Rob Anderson (Mayor)

What inspired you to run for mayor?

I never expected to run for public office. I was a successful banker for 25 years, and when I retired from banking I started my own law firm. It was in my volunteer attorney work that I really began to see how economic inequality translates to unequal treatment in the justice system. With everything that’s happened in the last four years – the racial injustice, climate denial, wealth inequality, the disproportionate impact of the pandemic on the poor and people of color, and the surge in voter suppression efforts – I felt that government had gone pretty far off the tracks, and that I had to do more. Then Jan. 6 happened, and everything changed. For the first time in my lifetime, I felt that our democracy is fragile, and that I had to work to protect it, for my generation and, more importantly, for that of my kids. For me, that meant getting involved at the local level.

When I learned that our current Mayor would be stepping down, and that a conservative member of our City Council would be running for Mayor unopposed, I thought that was undemocratic, and frankly pretty shameful for a city of our size and sophistication. Coppell voted to elect Joe Biden as President. At the very least, I felt our voters deserved to have a choice when selecting their next Mayor. So I decided to throw my hat into the ring.

My family and I love Coppell, and we think it’s a great city that deserves engaged, diverse, and progressive leadership. Fiscal conservatism is great, and as a Chartered Financial Analyst I absolutely stand behind our responsible financial management. As Mayor I will take very seriously my duty to be a responsible steward of our finances. But we can’t just hang our hat on fiscal conservatism. We have a changing electorate, and they want a more inclusive city. We need a Mayor who will work hard to engage everyone in our community – regardless of race or religion, regardless of who they love or their gender identity, regardless of ability or disability. That’s the Mayor I want to be. Not because I’m entitled to it, but because it’s what the people deserve.

What experiences prepared you for the role of mayor?

As I mentioned, I’ve had 25 years of experience in banking, and am now in my fourth year running my own law firm. I’m also a Chartered Financial Analyst, which is a rigorous, very technical 3-year certification process. I’ve dealt with clients from the very wealthy to the very poor, and I’ve successfully navigated countless complex transactions and adversarial negotiations. But more importantly, I’m a lifelong learner, and when I decide to do something, I put everything I have into it. Several years ago I decided I wanted to learn to speak French, so I taught myself. I took up running in law school, have completed 22 marathons in the last 10 years, and still run at least 30 miles a week. I try to read a book a week and have done for my whole adult life. When I retired from banking, I didn’t pick up my golf clubs – I decided to become a lawyer. I started studying Texas law, passed the multi-state and Texas bar exams, and started my own law firm serving modest means clients. So, can I learn the technical aspects of what I need to know to be Mayor? Yes, of course.

But I also know that it takes more than technical knowledge to be a good Mayor. It takes listening and understanding. It takes creative problem solving. It takes a tolerant heart and a servant leader mindset. And it takes a desire and a drive to find common ground to bring people together. These are the life skills I’ve developed over the course of my personal and professional journey, and the skills I hope to bring to the Mayor’s office.

What are the biggest issues currently facing Coppell?

Our city has been hard hit by the pandemic. Our businesses have suffered, families have lost friends and loved ones, and our kids have been set back by over a year of distance learning. We must do everything we can to protect our citizens, get our businesses back to full capacity, and get our kids back to in-person learning as soon as possible. The only way to do that safely is to get everyone vaccinated as soon as they are eligible. So for me, getting everyone vaccinated has to be Priority #1.

Priority #2 is to help those who’ve been hurt financially by the pandemic, and get some of our vacant storefronts back in revenue-producing business.

Priority #3 is to fight for Coppell’s interests against overreach by our Statewide leaders in Austin. The list of bad decisions coming out of Austin is long and growing, and they run the gamut. There are voter suppression bills, bills to allow permitless carry of firearms, and bills that would prevent cities from effectively advocating for ourselves. There are laws that undercut our ability to collect sales taxes and responsibly finance our city and our schools. As Mayor, it would be my duty to protect the health and safety of all Coppellians, to protect their right to vote, and protect our city’s fiscal health. 

What are your plans to address these concerns?

Vaccines – I would use every resource available to reach out to citizens and educate them about the safety and efficacy of vaccines, and the importance of everyone getting vaccinated so that we can all get back to normal. We need to find people where they are, whether through social media, through their churches and community groups, or at their front doors. I would also work to make sure that everyone knows how to register for and get the vaccine, and I would seek out volunteers to help those who need it, whether due to language barriers, lack of access to the Internet, lack of transportation, or what have you. The vaccines are there – we have to make sure that everyone knows how to access them, and that we get shots into arms. 

Pandemic financial assistance – There’s still money left from the 2020 CARES Act to assist residents with rent or mortgage assistance, utilities assistance, and food assistance, which is available through the city’s contract with Metrocrest Services. Those hurt financially by the pandemic can see if they are eligible for this aid by visiting the COVID-19 page of the City’s website. Coppell also stands to receive another $9 million under the 2021 American Rescue Plan (ARP), to be paid out half in 2021 and half in 2022. The city may need to use some of this money to backfill pandemic-related revenue shortfalls, but it can also be used for a wide range of other spending, including business assistance, essential worker pay, even infrastructure. Deciding how to use this money will be an important job for the new Mayor and city leadership.

Getting our vacant storefronts back in revenue-producing business – As Mayor, one idea that I would really like to explore is to set aside some of the $9 million of ARP money for special grants to help start new small businesses, including minority and women-owned businesses. The city could stand up an incubator program, engaging the Chamber of Commerce, area landlords, and seasoned business owners in the community to review and advise us on grant requests, and to mentor founders. I’ve seen mentoring programs like this work really well in other small cities. Such a program would not only serve to support new founders, it would also be a great opportunity to leverage the wisdom and experience of retired business leaders who make Coppell home. Landlords would be asked to offer modest rent abatements as a condition of their participation in the program. The priorities would be to create businesses that contribute to a vibrant city experience, that residents would want to patronize, and that would utilize otherwise vacant space. The entrepreneurs’ chances for success would be greatly increased through the mentoring process. The program could be a real win-win for the entrepreneurs, the landlords, the mentors, and of course, for the city.

Austin overreach – This most pressing issue here is the current fight over Rule 3.334 and HB4072, the Internet sales tax issue that would cost Coppell millions. This is going to be a tough fight, and we can’t go it alone. We’ll have to build a coalition of citizens, businesses, other cities, and progressive legislators, and we may end up forced to litigate. This will not be a quick or an easy road, and we may not be successful. But we owe it to our citizens to fight a good fight, and to give it everything we’ve got.

How would you describe Coppell to a stranger?

I would say this: Coppell is a tranquil, idyllic North Texas community of about 40,000 people. We have lots of beautiful parks and trails and highly-ranked public schools. We are a wonderfully diverse community with many different viewpoints, but we all agree on one thing: We love this city, and we’re all trying to do what’s best for our community, each in our own way. We are thoughtful, kind and neighborly. Our kids feel safe in school and on our streets, and they have a solid foundation on which to build their own futures, as Coppellians and as citizens of a changing world.