About Frank
A MAYOR THAT WORKS
O’Connell High School
Mean, old, salty nuns taught me unselfishness, compassion, and empathy.
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U.S. Marine Corps Veteran
Here, my Drill Instructors instilled in me the values, ethics, and confidence to lead Marines.
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Fighting Texas Aggie
Mean, old, salty ship captains taught me the value of patience, accountability, and prudence required of international maritime transportation.
Former City Councilman, District 3
My constituency taught me that safety, streets, streetlights, sewers, sanitation, and sidewalks are the most important priorities a city can have.
Small Business Owner
I am a fourth-generation entrepreneur. I understand hard times, recession, government intervention, and the higher power of the free market.
Woodworker
A hobby that reminds me that somewhere inside that old log is the greatest wooden indian ever carved.
Accomplishments and Goals
Traffic Flow
While I support flyovers bridges and generally smooth traffic flow, Galvestonians have lost far too many family members to accidents on our city streets. Your mayor should prioritize streets, stop signs, street markings, posted speeds, and speed enforcement. I don’t need a traffic study to know every intersection around Ball High needs a stop sign.
Infrastructure
As your District 3 representative on council, I supported our city’s 2017 Capital Improvement Plan to address drainage, streets, lighting, and facilities across the island. I am committed to establishing our next robust infrastructure plan to specifically address quality of life solutions in residential neighborhoods.
Drainage
Our 2017 capital improvement plan addressed drainage issues across the island. We funded new lines coming to the island, replaced century old wood and clay pipes, and funded multiple pump stations. As your next mayor, I will ensure that drainage and utility solutions are considered during the upcoming street, sidewalk and alley revitalization onslaught.
Parks
I realize our parks are keys to community. As your next mayor, I will fight for state and local hotel tax funding for our park system. My goal has always been for Galveston to offer a world class park system. I led the charge to secure historic landmark designations for our city parks laying the foundation for hotel tax expenditures in the neighborhoods.
Public Art
I served on the Arts and Historic Preservation board in 2016 and I support hotel tax funding for public art. City funds should be limited to city infrastructure and services. The kind of public art I like to see my tax dollars spent on is new sidewalks, streets, and drainage solutions in our neighborhoods.
Lodging Standards
Working with the Galveston Hotel Lodging Association, the Galveston Chamber, and various neighborhood associations, I was successful in passing an ordinance that instituted minimum standards for hotel and lodging facilities on the Seawall. By clarifying and removing frivolous regulations, hotels must now provide more parking spaces, amenities, and services to attract a higher standard of tourist.
Crime and Enforcement
Laws and ordinances are worthless without enforcement. Officer presence is the first and most benign level of force. Officers need to be visible, available, and proactive.
During my first term as your district 3 representative, I supported the creation of the Seawall and Downtown patrol zones for GPD. These positions were fully funded by hotel taxes and parking revenue, not our taxes. I also created the City Marshal’s Office to enforce municipal codes and generally clean up our neighborhoods.
Beaches
Our beaches are a natural wonder. They are the lifeblood of the city and as your next mayor, you can be sure that our beaches will never close. We will continue to nourish beaches and take measures to retain more of the sand. We will continue to expand the responsibilities and coverage of Beach Patrol to exceed our responsibilities under state law.
Key Issues
Back to Basics
Infrastructure
Streets, sidewalks, street lights, and drainage are the top issues for Galveston residents. As such, they will be top priorities for my first term as mayor. I will work with individual council representatives and neighborhood groups to develop a capital improvement plan to address the specific needs of each district. Chances are, you will be getting a streetlight on your block.
Tourism
Tourism is the economic driver of the city. I will continue to work to make Galveston a world class international destination. As mayor, will advocate in Austin to make hotel tax legislation consistent with the needs of our industry and our city. We’ll incentivize the hell out of tourism and tax the hell out of tourists. We will spend these gains on beautification, infrastructure, public art, and safety. This way, our property and sales tax can be free to pay for drainage, streets, sidewalks, alleys, curbs, and streetlights in our neighborhoods where we need them most.
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Neighborhoods
I will fight to secure dedicated funds for capital improvements specifically within our residential neighborhoods. As your next mayor, I will secure funding for neighborhood projects like streets, parks, lighting, sidewalks, and curbs. My goal is to secure $1 million dollars for neighborhoods every year through the adjustment of hotel occupancy tax rates and more resident focused interpretations of state law.
