have well qualified and well prepared me to represent all people in our city via a position on the Madison City Council. My wife and I purposefully made the City of Madison our home, and we have happily invested so much of our lives in this community, and eagerly served the community in many ways. I want to continue serving my community, and to actively help ensure “smart growth” in the City of Madison as we continue to see record growth in our area. I believe this is vitally important to District 3 – which includes Town Madison, the Trash Pandas’ Toyota Field, a large stretch of I-565, downtown Madison, and the southernmost portion of Hughes Road – and I would be honored if you would allow me the opportunity and privilege to serve as your City Council Representative.

Q. What will you do differently than the incumbent?
I believe active, open communication is key to being an effective representative on the council. I will make sure to keep my constituents informed about upcoming issues and votes before the Council that will impact them and our district. I will listen to the opinions and concerns of my constituents and I will make myself available to discuss why I have voted the way I have on an issue.

Q. What is your overall vision/mission when it comes to families living in your city? What are your ideas about how to best serve them specifically?
The City of Madison is an ideal city for families. Our nationally-ranked public schools are one of the key reasons that families settle in our city. I believe our quality of life is second to none for these families. The City of Madison offers parks, greenways, and recreational facilities to keep families active and libraries and entertainment venues to keep them informed and entertained. I believe my number one job on the City Council will be to support these families with every decision that I make. As I have outlined above, that means that we must manage the growth of Madison with the right mix of commercial, industrial, and residential. We must include our schools and the impact that growth has in every decision that we will make. We must also communicate with these families to ensure that they are well informed and engaged in the decision that are being made in their city government. These are my commitments to you if I am elected to represent District 3 on the City Council.

Learn More

www.voteforgoodwinfordistrict3.com
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