Six candidates have filed for two two-year terms on the Village of Salado Board of Aldermen. Salado Village Voice features candidate profiles and questions and answers with the candidates leading up to the election, which will be May 2. Candidates will appear on the ballot in the following format: Gail Allard, Michael McDougal, Linda Reynolds, Rick Marruffo, Kevin D. Shoun and Jeff Vancura. Question 1: One of the first things you will do as an alderman is hire a new City Manager for the Village. What are the qualities and qualifications you are looking at in hiring that position? What is the salary range you are willing to pay for a qualified candidate? (100 words) Question 2: As a newly elected alderman, you will inherit a $900,000+ Escrow payment due to a developer. How can the Village pay this debt and maintain its budget and other obligations? (100 words) Question 3: As newly elected alderman, you will have to review and plan for the FY 2026-27 budget. What are your priorities in adopting a budget? (100 words)

Gail Allard

Question 1: I would be looking for a City Manager candidate that has experience in leading similar sized towns that have needed rapid growth management. Someone that can maximize what we already have in the Village and be smart about how we direct growth for the future. Someone with outstanding patience, strong communication and willing to be as transparent as legally possible.
Question 2: I don’t like walking into a debt situation, but if we are on the hook for $900k+, we need to negotiate payback terms that are agreeable to the developer and manageable with our budget. 20 year low interest payoff term? I don’t think anyone wants new taxes.
Question 3: My priorities in budgeting for this year and the future would include public safety as being top priority. We need to maintain our low crime and make sure our law enforcement has all the support it needs.
I also think it’s important to maintain a healthy parks and public works department to keep Main Street looking attractive to our residents and visitors. What ever we do, we keep it in the black and as transparent as legally possible.

Michael McDougal

Question 1: The employment of a City Manager is the single most important decision the Board will make. A manager’s degree in Public Administration is most desirable but is not an absolute requirement in determining qualifications for this position. This individual should possess a high degree of integrity with specified management skills, such as problem solving and communication.
Due to the restraints of the current city budget & candidate experience, the salary range should be limited to $100,000 to $140,000.
Question 2: Since this Board has inherited a $900,000 + Escrow payment the Board must work out an agreement with the Developer to repay the debt in annual segments of six to seven or more years. The development of the budget will then complete an annual evaluation of the budget commensurate with Village minimal requirements. A strong fiscal analysis must be completed as it relates to department requirements. This may encompass budget reductions in some categories. First and foremost, the absolute minimum requirements must be established in all aspects of the budget. As the Board works through the budget, the overall need of the Village must be considered. Safety, health requirements, personnel requirements and overall village requirements must be established and funded.

Linda Reynolds

Question 1: A new Administrator for the Village should be honest, with no previous felonies, no lawsuits from previous employment, or federal harassment cases hanging over his or her head. We should pay the person what we paid Mr De La Rosa or Mr Nelson with a two year contract. I would prefer a recent (5 years experience)graduate with a desire to settle into our community.
Question 2: Since January 2026, the nearly million dollars is in our bank as an escrow account for Mr Collins’ enterprise. Just as the BOA is being asked to release an escrow account for the Sanctuary (4/16 meeting), at any time, the Collins family, probably with a lawyer’s assistance, may request the funds be returned. (Ps…I would not vote to return Sanctuary escrow;they have not completed all the handicap requirements! My insurance bill arrived, and I have a pretty big increase. Just as I must pay my bills and make do, so must the Village.
Question 3: Priorities? No new taxes. Actually, I’d like to see the Village offer some tax breaks(incentives) to any business or developer who wants to develop a business along Salado Plaza Drive, or Main Street north of Pace Park and bring a sales tax creating entity into those areas. Too many empty lots and empty buildings exist there. We need Eastside Village growth!

Rick Marruffo

Question 1: Skills required of a city manager. A city manager must be financially disciplined. Experience with tight revenue, prioritization, and long term planning. Clear, concise, and honest communication skills are a must. They need experience with utilities and infrastructure. Experience and education in emergency and crisis management. Experienced problem solver, resourceful at creative problem solving. (very important) They must have integrity, accountability and complete transparency. They also must show a long term commitment mentality and history. I feel a good starting salary for a town of our size is $140,000.
Question 2: The “$900,000+ Escrow payment due to a developer” question is complex at best. Because the details to the public are limited, I will answer the question with the information that I have. As far as I know, there is NO contract stating what the funds were for. The burden is on the family to prove that the money is required to be refunded. If the money is returned, it could possibly harm the village irreversibly. I would not vote on an action that would harm the village or its citizens.
Question 3: My top priorities for the FY 2026-27 budget in Salado are straightforward: fix our infrastructure, protect public safety, and restore fiscal discipline. Roads and drainage must come first—they impact safety, property values, and daily life. We must fully support police and emergency services without compromise. At the same time, I believe in transparent, responsible budgeting, focusing on core services over non-essentials. As Salado grows, we need to manage that growth wisely, ensuring development pays its way and preserves our village character. Finally, we must diversify revenue so we’re not overly reliant on property taxes.

Kevin D. Shoun

Question 1: The most important quality is independence. Someone who will enforce the rules equally, regardless of relationships or politics. Salado needs a City Manager with proven municipal experience, strong financial oversight skills, and the backbone to bring real transparency to village operations. They need to understand small-town budgets, development agreements, and how to work with both residents and developers without playing favorites. Just as important, the Board has to let them do the job. We can’t keep cycling through leadership. For salary, $125,000–$150,000 is the right range. You get what you pay for, and underpaying is how we end up right back here.
Question 2: This is an inherited obligation, and the new Board has to deal with it head-on. Step one is getting full clarity on the terms. What’s owed, when, and what flexibility exists. From there, I’d push to negotiate a structured payment plan rather than draining the budget in a single hit. The Village generates roughly $980,000 annually in sales tax revenue, and we should evaluate what incoming development is contributing to offset the impact. We also need to pursue every available grant and partnership opportunity. What I won’t support is raising property taxes on residents to cover this, our combined tax burden is already high enough.
Question 3: Roads are priority one. The Village’s own pavement and drainage assessment identified $30 million in needed repairs across our road system. That’s not a wish list, that’s an engineering report. We need to follow that plan, prioritize the worst-rated roads first, and commit consistent annual funding to make real progress. Second, the escrow obligation must be accounted for honestly, not buried. Third, I won’t support property tax increases. Our Village rate plus Salado ISD already puts a real burden on families. We need to maximize TxDOT partnerships, grants, and development-generated revenue before we ever look at the tax rate.

Jeff Vancura

Question 1: I’d look for someone that wants to spend the rest of their career serving Salado. Alderman and Mayors are in service for 2-year terms. We need a strong City Manager & Office to provide consistency and continuity in how the Village is managed. It’s important that the potential candidate has demonstrable skills applicable for the role. They must also have the ability to Lead & Direct projects on the Village’s behalf. Their focus should be Salado First. Salary commensurate with experience and duties.
Question 2: I wouldn’t comment on any payment without first reading the contract executed and the services the Village signed-up to provide for the payment made.
Question 3: I’m open to doing a bottom up budget which would require us to examine and question all the expenses we pay-out. Holding an open forum on the proposed budget should also be standard before approval such that we hear any concerns or comments on what is being proposed. With those process principles stated, I’d want to make sure we have a fully funded Police force, capable City Manager & Office, funds to help promote Salado’s economic development set aside, and a multi-year plan to address infrastructure issues such as roads.