Four seek GShoals council appointment

by Glynis Crawford Smith

The Highlander

Four citizens are being considered for appointment Oct. 11 to Granite Shoals City Council Place 3.

Eric Tanner took an early end to his term limit in order to work toward voter acceptance of the street bond election Nov. 8. The Oct. 11 meeting of the council will be the charter-mandated deadline for a requisite five-vote appointment for the replacement to serve his unexpired term.

Citizens had until Sept. 30 to apply with City Secretary Elaine Simpson, so each applicant could be validated in time for interviews in open session of the council and a vote on the appointment. In order of their application submissions, the candidates are James D. “Jim” Davant, Will Skinner, Arturo Rubio and Terry G. Scott.

• Davant, 68, of 310 South Shorewood Drive, is a financial advisor who moved to Granite Shoals four and a half years. He trained for Burnet County Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) in which he is active, is a current member of the Street & Water Advisory Group (SWAG) and a former member of the Planning & Zoning (P&Z) Commission, and lists years of work on church finance committees and fund raising campaigns in his background. As a frequent attendee to city council meetings, Davant feels he can offer an additional perspective on the issues with which he has become familiar.

• Skinner, 33, of 1404 Kingscret Drive, is a field technician with the Kingsland Municipal Utility District. A resident of the city for eight years, he is active in the Highland Lakes Elementary School Parent Teacher Organization (PTO) and works with local church youth groups. A candidate for the council in the last regular election, he has joined the Granite Shoals Parks Committee, and stresses leadership skills in his qualifications.

• Rubio, 51, of 1202 Viewcrest Drive, was another council candidate in the last election. He is a general contractor who has lived in the city more than 20 years and operates his business there. The number one concern he has brought forth in the campaign and a council meetings is bringing more revenue to the city by way of a broader commercial tax base. He volunteered time and equipment to resolve a recent utility emergency quickly and has become a more frequent participant in council meetings since May.

• Scott, 63, of 809 Shorewood Drive, has lived in Granite Shoals 15 years. He is a retired U.S. Air Force combat pilot from Desert Storm and a former Dallas police officer who works for Delta Airlines. Those roles, he says, have equipped him to work cooperatively with diverse groups. He currently serves on the P&Z and says he enjoys hearing the ideas of others.