McLendon-Chisholm Candidates Face Off at City Hall Forum Before May Election

Seven candidates competing for four seats in McLendon-Chisholm's May 2 general election laid out their positions on growth, roads, and city finances at a public forum held last Wednesday at City Hall.

Chisholm Crossing Neighborhoods organized the event, which ran from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. and was moderated by Tony Crawford. The forum was recorded and published to YouTube, giving residents who could not attend in person a chance to evaluate candidates before early voting begins.

The ballot covers four races. In the mayoral contest, Jerry Brewer faces Floyd McLendon Jr. For City Council Place 2, Dennis London and Trudy Woessner are competing. Erin Easter and Mike Hermansen are on opposite sides of the Place 4 race. Rich Dean is the candidate of record for Place 6.

Infrastructure dominated the evening's agenda. Smith Road and Connie Lane improvements emerged as specific projects candidates addressed, reflecting capital budget debates that have played out in recent council sessions. Growth management and fiscal oversight rounded out the core topics, themes that have surfaced repeatedly as McLendon-Chisholm navigates development pressure from within Rockwall County.

The city's elected leaders set local zoning policy, determine which capital projects move forward, and define how McLendon-Chisholm coordinates with county-level infrastructure planning. The outcome of all four races on May 2 will directly shape those decisions, particularly on road improvements that residents have pressed the council to prioritize.

Voters can review the full forum recording online, and the city's election page posts candidate campaign-finance filings and sample ballot materials. Residents with questions about voter registration or polling locations can contact the McLendon-Chisholm city clerk or Rockwall Votes.