Southern Denton County residents will head to the polls this spring to decide a plethora of municipal and school board contests.
The Cross Timbers Gazette asked each candidate in a contested race to answer a brief questionnaire to help voters make an informed decision at the polls this May. Election Day is Saturday, May 1, with early voting April 19-27.
On the ballot for the 2021 Double Oak General Election are mayor and two at-large council seats that are currently held by Mike Donnelly, Scott Whisenhunt and Von Beougher, respectively. Donnelly chose to not seek reelection as mayor, and Beougher was the only applicant to file to succeed him. Whisenhunt is seeking reelection to Town Council, and two other residents are also running for council: Patrick Johnson and Casey Parsons.
The candidates participated in a forum Thursday:
The candidates for two expiring seats on Double Oak Town Council are listed in alphabetic order below:
Double Oak Town Council (2-year-term)
Patrick Johnson, 57
Occupation: President – Comco Systems – Lake Dallas
Education: BS, BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION
Northwest Missouri State University Class of 1987 – Maryville, MO
Ellsworth Community College – Iowa Falls, IA
Dowling High School – West Des Moines IA
Public Service: Double Oak Planning & Zoning Commission 2020
What motivated you to run for this position, and why are you the best choice? I have been a Double Oak resident since 2005. I have been in leadership roles most of my adult life. As a resident I have seen many great things happen in Double Oak. However, what has happened in Copper Canyon and the Vickery property is an example of a small township losing its vision for what it stands for and succumbing to the pressures of big development. I will work with the Mayor and the Town Council along with residents to protect the foundation of what Double Oak is never losing site of the standards that Double Oak has set with minimum acre lot size. The events of the past weeks with our electric challenges during the Texas winter freeze and why Double Oak residents are bound to certain providers is yet another example of a greater need for the residents and the Town Council to have open lines of communication to what is best for Double Oak and its residents.
What is your mission statement?Double Oak is a great place to live. The voice of all Double Oak residents matter. If elected to Town Council I will listen to what our residents needs are and work closely with the new Mayor and the rest of the Town Council for what is best for Double Oak, Texas.
Email: [email protected]
Casey Parsons, 40
Occupation: International Tax Manager/CPA
Education: Graduate of Marcus High School
B.A. in Accounting, Ouachita Baptist University
M.S. in Accounting, University of North Texas
Certified Public Accountant in Texas
Public Service: Current volunteer at COVID vaccine clinic with Denton County Medical Reserve Corps;
Purchased and prepared gift/goodie bags for children with cancer through Children’s Cancer Fund;
Volunteered with work colleagues for a variety of tasks such as park clean-ups, maintenance at Plano Environmental Education Center, Habitat for Humanity, and feeding the homeless at The Stewpot in Dallas;
Taught preschool at The Village Church for 5+ years; Volunteered with Middle/High school at FBC Lewisville
What motivated you to run for this position, and why are you the best choice?When I heard that Mayor Donnelly had chosen not to run for re-election, I knew the Town of Double Oak would be going through a period of change. Thankfully Councilmember Von Beougher stepped up to run for Mayor, and I am confident he will be an excellent leader through this time of transition. With the change in mayoral leadership and the upcoming Waketon Road construction project, I feel this is a very important time in our town and we need the proper people in place to help guide the process and ensure that Double Oak continues to be the small town we all love. As a CPA with 16+ years in public accounting and corporate tax, my experience will be an asset when working on the town budget, working to maintain our low tax rates, and during the road construction project.
What is your mission statement? I do not come in with the mindset of radical change. I love the small-town feel of Double Oak and want to keep it that way. I fully support our police and fire departments, and will fight to maintain the status of “Safest City in Texas.” I will work to maintain our low property tax rate and will focus on completion of the Waketon Road project.
Email: [email protected]
Scott Whisenhunt (i), 50
Occupation: Director of Engineering
Education: B.S. Electrical Engineering – Iowa State University
Public Service: I have been a resident of Double Oak for 20 years and during that time I have been proud to serve the community in the following capacity: 20 Years Double Oak Volunteer Fire Department (currently the Chief), 4 years on town council, over 20 seasons as a GLASA soccer coach, numerous mission trips with our high school youth, and finally 14 years teaching youth bible study from elementary school through college.
What motivated you to run for this position, and why are you the best choice?Double Oak is a special place to call home and I have been honored to serve on council for 4 years and on the VFD for 20 years. During my tenure on council we have edified our public safety that has DO as the safest town in Texas and a low ISO rating from the VFD lowering home insurance cost. We have accrued a balanced fund savings that is approaching 70% of our annual budget – and we did all this while lowering taxes. Finally, I want to mention the strong spirit and traditions of DO, other candidates will run on the platform of keeping DO the same; I share that goal but want to also strengthen that spirit that keeps DO strong. When COVID hit and we were unable to have the 4th of July Picnic, we didn’t give up – we hosted a 13 mile parade through town that brought the tradition to the residents! I don’t want DO to stay the same – I want more of that!
What is your mission statement?My primary goal is to continue to keep taxes the lowest in the county, remaining debt free with a strong balance sheet, all while not compromising on public safety and critical infrastructure. I will continue the tremendous work put forth in my four years of service that made Double Oak the safest city in the state, keep up our beloved traditions.
Email: [email protected]
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