Four candidates have filed to run for mayor of Flower Mound, with a few days left before the filing deadline.
Current mayor Steve Dixon announced last week that he won’t seek reelection, and since then, four people have submitted their applications to succeed him.
The first to file was former Councilman Itamar Gelbman — admin of the 24,000-member Facebook group “Flower Mound Cares” — who served on Town Council from 2015-17, during which he was implicated in an ethics investigation but was not indicted. A search for a current Gelbman campaign website, Facebook page or statement was unsuccessful.
Stephanie Bell was the second to run. On her campaign Facebook page, Bell says she’s a resident who’s no politician, but she decided to run upon hearing that Gelbman had filed.
“Flower Mound has seen explosive growth since we’ve been here and now with our wonderful council, it’s time to realign our values,” Bell said on her campaign Facebook page. “The faster we grow, the faster our property taxes rise, and the less we can invest in green spaces. Flower Mound is at a pivotal time and we need an intelligent bipartisan leader who cares about the future of our community and where we go from here. I am that leader.”
Cheryl Moore, a physical therapist is also running. According to her campaign Facebook page, she has lived in Flower Mound for 15 years and was elected president of her neighborhood HOA five years ago.
“Through this involvement, I became more acutely aware of the needs and concerns of our community as a whole,” she said in a Facebook post. “I hope you will join me in helping to serve your city and home as Mayor of Flower Mound.”
On Wednesday, resident and business owner Derek France announced that he is running for mayor, too. France, the only candidate to send a news release, said he is active in the community and will continue to advocate for Flower Mound.
“Flower Mound needs true, fiscal conservative leaders in our town, this is one of the many reasons I am running for Mayor,” France said in a statement. “As more and more folks move to Flower Mound, and as our town grows, we need to be vigilant in protecting and preserving the very things that make our town special. We need to maintain our Flower Mound way of life. We must act now to keep Flower Mound great.”
The filing period began on Jan. 13 for a place on the May 1, 2021 General Election ballot, and all applications must be filed by 5 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 12.
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