Candidate Name: Jessica Walden
Anna City Council: Place 3
Contact Information: jwaldenforcitycouncil@gmail.com
Interviewer: G. Brown
Date: February 21, 2026
Time: 8:15am – 9:45am
Location: Country Charm Coffee
Why do you want to become a City Council Member?
Candidate Walden believes she understands the needs and priorities of Anna’s families and neighborhoods because she is deeply connected to the community she serves. Her background has equipped her with not only the knowledge, perspective, and determination necessary, but also the empathy to make thoughtful decisions that strengthen the city’s future.
Jessica is ready to bring energy, accountability, and a strong voice for Anna’s residents to the City Council, working every day to protect the community’s values, support responsible “smart” growth, and ensure Anna remains a place to live that families are proud to call home.
Jessica is honored to offer the experience, leadership, and commitment needed to effectively serve the residents of Anna as the next Place 3 City Council Member. Through her professional career, dedicated volunteer service, and proven leadership in the community, she has built a strong record of understanding the struggles of others, working collaboratively, solving problems, and delivering meaningful results. Some of these experiences include:
- Current Leadership as Chairperson of Anna’s Planning and Zoning Commission
- Chairperson of Anna’s Home Rule Charter Revision Team (2025)
- Professional experiences
- A Certified Project Manager for the State of Texas
- Construction business
- Government and Municipal services
- City planning and development in a major city of the DFW Metroplex
Commitment to Communication and transparency with the residents of Anna regarding needs, expectations, and processes is a priority for Candidate Walden. Additionally, she appreciates the growth and development in Anna that has taken place at such a rapid rate. However, she highlights the need for the City Council to be more planful in considering the type, location, and how development continues.
Further, Jessica believes her approach to addressing concerns and issues is not only needed to facilitate a more collaborative approach to problem solving on City Council, but best serves our Anna Neighbors, which is the priority of local government.
Jessica’s ability to be a strong and reliable leader for Anna Neighbors as a City Council Member is built on her core:
- Experience and Proven Leadership in the private, civic, and volunteer sectors
- Willingness to get “down in the dirt” and understand opposing pints of view
- Commitment to Collaborate and build effective teams
- Being Solution Focused
- Proactive approach to find and access alternative funding sources
As a Resident and Candidate for City Council:
What is one thing in Anna for which you are particularly appreciative or proud and will work diligently to maintain or further develop as a City Council Member?
Candidate Walden shared her enthusiasm and appreciation for the growth and development that has taken place in Anna. However, regarding future development, she is highly motivated and dedicated to lead the City Council in displaying more consideration in planning, respect for residents of Anna and the ETJ, and understanding of future implications. She elaborated saying that future decisions regarding development need to be data driven, based on details, and reflect excellent judgment. Further, Candidate Walden, discussed the importance of considering:
- What type of developments are permitted in which locations
- Prioritize a commitment to the children of Anna and how various types of development affect them
- Further developing the main corridor that is Hwy 75 with retail and commercial projects
- Activating and developing along the main corridors of 121 and the Outer Loop with retail, commercial, and industrial projects
- Limiting further multifamily development to appropriate locations behind retail and commercial developments off major corridors and not adjacent to or in single family housing neighborhoods
As a City Council Member:
What one thing currently going well in Anna (other than prior answer), will you work diligently to continue?
Candidate Walden is particularly proud of the Anna Park System and the areas where access for Americans with Disabilities has been designed and integrated. She is an advocate for and dedicated to integrating ADA compliant features in Slater Creek Park, the parks developed in the future, and in the Anna Downtown District. Jessica shared that she believes the City of Anna is on the “right track” when it comes to planning access for Americans with Disabilities and further highlighted the strategy of following opportunities when they arise and keeping a slow but “steady” pace as the park system and city develops.
As a City Council Member:
What is one thing currently not going well in Anna, that you will work diligently to improve?
How will that look or change for you to consider it resolved and a positive for the Anna Community?
Candidate Walden raised serious concerns about the strain that Anna’s rapid population growth is placing on traffic infrastructure and underground utilities. She pointed out that Texas Highway 5 is already years behind what the city needs, despite earlier completion timelines provided by TxDOT. As the community continues to grow, she believes the city must act with urgency to keep infrastructure from falling further behind.
Jessica emphasized that her experience as a Texas-certified Project Manager, combined with her background in construction, has prepared her to tackle complex infrastructure challenges. Throughout her career, she has built a reputation for identifying problems early, developing practical solutions, and seeing projects through to completion.
