Voters had clear choices. They stated clear preferences. A full council is now in place, and it's time to move on. Saturday's polling may have eliminated a counterproductive detour, but the election in itself did not solve Abilene's problems, which remain substantial. Our water supply is depleted and endangered, threatening local residents' quality of life.
Economic development seems stalled, largely because our water shortage limits expansion.
From City Hall must emerge the leadership to guide Abilene through these tough times. Hire an economic development director. This vacant position should be filled with a person of experience who can see the progress Abilene is capable of and who can direct us there. Although the water shortage is one of the main forces hampering economic development, so is the city's outdated, labyrinthine zoning and building code. We need an economic development director to guide the code rewrite process so that it more easily says yes to sensible economic growth instead of putting up so many barriers that say no.