• Pasadena Mayoral Candidate:

  • Thomas Schoenbein

    Phone: 832-210-8075
    Email: thomas@thomas4pasadena.com
    Facebook: Thomas for Pasadena
    Instagram: thomas4pasadena
    TikTok: thomas4pasadena
    X:Thomas Schoenbein
    Website:     thomas4pasadena.com

  • Candidate Questionnaire​:
     
    1. What inspired you to seek this position? 
    Throughout my years as a business leader, active church member, and working as an elected official, I have learned the value of people helping people. There is no greater honor than serving people, especially where you can collaborate and tackle relevant issues that serve to make our community safer, more vibrant, and economically sound. My inspiration to run for office stems from a true desire to be a part of something greater than myself - to work alongside our amazing residents and businesses to make a positive and lasting contribution to our community. Working together to help others is not just the essence of public service—it's a fundamental pillar of human decency. Authentic leadership is about collaboration, compassion, and making a meaningful impact in the lives of those we serve. I firmly believe that there is no greater reward than building a stronger, more united community together, which is why I chose to serve as a councilmember for the past 8 years and want to continue serving you as the Mayor of Pasadena.
     
    2. What qualifications, experience, and leadership skills prepare you for this role, including crisis response, crime prevention, financial literacy, and public communication?
    I worked for the Phillips Chemical Company for 12 years, which gave me a deep understanding of the petrochemical industry. Additionally, I worked in retail for 20 years and was promoted to store director, where I learned the value of exercising fiscal responsibility, recruiting the right employees, and utilizing technology to make workflows more efficient. After retiring in 2018, I continued to expand my business portfolio by earning my real estate license, where I learned how important it is to connect with others. I am a proud graduate of the Pasadena PD's Citizens Police Academy, where I learned the intricacies of the PD's various processes. As a councilmember, I have responded to many incidents and natural disasters, like Hurricane Beryl and the Tornado of 2023. Being on the frontlines during the aftermath gave me firsthand knowledge of what has worked and what hasn't regarding the city's response.  These experiences have taught me the value of hard work, competent leadership, and effective communication both in person and in writing. I have given speeches and impromptu feedback at city and neighborhood events, business meetings, and daily contacts.
     
    3. What are your top priorities for the first 100 days if elected, and which city policies or initiatives will you continue or change?
    In my first 100 days, I will thoroughly review the city's budget, infrastructure projects, leadership structure, and workflows. A key focus will be improving the permitting process to enhance efficiency for residents, contractors, and businesses. I will also work with our Information Technology team to implement applications that increase transparency and streamline services, reducing burdens on city staff while making processes more accessible online and via smartphones.  I will review the Pasadena Convention Center project and engage stakeholders, including the Pasadena Livestock Show & Rodeo, the Strawberry Festival, and industry leaders, to ensure it meets the needs of our longstanding city events. Additionally, I will direct department heads to develop plans for improved customer service, incorporating public feedback to improve city operations.  To enhance Pasadena's appearance, I will form a city beautification committee tasked with recommending improvements. Beyond the first 100 days, we will continue reviewing policies and initiatives, ensuring Pasadena operates efficiently and effectively while prioritizing fiscal responsibility and community needs.
     
    4. How do you plan to embrace the city of Pasadena, including uniting City Council, foster collaboration, and ensure transparency in your leadership while effectively representing all Pasadena constituents?
    I will continue to operate with transparency and inclusiveness to ensure all voices are heard. As stated above, utilizing the right technology can assist us with transparency in our governance - social media, online real-time status updates, and smartphone applications are all options to keep everyone informed. As an elected official, I have learned so much, including that being a good listener and a consummate professional - even when we disagree - can be the foundation for finding common ground. Understanding that we can disagree respectfully and still work together for the common good is paramount. We are all here to represent Pasadena constituents and ensure we work together to provide a brighter tomorrow for our community.
     
    5. What actions will you take to increase the number of city projects awarded to small and local businesses? 
    I already plan to increase the efficiency of our permitting process. In addition, we will launch a "Pasadena First" initiative that will encourage local and small businesses to participate in the city's bid process. We will also utilize legal, permitting, purchasing, engineering, and planning to develop an educational program to assist our small businesses in learning the laws and local rules surrounding becoming an approved city vendor. In addition, quarterly training sessions could be hosted by the city to further benefit our small businesses. Understanding the vendor process or how to become a government contractor will increase the participation of our local businesses. By focusing on our Pasadena businesses first, we can support our local economy and jobs. When we say "Pasadena First," this means prioritizing our local businesses while keeping in mind that we must still operate with fiscal responsibility - meaning that our local businesses must remain competitive with their bids and proposals.
     
    6. What is your vision for Pasadena’s economic development, including plans for the convention center, city-owned land, and infrastructure improvements to encourage business investment?
    Our economic development should focus on attracting new businesses to Pasadena and proactively maintaining our city's infrastructure to support expansion. In addition, continued maintenance and beautification projects will make Pasadena more attractive to new residents and businesses. As stated, I will review the Pasadena Convention Center project and engage stakeholders, including the Pasadena Livestock Show & Rodeo, the Strawberry Festival, and industry leaders, to ensure the current plan meets or exceeds the needs of our longstanding city events. We can promote progress while ensuring that our city's history and heritage are remembered and remain intact. Regarding city-owned land, we should first carefully consider our city's future growth and development plans to assess whether or not properties should be preserved or sold. This should be a collaborative effort between city leaders and elected officials that should be extensively researched before making any final decision.
     
