Will Steve Massengale Run for Mayor + Lubbock Redistricting

Wednesday on Sunrise LBK with Dave King and Tom Collins, Lubbock City Councilman Steve Massengale joined Dave and Tom to talk about city flags and branding, the question of if he will run for mayor, the new district lines in Lubbock, attempting the street bond again, federal money, and more.

The conversation started when Massengale was asked if Lubbock has a city flag. He said that Lubbock actually has twoflags, and that once the municipal court, the plaza in front of Citizen's Tower and the work east of the parking garage is done, they will have a set of flag poles that they can have flag ceremonies at. He also gave a reminder that Lubbock has an ongoing rebranding effort taking place, which you can even hear about in the Lubbock Branding Podcast.

Another question that was asked was if he plans on running for mayor. The councilman answered that he has not actually made up his mind, as there are several things to consider. He explained that being mayor is a full-time job, and that he has a couple of businesses that he would like to remain successful.

Additionally, Massengale has been discussing it with his wife and family, as he knows that sometimes the stress of being a public official can follow you home. He said he will go through the right motions before making a decision.

Dave and Tom then asked about Mayor Pope and Councilman Griffith, who each have decided will not be running again. Massengale said that he imagines that Pope will take a break, and that he wishes Griffith would run again, as he does a great job representing his district and serving the city.

Staying on the topic of districts, Massengale was asked what the new districts will look like after the approved vote. The councilman said that it can be hard to describe over the radio, so he encourages everyone to go to the city website and see for yourself, as which district you reside in may have changed. Massengale believes that they have found a good balance that doesn't look gerrymandered. He went on to say that there was a challenge since Districts 1 and 2 lost a lot of population, while Districts 4 and 5 grew substantially. That can be attributed to the ripple effects that can come from small changes.

Yet another topic that was discussed was the council's plan to try to do the street bond again. The bond did not pass in the previous election.

Massengale explained that they are in discussions about what needs to be done because, despite the fact that the bond did not pass, the streets still need to be fixed. The councilman also said that he is often approached by people who tell him those streets still need to be fixed.

When trying to figure out why it did not pass previously, Massengale believes that many did not understand what was actually in the bond, as it had confusing wording, as well as some thought Broadway did not need as much money as was being allocated to it. Despite the fact that, if they try again, it will cost more money than it did previously, he hopes that next November they can give it another go.

Listen to the full interview with Councilman Steve Massengale in the audio above.

Sunrise LBK with Dave King & Tom Collins airs weekday mornings live, from 6 to 8:30 a.m. on News/Talk 95.1 FM and 790 AM KFYO, online at KFYO.com, & on the free KFYO app.