Candidate Name: Susan Jones
Anna City Council: Place 5
Contact Information: (305) 757-5234
Interviewer: G. Brown
Date: March 27, 2026
Time: 6:00am – 7:30am
Location: Country Charm Coffee
Why do you want to be a City Council Member?
Candidate Susan Jones comes from a strong family legacy of servant leadership, which continues to shape who she is today. She feels strongly about this legacy and that this is the time for her to run for Place 5 of Anna’s City Council. Susan’s values guide both her personal and professional life, including a deep commitment to:
- Servant leadership
- Caring for others
- Integrity
- The courage to stand up for what she believes in
Susan has a proven record of service in the community. She currently serves as a Member of the Anna Parks and Recreation Board (2023–present) and as Chairperson (2024–present). She has also been an active member and volunteer with the Anna Chamber of Commerce since 2015.
In addition, Susan has dedicated time to her faith communities in several leadership roles, including:
- Assistant to the Dean of Bible School
- Lead Coordinator of Media Team and Services
Susan’s professional strengths and leadership skills include: - Strategic insight and long-term planning ability
- A solution-oriented approach to complex challenges
- The ability to anticipate outcomes and develop contingency plans
- Strong project management skills
- Maintaining composure and clarity in high-pressure situations
Candidate Jones believes she can utilize her leadership skills to facilitate a more effective City Council by facilitating:
- Improved planning
- Intentional goal setting
- Stronger collaboration with key stakeholders, including landowners and TxDOT
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 Jones has served as a member of the Anna Parks and Recreation Board since 2023 and as Chairperson since 2024. She is both proud of and deeply appreciative of the exceptional park system that has been thoughtfully designed, developed, and enjoyed by residents throughout the City of Anna.
In her role as Chairperson, Susan has built a strong personal connection to the park system, demonstrated effective leadership, and shown a steadfast commitment to not only maintaining but also enhancing Anna’s parks for future generations.
As a City Council Member, she aspires to:
- Continue fostering a strong, collaborative relationship with the Parks and Recreation Board
- Support the expansion of interconnected parks through trail systems, incorporating unique features such as sensory stations to better serve individuals with special needs
- Ensure ADA compliance is fully integrated into all existing and future park developments
- Promote continued parkland dedication as a key component of future community development
As a City Council Member:
What one thing is currently going well in Anna (other than prior answer),
will you work diligently to continue?
Candidate Jones is grateful for the remarkable growth and progress the City of Anna has experienced, now recognized as one of the fastest-growing cities in the nation. She commends the City Council and staff for their efforts in managing this rapid expansion. At the same time, Susan believes the Council can further strengthen its impact by working in a more collaborative, strategic, and forward-thinking manner. By doing so, Anna can continue to thrive—preserving its strong sense of community while expanding the amenities and opportunities that benefit all families, both now and in the future.
Susan is particularly passionate about fostering increased commercial and industrial development. She recognizes that a strong business base is key to easing the property tax burden on residents, providing financial relief for families, and enhancing the quality and variety of city services and amenities.
As a City Council Member, Susan will bring a results-driven and proactive approach to managing growth. Her strengths include:
- Strategic planning with a focus on both immediate needs and long-term sustainability
- Developing effective plans alongside thoughtful contingency strategies
- Clear goal setting and accountability
- Building stronger collaboration with key stakeholders, including landowners and TxDOT
- Identifying and securing alternative funding sources, such as federal and state grants
Susan is committed to helping Anna grow in a way that is intentional, balanced, and beneficial for every resident.
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?
With Anna experiencing unprecedented growth, Candidate Jones is deeply concerned about the increasing strain on the city’s traffic infrastructure and utilities. Keeping pace with this rapid expansion has proven challenging, and residents have consistently voiced concerns that infrastructure development is falling significantly behind rising traffic demands.
This gap is affecting several critical areas:
- The efficiency of traffic flow management
- The safety of drivers and pedestrians on Anna’s streets and thoroughfares
- Delaying commercial and retail development along key corridors such as Hwy. 5 (Powell St.) and the Outer Loop, due in part to TxDOT delays in planned expansions
- The timely expansion of major city roadways, including Ferguson Parkway, Rosemond Parkway, and Hackberry Drive, to safely handle current traffic volumes.
Candidate Jones believes it is the responsibility of City Council, city staff, and community stakeholders to act collaboratively with urgency—not only to prevent further delays but to proactively plan for and meet future growth needs.
Susan’s proven track record in strategic planning, goal setting, and accountability—combined with her experience managing complex projects—positions her to serve effectively on City Council. She is committed to working collaboratively to develop practical solutions, identify alternative funding sources, and ensure infrastructure projects are completed efficiently and on time.
What Leadership Skills or Attributes do you have that will fill a need and
improve the functioning of the City Council?
Candidate Susan Jones exemplifies servant leadership as a foundational core value. Throughout the years, she has made a meaningful and lasting impact in every community she has called home. Susan believes her leadership skills are especially needed on the City Council at this time. Susan leads with compassion, integrity, and thoughtful planning. She demonstrates the courage to stand firm in her convictions while maintaining composure and professionalism, even in
challenging situations.
Candidate Jones brings the following key leadership strengths to the City Council:
- Active respectful listening
- Strong collaboration with fellow council members and community stakeholders
- Strategic short- and long-term planning
- Intentional goal setting with clear vision and purpose
- Effective implementation supported by consistent administrative follow-through
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:
1) Work together collaboratively and respectfully
2) Follow laws, policies, and procedures
3) Serve its mission well
Susan described a situation in which the leadership team was not dysfunctional, but rather disorganized. To help the team collaborate effectively and stay aligned with its mission, she intentionally applied several of her leadership strengths. She focused on identifying available resources and assets, ensuring the team made practical use of what they already had. She also emphasized validating others, which helped build trust and encouraged open communication among team members.
Additionally, Susan worked to reset attention to the task at hand whenever discussions became unfocused, keeping the group productive. She maintained a solution-oriented mindset, guiding conversations toward actionable outcomes rather than dwelling on problems. Finally, she looked for areas of agreement, using common ground as a foundation to move decisions forward. Through these strategies, Susan was able to foster collaboration and help the team achieve outcomes that worked well for all members while supporting the overall mission.
*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 Jones comments reflect that she is quite familiar with the Home Rule Charter. She has read it and understands how it establishes and guides Anna’s municipal form of government. Susan has used and followed the Home Rule Charter in her role as member and Chairperson of Anna’s Parks and Recreation Advisory Board. Further, she was a member of the committee that drafted revisions to the Charter (2025), which were presented to the sitting City Council and ultimately voted on by the citizens of Anna.
Further, Candidate Jones 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. Susan 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
Susan also affirmed, as stated under “Article 1. Form of Government and Boundaries” of the Home Rule Charter that all powers of the City:
1. Are vested in an elective council, referred to as the “City Council”
2. 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 those pertaining to her role on the role on Anna’s Parks and Recreation Advisory Board.
*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.