Victoria Johnson: Burleson City Council Place 1 Candidate (Incumbent)

Overview of the incumbent seeking a second term against Veteran and Burleson Police Department volunteer Steve McAnally for Burleson City Council Place 1 in the May 4 local election

Burleson City Council Place 1 incumbent Victoria Johnson is running for reelection for a second term in the May 4 election. 

Since being sworn in after defeating Burleson’s longest-sitting city-council member, Stuart Gilespie in the 2021 election, Johnson has enjoyed being on the city council and wants to continue doing the work she enjoys. Ultimately, she’s running again to continue to serve the community she grew up in and is raising her family in. She hopes her work serving Burleson can make the city a community her kids want to raise their families in, she said.

The best part about serving in local government, Johnson said, is how close she is to the people she’s serving. “You’re going to see me at the dance studio or at HEB or at my kids’ school,” she said of being accessible to her constituents.

“We’re the most accountable to the people because we’re the closest you can get to the people,” Johnson said.

Johnson described her first term as really good and informative. She said she learned a lot.

One of Johnson’s notable first-term learning experiences was the passing of the largest bond in Burleson’s history, an $86 million general-obligation bond for public safety and transportation. Johnson thought the bond package was put together and pursued “hastily.” She suggested the bond process was “rushed” when the city council chose the Burleson Police Department headquarters-expansion plan in October.

The City was supposed to spend $36 million of the $52.4 million public-safety portion of the 2022 bond on the police headquarters-expansion project and is now spending $41.5 million on it after costs increased.

Recently Johnson’s been criticized for preferring the $41.5 million expansion option rather than the most-expensive — $53 million — option that would include everything the police department asked for. Johnson loves that Burleson holds its police in high enough regard to be so invested in their needs for expansion.

“We are a very pro-law enforcement community, and that is great,” she said. “I love that we back the blue.”

Johnson said she supports the police in their day-to-day as much as she can — including supporting upgrading their equipment (firearms, body cameras) — but it’s the city council’s job to be responsible with tax dollars.

“Ultimately, we can have needs, and we can have a great plan for when we’re going to phase things in, but ultimately it comes down to the bottom dollar,” she said.

Johnson’s opponent, Steve McAnally said he would’ve chosen the $52.3 million option that included everything the police asked for on the headquarters expansion and cut more from the city’s budget. He said he doesn’t think the $41.5 million option is adequate, specifically because it doesn’t offer room for 20 years of growth and because it doesn’t involve building a new building, which he thinks is very important.

Johnson wasn’t alone in her apprehensions to spend as much as the police asked for.

“There’s nobody up here in Council that doesn’t want to give the police everything they need, but some of the numbers is enough to choke a mule,” Mayor Chris Fletcher said at the October meeting.

“I carry the responsibility of spending tax dollars very seriously, and I don’t want to seem like I’m not being responsible when everyday people have to make cuts,” she said at the meeting.

The police-headquarters expansion is just one of the issues on Burleson voters’ minds though. Another issue is the city’s traffic and infrastructure, which Johnson sees as a major focus for the city council going forward.

“Right now the biggest need is infrastructure,” Johnson said. “It’s blinking loud at us.”

Johnson believes her role as the North Central Texas Council of Governments Executive Board Secretary-Treasurer will help Burleson address traffic and transportation issues.

“It enables [Burleson] to have a voice and a seat at the table,” Johnson said of her role on the NCTCOG board.

Serving on the NCTCOG board and serving on the city council are the two latest government-service roles Johnson’s filled. She’s worked at every level of government except County.

“Every hat that I’ve worn ultimately was about serving and helping people,” she said.

Johnson serves in government because she believes her interest and natural understanding of government gives her the ability to address citizens’ concerns and explain government processes to citizens, she said. And as long as she has that ability she said she believes it’s what she should spend her time doing.

“I see this as an opportunity to be a resource and a connector between the local government and the people,” she said.