Mike Ingram
Biographical
Spouse, children and/or other family:
Spouse: Sylvia. Daughters and son-in-law: Catherine and Lawson Lawrence and Megan Harrison. Mother: Wanda Ingram.
Age: 60
Years a Texarkana, Texas, resident: 56
Top three degrees and/or educational achievements:
Texas High School, 1977
University of Texas at Arlington, 1979-1981
Champions School of Real Estate, 2019
Current job/employer and top three occupational achievements:
I’m a commercial agent with NAI/American Realty. Prior, I was the Director of Property at E-Z Mart for 20 years. I sold over $40M in real estate and convenience stores; I negotiated the purchase of multiple stores in single transactions; I secured the purchase of multiple new convenience store sites within this region.
Top three examples of your civic or community service:
Past President of the Harvest Regional Food Bank
Past President of the CHRISTUS St. Michael Friends of the Foundation
Past President of the Literacy Council of Bowie and Miller Counties
Political
Top three examples of your political experience:
I’m not a politician, just a citizen that loves Texarkana and is answering the call to serve our community! I believe my business experience, along with a concern for the well-being of the citizens who call Texarkana home, makes me a great candidate for this office.
Why are you running for office?
I was the Real Estate Director for 20 years at E-Z Mart Stores, an operation of over 300 stores across five states. During my time at E-Z Mart, I gained invaluable knowledge of dealing with Planning and Zoning issues and worked with many City Councils to gain the most desirable outcome for both my company and the city. As Texarkana grows, I feel we need a Councilman that has my kind of experience and will move our city forward by bringing new business and industry here that will complement existing business and create more jobs with good salaries.
What are your top three goals if elected?
When elected, I will immediately dive into the city’s budget and learn what projects we currently have approved. I will follow-up to make sure these projects carried through to completion and evaluate any future needs the city has.
I’ll reach out to the residents and businesses of Ward 6 and make sure the city is meeting their needs. I also encourage the residents of Ward 6 and all of Texarkana, Texas, to reach out to me if they have a concern or question that needs to be addressed.
And lastly, I will faithfully work with the other Council Members so that the decisions we make will benefit Texarkana as a whole.
Issues
Much of Texarkana’s growth is happening in Ward 6. If you are elected, what principles would guide your decision-making regarding managing that growth?
Zoning in our city is very important for controlling the growth in a favorable way and protect our current values. The citizens and business owners will play an important role in my decision making on any planned development in Ward 6.
In Ward 6 in recent years, proposed housing developments for low-income residents have met opposition. What is your position on allowing such developments in the ward?
I attended the Council Meeting the night the low-income housing was voted on. I heard the residents of Ward 6 voice their main concerns that night: traffic congestion an apartment complex that size would bring to those two-lane roads. The infrastructure cannot possibly handle that type of traffic, and I would vote to deny that request if it ever comes up again.
And concerning property values, there is no doubt that when an apartment complex, or any other type of business, is built within an area around single-family homes, the property values will go down. I will oppose any project that jeopardizes the property values of Ward 6, period!
What needed infrastructure improvements are high priorities in Ward 6?
When elected, I will immediately find out what the highest priorities concerning infrastructure improvements are needed. At this time, I honestly don’t have the history to know the answer to this, but rest assured I will when elected.
What is your position on the involuntary annexation of land into the city limits?
Annexation is a hot button issue, and I will listen to our citizen’s concerns and complaints. We know that cities can’t grow without annexation, and there are good and bad things that go along with it, so I will listen to what our citizens have to say about each circumstance.
What can the City Council do to promote business and economic development?
I was recently at a Real Estate Conference in Fort Worth and spoke with many big developers at that conference and promoted Texarkana. Being in the Real Estate profession, I will continue to give hands-on time to personally be involved in bringing industry to our city. I’ll also work with REDI, the Texarkana Chamber of Commerce, and TexAmericas to help our city grow with new job opportunities.
Under what circumstances, if any, would you support an increase in the city’s property tax rate?
I promise to exhaust every effort not to increase the property tax rate. It would be an absolute last resort!