WACO, Texas (KXXV) — Early voting is underway for the Waco City Council District 5 race, with election day set for next Saturday.
Incumbent George Chase and real estate agent Jack Zagunis are competing for the District 5 position, which represents neighborhoods including West Waco and China Spring.
Chase joined the council in June 2024 after being appointed to fill the vacant District 5 seat.
At a community forum last Tuesday, both candidates addressed their approaches to diversity, equity and representation in the city.
When asked about his training and experience in promoting equity and inclusion, Zagunis expressed opposition to what he called "woke ideology."
"This is probably going to be off, but I'm not into the woke sort of ideology that has been going on this country for some time. So I'm not going to be looking specifically for we're going to try to find the best people to do the best things. And we're not going to look at those types of things," Zagunis said.
Chase responded with his perspective on inclusive hiring practices.
"So I'll say that we always want to get the best person for the job. And that's a basic but I do think there's things you can do to be inclusive, and to Dr. Henry's comment earlier, that you can encourage people to apply for positions, and when you get a broader base of applications, you have a better chance of selecting, of making that happen," Chase said.
The candidates also discussed upcoming budget cuts, as the city works to reduce next year's budget by $24 million.
"So we have city Waco budget of $585 million over last year. I don't mean to minimize $24 million, but we're trying to make the best use of every dollar. A lot of what that will mean is like, for instance, one thing we're doing is not replacing, not replacing open positions. So it's not necessarily downsizing staff, but just not filling ones that are open. That's tough on everybody. But we think we're anticipating tough economic times coming up," Chase said.
Zagunis emphasized his support for smaller government and balanced budgets.
"I'm big on small government. I'm big on balanced budget. So when I get in the position, I'll get to look under and see what things are going on, of course, eliminate waste. A lot of that's done in administrative roles that have been patented over the years to completely fill budgets and and it's great that when they're letting people, when people are retiring or when they're quitting, that roles aren't being replaced, and we're able to do more with less people. And I don't think the resources need to increase," Zagunis said.
The council also has two seats running unopposed. Council member Darius Ewing will be reelected for the District 4 seat. However, Waco’s longest-serving council member, Alice Rodriguez, is not running again. Her District 2 spot will be filled by elementary school principal Isabel Lozano.
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