Corbin Van Arsdale Seeks To Retain Mayoral Post In Cedar Park

CEDAR PARK, TX — The 2020 election is heating up across Texas, and there are plenty of races with candidates eager to serve in elected office. Eyes are primarily focused on the presidential election, but voters will also decide the outcome of key local races.

In Cedar Park, Corbin Van Arsdale is running for Cedar Park mayor.

Age: 50

Party affiliation: NA

Family: Wife Stephanie; daughter Madeleine (24); Dawn (22); Savannah (20); sons Brooks (23) and Dylan (22).

Occupation: President & general counsel of a statewide business association for 12 years.

Previous elected experience: Currently mayor of Cedar Park, CAMPO board.

Previous experience: Council member, state legislator, CAPCOG (chair), BCRUA, Parks board, 4B Community Development board.

Family members in government: None.

Campaign website: corbincedarpark.org

What is the single most pressing issue facing the city, and what do you intend to do about it?

Whether our city will be run by our residents and taxpayers — or whether our city will be controlled by Council Member Tim Kelly by electing his buddies. I believe, strongly, our city should be run by our taxpayers and residents — not controlled by one individual and certainly not by a fringe extremist. I plan on addressing this by winning re-election and by changing our ordinances and charter to create consequences when a council member publicly and personally attacks or threatens residents, staff, and fellow council members.

What are the critical differences between you and the other candidates seeking this post?

I have 13 years of experience serving others in elected office, my opponent has none. I have 9 years serving our city as a mayor, council member, and board member—my opponent has none. I’ve also served our city on the CAMPO board, BCRUA board, and CAPCOG board (including as Chair). I believe in listening to all our residents not just those who share my opinions, and I also believe in being truthful with residents—my opponent has done the exact opposite of these things.
With COVID uncertainties and complexities still very much being worked through, this is not the time to put someone with zero city experience into the mayor position. Listening, knowledge, discipline, stamina, non-partisanship, and a steady hand are what our city needs right now as mayor.

What accomplishments in your past would you cite as evidence you can handle this job?

Our city is consistently ranked as one of the best suburbs in Texas and the US to live and raise a family. Just last week WalletHub ranked Cedar Park as the 9th best small city in the US to live and the 3rd best in Texas. In the last seven years I’ve served on our city council, we’ve accomplished the following:

• Cut our property tax rates 8 consecutive years, to a 24-year low
• Managed COVID
• Added funding to our police and fire depts every year
• Got approval from CTRMA, CAMPO, and TXDOT and $75,000,000 in funding for 183A frontage roads
• Paid off millions of $ in debt
• lured employers and jobs to our city (James Avery, Hyliion, AMI, Firefly Aerospace)
• made it easier for residents to address council in meetings
• put campaign contributions and expenditures online
• put a revolving-door ethics ordinance in place to prevent council members from profiting off their public service when they leave office
• launched our Bell Blvd redevelopment project
• Brought in biggest economic development project in Cedar Park’s history: $2.4B Indigo Ridge North/US Tennis Assn-Texas HQ
• Implemented first-ever mayoral town halls
• Implemented first-ever citywide homestead exemption
• Conducted first-ever citizens survey (results were outstanding)
• Created first-ever funding stream for drainage/flood control projects
• Added trails and our largest city park: Lakeline Park
• Built Fire Station #5 and expanded the Police HQ
• Made changes to police Investigations and Patrol divisions based on independent consultant’s comprehensive study and recommendations
• Helped sexual assault victims no longer have to travel to Bell County to get proper medical treatment—will get it right here in Williamson County
• Require candidates and officeholders to file personal financial statements to disclose financial conflicts

What steps should city government take to bolster economic recovery from the coronavirus pandemic for local businesses?

We must do everything we can to help our local businesses survive. We as a city distributed $200,000 of our 4A money to our local businesses in grants. We also successfully got our county to distribute $25,000,000 in CARES money to our businesses. We can also find ways to temporarily relax regulations that will help them with customers and revenue. COVID-19 is the most challenging thing I’ve had to handle in public service. But our businesses are our lifeblood. We have helped them, and we must continue to do so.

How will you address the calls for racial justice and police reform?

We must always ensure that our residents and employees feel represented, that we’re listening to them, and that our city government — including our police — treats everyone fairly and respectfully. We don’t see the same degree of issues on this in our community like are happening in the large, inner cities. Our city is still small enough that our police officers are very much enmeshed in our community. Our officers live in our city, and our residents know their faces, their names, and their families when they run into each other out in the community. Our police department has gone above-and-beyond in getting cutting-edge training—for example, with implicit bias and how/when to use force. And we must continue to do that. We’ve also made huge strides in recent years towards a more diverse city council and city boards and commissions. That is the Cedar Park mindset.

List other issues that define your campaign platform:

Increase ethics/transparency for our elected officials

Help bring our community together, not divide it
Establish term limits for mayor
Advance our large, complex projects towards completion
Respect and work with all our residents and stakeholders
Take care of Cedar Park's issues, not neighboring cities'

Cut our property tax rates for the 9th consecutive year
Prioritize our public safety, parks & trails, jobs, and mobility/traffic

What else would you like voters to know about yourself and your positions?

I’m a 5th-generation Texan, married to Stephanie, and we have five children. I’m the current Mayor, and a former council member and state legislator. I’m president of a statewide business association. I graduated from UT-Austin with degrees in Finance and Law—and lettered in baseball. I’ve lived in Cedar Park ten years and have loved raising our family here. Cedar Park is a fabulous place to live, and I’m honored to serve our residents.