    7. Business-friendly policies rank as the number one priority for chamber members. What are your plans to streamline the permitting process and improve ordinances to attract and support new businesses while also improving flexibility for development in Pasadena?
    I will review the entire permitting process and ordinances relating to opening or conducting business in Pasadena to ensure they are relevant and up-to-date with current laws. Where we can improve or shorten the process, we will. We will utilize technologies and smartphone applications to add convenience for our residents and businesses. New businesses should be provided with an online or in-person checklist to help walk them through the required steps. We will also institute a method for obtaining feedback to continually improve our operations. Our goal is to ensure that new businesses are informed upfront of what will be required and that we operate with a customer-first mindset to help guide them through the process.
     
    8. What are your plans for improving and maintaining Pasadena’s infrastructure, including roads, sewage, drainage, water supply, high speed internet, and the power grid?
    Infrastructure and roadway improvements will be a strong focus of mine. Streets and roadways should be ranked by competent authority from worst to best so that we know which roadways to focus on first. With a limited city budget, prioritization is key, and identifying the right roadways can be accomplished through the input of our public works and our councilmembers. Traffic surveys will also assist in our endeavor to determine the most highly traveled thoroughfares. Roadway construction and improvement should also coincide with stormwater drainage to ensure streets remain passable during storm events. Improved green spaces will also help reduce flooding, protecting businesses and homes. Our water supply should be continually tested and monitored to ensure our community gets the highest-quality water. This will continue to be a collaborative effort between our public works and the City of Houston. The security of this system is also paramount, so monitoring technologies that detect unusual readings or leaks will be utilized.  While high-speed internet and the power grid do not necessarily fall under the city's purview, we will continue collaborating with providers to ensure our power and internet grids are strong and current.
     
    9. How will you leverage modern technology to streamline city operations, improve efficiency, and prioritize long-term growth? What specific innovations or technology solutions will you implement to enhance public services, economic development, and infrastructure management in Pasadena?
    Efficiency and transparency will be a cornerstone of my administration. City services will be streamlined and convenient by utilizing a revised web page, online resources, and a newly developed smartphone application. Live streaming of public meetings and forums, a question and answer section that is easily accessed, and improved social media services that are relevant and up-to-date will help keep constituents informed. We will also have a system to live-track city projects such as street and sidewalk repairs and drainage improvements so residents can see cost and completion percentages and timelines. We will also use web-based feedback tools to determine our performance and progress. As technology rapidly evolves, I will utilize our IT Department and a qualified Technology Strategist to implement technologies such as AI automation and cloud-based services to modernize our workflows. There are also security concerns, so we will work continually to safeguard these systems from hackers and virus attacks so that our digital information remains secure. We will also constantly review these systems to ensure they align with our current and long-term goals.
     
    10. Business and citizens alike require a secure city in which to work and live.  What is your experience and plan for public safety for Pasadena?
    As a Pasadena PD's CPA graduate and former store director, I have worked with our officers on both sides of the spectrum - as a volunteer and as one who filed numerous reports. Having a well-trained and equipped police force is just the beginning. We must continue attracting qualified applicants who are willing to serve our community in this capacity. To attract applicants, we must remain competitive in our compensation packages. It is also crucial to provide cutting-edge technology like tools to stop vehicular pursuits, additional drones, a real-time crime center, and less-lethal options to help protect our officers and citizens.  In addition to the police force, a well-trained and equipped fire department can save lives and property and keep insurance rates affordable. Promoting the rewarding role of being a volunteer fireman will help us recruit new volunteers. Working with our industry partners is also a critical component, as Pasadena is located in an industrial area and along a major shipping hub. Our mutual aid partners work diligently with us in times of crisis, and we will continue to encourage this partnership and reciprocate this assistance.
     
    11. How can the city ensure adequate healthcare infrastructure, including mental health care, hospitals, doctors, and accountability in healthcare services?
    To ensure adequate healthcare, we will start by fostering strong partnerships with our local hospitals, clinics, and providers. The city’s health department and our contract EMS provider should be involved with these efforts. Concerning EMS, we must continue to work with our properly vetted provider to ensure our residents have immediate care in times of a crisis. This contract should be thoroughly reviewed upon renewal to ensure it meets our city’s needs. We can also work with both state agencies and local non-profits to provide additional crisis intervention resources to broaden our mental health services. Posting valuable information relating to what services are offered on the city’s social media platforms can be a valuable way of letting our residents know what resources are available. We can also review the city’s ordinances and development policies to make sure we adequately accommodate the growth of healthcare facilities. One of my main priorities will be to establish expanded medical and mental health programs that serve our seniors and veterans. The cost of healthcare is a real concern, especially with those on a fixed income. Working with our medical partners, I am confident we can find solutions to better serve our community.
     
    12. Access to talent and workforce is the number one challenge facing Pasadena businesses. What role should the government play in workforce development, including investment in training programs and partnerships with colleges and the ISDs?
    In the last several years, workforce shortages and recruiting failures have plagued government and businesses alike. Finding new and creative ways to reach qualified applicants should be a priority for both our city government and businesses in our community. Regular collaboration between us and our local businesses could yield lasting benefits for all - a process our local chambers can spearhead. The city can also employ more intern positions to help students and young people learn about the local government processes and give them insight into whether a municipal government career is right for them. This process will involve us working with PISD and local trade schools and colleges. We should also work with non-profits to expand grants and scholarships to assist students in our community. We will work with our industry partners and small businesses to host job fairs and hiring events to help connect local talent with businesses seeking additional workers.    Our initiatives to keep current businesses and attract new businesses and residents through a better permitting process, city beautification, and improved communications will also help us all find new talent. Ultimately, this will have lasting impacts on our community's future and continued growth.
     

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