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Rosenberg Councilor District 2

NonpartisanServes a 2-year term of office, and is elected only by voters in a specific geographic district.The City of Rosenberg operates in a Council-Manager form of government. Key Responsibilities of a Councilor of a specific district: (1) Ensures that residents have one council member specifically accountable to their district. (2) Serves as a direct representative for the residents of their district. Together with all Council Members and the Mayor: (1) Enacts policies and local laws. (2) Provides fiscal oversight, adopts a budget, sets a tax rate, and manages city funds. (3) Hires the City Manager. (4) Appoints members to Boards and Commissions. (5) Guides the city’s growth.

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  • Candidate picture

    Steve DeGregorio
    (NP)

  • Candidate picture

    John Burlingame
    (NP)

Biographical Information

What training, experience, and characteristics qualify you for this office?

What motivates you to be on the city council?

Which 2-4 categories of city services should be prioritized for improvement? What would you do to address these priorities?

How will you support aging neighborhoods while guiding responsible new development?

How will you work to support economic development, and promote existing and new businesses?

What are the most critical issues in your district and how will you address them?

What other critical issue do you think is important to your community, and how will you address it?

I have served for approximately 4.5 years. I worked with a budget as a chemist for an engineering company. I have been through 4 city budgets through the time I served. I have worked as a professional on multimillion dollar projects. I have been involved in wind farm projects on the east coast and overseas.
Fiscal responsibility is very important to me. Federal spending on waste and fraud motivates me. I can't do anything about the waste and fraud by congress other than vote, but I can make sure there is no waste and fraud in my city and the people in my district and city.
Public safety, water, sewer, public health, planning and infrastructure. We have a crime prevention control district on the ballot for the May election. I believe a steady stable water supply is essential for a healthy population. You cannot have a healthy, population without clean water. I believe that planning for the future of the city with forward thinking is vital for keeping up with all services as the city grows.
I absolutely support ageing neighborhoods. Services and attention should cover all neighborhoods. We are very selective when it comes to developers. I support single-family high-quality homes, not builder grade homes, which only builds to the minimum standards in order to transfer the title or deed. The new construction can be very sub-par with certain builders. I will do all I can to avoid builder grade construction.
Currently we have several commercial projects we are working on. I am not at liberty at this time to discuss them, but they will all bring jobs and growth to the area. When I get re-elected, I will sit on the economic development group.
Drainage and flooding along with water distribution and sewer system upgrades are important. We have many projects to mitigate flooding issues in the city. We are also improving sewer systems and water distribution. Mobility is another. We work in hand with the county for road improvements and mobility projects. We have many road projects in the planning and engineering stages.
Crime. As I said earlier, we have a crime prevention control district that is on the May ballot. If or when it passes it will fund the police department independently from city without having to go to the city for a budget adjustment every time they need something.
My qualifications come from thirty years of business ownership, contract management, and community service. I built installation businesses serving 18+ Lowe's locations, 14 Toys R Us stores, and contracts across Southwest Texas — while battling a debilitating undiagnosed illness I ultimately solved on my own. That refusal to quit defines how I work. I served on Rosenberg's Planning Commission and understand how this city grows. As a spatial learner, I see patterns others miss — I don't just read a development plan, I see it. Rosenberg needs someone tested by adversity who kept building anyway. That's who I am. Equality for all.
Transparency and accountability affect every resident. I've called Rosenberg home since 2012, own the only bike shop in town, and served on the Planning Commission. After announcing, I faced a Stop Work Order and false tax claims a tax official confirmed improper. If they do this to a candidate, they'll do it to anyone. That's why I'm running.
Drainage, Infrastructure, and Fiscal Transparency. DRAINAGE: Rosenberg has no city-specific watershed study. We spend money treating symptoms, not causes. I will get that study done and make decisions based on science, not guesswork. INFRASTRUCTURE: A lawsuit shifted city maintenance from proactive to reactive — waiting for residents to report problems. I will restore proactive assessment. Prevention is always cheaper than emergency repair. FISCAL TRANSPARENCY: Residents deserve to know how their money is spent. I am calling for an independent audit of all city finances. Trust requires evidence, not assurances. Equality for all.
New development and aging neighborhoods must benefit each other. Having built homes for Plantation Homes, David Weekley, and D.R. Horton, and served on the Planning Commission, I understand both sides. Developers need cooperation; they have resources our neighborhoods need. Texas cities use Community Benefit Agreements — binding frameworks requiring developers to invest locally. Rosenberg hasn't. I'll negotiate those terms instead of rubber-stamping approvals. Growth should lift everyone.
Rosenberg's economic future runs through the RDC — the only city entity that brings in commercial revenue. Every business that opens here flows through RDC. Cutting RDC funding in half is damaging. Economic development money should not offset budget gaps. Defunding the only commercial revenue engine doesn't solve a problem — it creates a larger one. I've built homes for major developers and served on the Planning Commission. My commitment: fully restore RDC funding and ensure growth benefits all residents — not just those with the right connections. Equality for all.
Flooding, failing infrastructure, and lack of accountability are daily realities in District 2. These problems share a cause: decisions made without data or transparency. A watershed study addresses flooding at its source. Proactive maintenance catches failures before emergencies. An independent audit confirms District 2 taxes are spent on District 2 problems. The critical issue isn't any single failure — it's a pattern of prioritizing the path of least resistance over residents' needs. That changes when District 2 has a council member who demands answers. Equality for all.
Trust. Rosenberg is growing, but growth without trust creates division — between new and longtime residents, developers and neighborhoods, city hall and the people it serves. I've lived here since 2012, run a business, and served on the Planning Commission. This campaign showed what happens without accountability. Rebuilding trust requires open meetings, honest budgets, and council members who treat residents as partners. That is the standard I will hold and push this city to meet.