ODESSA, Texas — As of July 16, two candidates are vying for the Odessa Mayoral seat following current Odessa Mayor Javier Joven's campaign announcement. Cal Hendrick, a local lawyer from Odessa, also put his name in the hat in early July.
"What motivates me is something that one of my mentors, the late Jimmy Ward, who owned Cashway, inspired me when he said I was 8-9 years old," Joven said. "He said that I'm part of a team and I'm an integral part of the team. Everyone on those teams are integral, whether you're on the bench, whether you're starting or not starting, regardless of where you are in the field, you're an integral part, and in the seasons there is the first part and the second part. When I ran in 1995, I used those principles in 2020 as mayor and elected. I see this as two seasons. First season being four years and the second season being the next four years and that's what motivates me. I want to be able to finish the season."
Cal Hendrick is a West Texas native with roots in Odessa dating back to the 1880's. Hendrick has spent the last 35 years practicing law and during that time he also became a certified mediator. For the past six years, he's also served as the regional director of Risk Management Solutions for McAnally Wilkins Inc. This election year is Hendrick's first venture into city politics.
"The truth is, before I was so busy working raising my family, I had other commitments," Hendrick said. "I've been very active in both the community and state, doing different board roles and it just seemed like the time was right for me to engage. I want to serve my community..."
BREAKING DOWN PRIORITIES
Current Odessa Mayor Javier Joven:
"I've always stick to the game plan that I've had about being transparent with reducing the extracurricular activity that the city has over decades and decades had basically put money into and gotten away from the five core principles, which is police, OFR which is fire department, roads, water and sewer, and those are critical," Joven said. "The thing is you have to get to a point where you are financially sound to make those investments where you burn the citizens the least. Oftentimes we've seen government at all three levels, whether it's the local, the state or the federal, that the first thing that politicians will do or government entities is go out there and just ask for more money and raise the tax rate. That should be the last resort, and you should find resources out there to be able to address those five core principles."
On July 16, the City of Odessa allocated $25 million in uncommitted funds from savings for the city-wide valve and line replacement project.
Joven said the city has gone through an audit and used an internal mechanism to identify its current finances.
"... What we've done is [this month] we started the first project that is from Business 20 which is 2nd St. So all the way down to Poole Rd. which is Crane Ave," Joven said. "Crane Ave. is one of the oldest infrastructure that we have in the city, and it's a complete remake from the roads to the infrastructure."
According to Joven, the city has limited the growth of government. One example is when it consolidated two additional departments within the city from risk management and HR into one.
"The other thing is that we're growing our economic base through sales tax with retail," said Joven.
For the full interview including Joven's additional areas of focus, his take on transparency and more, see below:
Candidate Cal Hendrick:
"I think the most important thing to Odessa is water," Hendrick said. "We live in a desert. We are many miles from a lake in a river and when you live in a place like Odessa and you're in the desert you have to be very sensitive to water, water conservation and water use."
Hendrick voiced his concern with the recent issues with the water system in Odessa. Most recently after the city shut off its entire water system because of a leak in a water line.
"I think some city leaders have always known that our infrastructure is aging and old. Cast iron pipe should should last 50 to 70 years and almost all of ours are older than that," Hendrick said. "There's a master water plan that was prepared in the 2018, and it was completed in 2019. And so there's actually a plan in place, but from my view, it's not been enacted... I think we are making a critical mistake by not focusing on our pipes and our water system."
Hendrick attributed his experience to his efforts towards unifying the city.
"I want everyone to be on the same page, at least moving in the same direction, and that's with regard to infrastructure. That's regard to roads. That's regard to trash, that's regard to really what can we do as common citizens so that we have a place in the state and in the nation where Odessa is the place to be," said Hendrick.
"This is where people want to be and need to be. Why? Because there's so much opportunity out here for everyone and I think we can have a huge draw bringing talent to this area and then moving our economic status up to will become the number one oil producer in the nation...," Hendrick said. "Number one across the entire world, the production of oil and gas to help fuel this country and help fuel the United States."
For the full interview including Cal Hendrick's additional areas of focus, his take on transparency and more, see below:
Monday, October 7, 2024 is the last day to register to vote. Early voting begins on October 21.