A New Direction for the City Council
Streets & Infrastructure
The current council has made a wrong turn when it comes to streets. Instead of paving streets so long neglected, this city council spent scarce resources to redo a street that was in good condition, and made it worse by eliminating parking, narrowing the road, and installing a two-way bike track that causes traffic problems. And now they want to do the same thing to 4th Street and more -- despite the enormous outcry from the people of Taylor.
They don't get it. Shelli does -- there's a reason Cobb signs are popping up along Mallard Lane. Shelli will fight for a complete rethinking of the way we prioritize funds for street repair. Street repair should be based on street condition, not the personal whims of council members.
Accountability & Transparency
Accountability, personal and professional, has been a core value of Shelli's life as a teacher, coach, administrator, wife, and mother. There will be no more fancy resort trips on taxpayer dollars, no more voting themselves a huge pay raise, no more bending the rules to prevent public input. The people have lost trust in the council. Shelli will take decisive action to restore that trust by increasing transparency and accountability. She will hold regular open meetings at convenient times in public places so that constituents can meet with their council member regularly. And she will take their concerns and their vision for Taylor to the council. True representation.
Shelli has a demonstrated track record of working for increased accountability and transparency: she was one of the leaders of the charter change efforts to limit council members' pay, allow the people to elect their mayor, require public meetings to be held in Taylor, and require adequate public notice of public meetings.
Comprehensive Plan & New Code
The new Taylor Comprehensive Plan is a complex document that was devised largely during Covid and its fallout and was always meant to be "living" and changeable. As its implementation gets under way, it is already clear that we need to slow down and some changes need to be made. The plan must serve the people of Taylor . . . not the other way around.
We can't have council members thinking the comprehensive plan is written in stone -- the council is now so rigid that they refused even to listen to the experience of a neighboring town that had undergone a similar planning and code revision. That's arrogant and irresponsible. Shelli will ensure the priority remains the needs and vision of the people of Taylor and a willingness to listen -- ALWAYS. When any plan doesn't meet those criteria, it should be changed. The town belongs to the people of Taylor and they deserve a plan that embodies what they want their town to become.
Preserving the Soul of a GREAT Texas Town
Samsung is here and it's not going anywhere. The growth is coming, but it needs to be measured and thoughtful growth. Seniors, families, and our local businesses are drowning in taxes; those have to come down. We don't have to become a Little Austin or just another cookie-cutter suburb. We can continue to have a town where people live and work and worship, where families thrive and children are set up for a lifetime of success -- a good life in a strong community. That's what Taylor has always been. To preserve that spirit, we need leaders who listen to the people of Taylor and put the people over their own personal preferences and self-interest. Shelli Cobb has a proven track record of devotion to our community and deep relationships with the people. She will be an outstanding member of the city council. Most importantly, she'll be a leader who listens.