Looking ahead, Jessica is calling for a more proactive and collaborative approach from the City Council. She believes the city should work closely with partners like TxDOT and other regional agencies to explore additional funding opportunities and innovative solutions to move critical projects—such as improvements to Texas Highway 5—forward faster. Her goal is to ensure Anna’s infrastructure keeps pace with its growth while protecting the quality-of-life our Anna Neighbors expect and deserve.
What Leadership Skills or Attributes do you have that will fill a need and improve the functioning of the City Council?
Jessica Walden believes she consistently displays strong communication skills and transparency with Anna’s residents, and these skills are essential to effective leadership. Jessica, a self-described independent thinker who leads by example, brings a unique background that provides the knowledge, perspective, and empathy needed to make thoughtful decisions that strengthen the city’s future.
Jessica is not afraid to “get into the dirt,” work through complex issues and bridge the gap between opposing viewpoints. By collaborating with others and listening to all sides, Jessica is committed to finding practical, mutually beneficial solutions to the challenges facing Anna.
Tell me of a time that you worked on a dysfunctional Board/Commission/Committee as a Member of such and facilitated a change for that Board/Commission/Committee to:
- Work together collaboratively and respectfully
- Follow laws, policies, and procedures
- Serve its mission well
Jessica related a time she addressed a challenging situation in which a significant divide had developed between two major departments due to the allocation of financial resources. The distribution created tension and animosity between the groups, resulting in a volatile working environment. Demonstrating strong leadership, Jessica engaged directly with both teams on site, facilitated open dialogue, and encouraged collaborative problem-solving. Through her efforts, the teams were able to identify an alternative approach that satisfied both departments, ultimately strengthening cooperation and producing a mutually beneficial outcome.
*Note: The specific leadership team on which each candidate worked and referenced is omitted from the summarized response by the interviewer out of respect for that team. The decision to do this was made independent of the candidates.
Tell me about your familiarity with and/or implementation of:
1) The Home Rule Charter
2) Resolutions & Policies of Anna (i.e., Resolution # 2010-11-05)
Candidate Walden is not only familiar with the Home Rule Charter—she has read it thoroughly and understands how it establishes and guides the city’s municipal form of government. She also recently chaired the committee that drafted revisions to the Charter, which were presented to the City Council and ultimately voted on by the citizens of Anna. Jessica utilizes and complies with the Home Rule Charter in her role as Chairperson of the Anna Planning and Zoning Commission. Further, she shared her awareness of the various roles, boundaries, and powers clearly established for the City, Mayor, City Council, and City Manager by the Home Rule Charter. Jessica affirmed, as stated in the Pre-Amble of the Home Rule Charter, that the:
- City of Anna is governed through local self-government and all civic authority is ultimately in the hands of the residents of Anna
- Citizens of Anna have adopted the Home Rule Charter to:
a. Establish a home-rule municipal government
b. Provide for the future progress of our city
c. Obtain more fully the benefits of local self-government
d. Provide for the public welfare
Jessica also affirmed, as stated under “Article 1. Form of Government and Boundaries” of the
Home Rule Charter that all powers of the City: - Are vested in an elective council, referred to as the “City Council”
- Must be exercised in accordance with the Home Rule Charter, or if the manner is not prescribed in the Charter, then in accordance with:
a. City Ordinances
b. State Law
c. Federal Law
Similarly, she is familiar with other Resolutions, and Policies of the City of Anna and has followed these in her role on the Planning and Zoning Commission.
*Note: For the residents and voters in the City of Anna, Texas, and other interested readers, the following sections of the Home Rule Charter are provided below (The full document is available on the website for the City of Anna):
Preamble
Form of Government
PREAMBLE
We the citizens of Anna, Texas in order to establish a home-rule municipal government, provide for the future progress of our City, obtain more fully the benefits of local self-government, and provide for the public welfare, adopt this Charter in accordance with the Constitution and statutes of the State of Texas; we further declare the residents of the City of Anna, in Collin County, Texas living within its legally established boundaries, to be a political subdivision of the State of Texas, incorporated forever under the name and style of the “City of Anna” with such powers, rights, privileges, authorities, duties, and immunities, as are provided in this Charter.
ARTICLE 1. FORM OF GOVERNMENT AND BOUNDARIES
1.01. Form of Government
The municipal government provided by this Charter is the “Council-Manager Government”. Under its provisions, and subject only to the limitations imposed by the State Constitution, the statutes of this State, and by this Charter, all powers of the City are vested in an elective council, referred to as the “City Council.” The City Council may enact local legislation, adopt budgets, determine policies, and appoint the City Manager, who is responsible to the City Council for the execution of the laws and the administration of the City government. All City powers must be exercised in accordance with this Charter, or if the manner is not prescribed in this Charter, then in accordance with City ordinances and state and federal law.