18-year-old candidate seeks mayor's seat
By Paul A. Anthony (Contact)
Thursday, March 12, 2009
J.W. Lown raised eyebrows when he became the youngest mayor in San Angelo history - and one of the youngest in the nation - in 2003 at age 26.
William T. Bryan Jr. wants to blow that record away.
Bryan, slipping in under the Monday deadline for filing in what is now a three-man race, is 18.
"It's a great city," the Central High School senior said. "I just think there needs to be some changes the mayor doesn't see. ... Sending him letters doesn't fix that."
Bryan joins Lars Nyberg, himself just 25 and a student-teacher at Central, in opposing Lown, the powerful three-term incumbent who has reached the ripe old age of 32. A fourth candidate, King Walker, withdrew Tuesday.
Bryan said he wants education improvements to be the focus of his campaign, although as mayor he would have essentially no say over what the San Angelo Independent School District chooses to teach its students.
"Central High School is known for pregnancy rates," Bryan said.
"There needs to be a lot more education on teen pregnancy before high school. ... Once you point it out, the school board and everybody will see that it needs to be done."
He also said he would increase funding for the San Angelo Police Department to attract more police officers and reduce crime.
The nation's struggling economy also would be a focus, Bryan said.
"I'd like to guarantee most of the people living in San Angelo that they hopefully won't lose their jobs," he said, advocating incentives and meetings with struggling local employers looking to shed jobs.
The San Angelo Development Corp. already provides incentives for businesses to retain and create jobs with money from the voter-approved half-cent sales tax.
The mayor, a voting member of the City Council, is elected at large. Beyond that, the mayor position itself is largely ceremonial. City government is managed by City Manager Harold Dominguez, with input from the seven-member council. The position pays $600 a year. The mayor serves a two-year term.
Bryan said he plans to campaign when school allows and raise money. If he wins, his last few weeks in high school would be as mayor-elect of San Angelo.
"Going to school is pretty much a job," he said. "I've got weekends and every night."