Tom Ambrose — Candidate for Wylie City Council
Tom Ambrose is the husband of Yan, who is a Chinese immigrant, and a father of three children, Erica (8), Michael (6) and Allison (2). Tom grew up in Southern Minnesota. He has lived in many parts of the United States — Iowa, California, North Carolina, overseas — Taiwan and mainland China, and Texas.
Tom would bring strong leadership to the City Council, from his experience as an Army officer as well as from his many corporate management roles. Through these varied experiences, he has found that it is best to strive for humility as a leader. Humility helps keep him open to input from all those he serves, and he works to surround himself with the best possible talent to bring overall success to the team.
Tom believes that his engineering and project management background can help guide the city in its selection and management of new developments as the city continues to grow.
Tom prioritizes diversity and seeks to ensure that Wylie will continue to be a city which welcomes and values all of its citizens regardless of ethnicity, gender, religion, sexual orientation or political beliefs.
Q&A With Tom Ambrose
Why do you want to serve on the Wylie City Council?
I love Wylie and I want to see it continue to grow in a good way. The prior council members, Mayor Hogue and the numerous citizens on the committees have done a great job to build a clean, safe, and friendly city. I also give high marks to the Wylie City Government, city services, and local police and fire departments. I am grateful to those who have worked so hard to build a great place to live for myself and my family. I want to join the Council to keep the city safe and beautiful as it grows.
What are your educational and work backgrounds?
I have a B.S. Degree in Ceramic Engineering from Iowa State. I have worked in the semiconductor industry as an engineer and as a manager for the past 25yrs for various companies, including Texas Instruments and Qorvo in Richardson.
I was also a member of the Army National Guard from 1986 through 2002. I started out as an enlisted member and achieved the rank of Captain by the time I was honorably discharged. During my service in the National Guard, I actively drilled in Wylie for some time with an armor unit.
What leadership qualities do you bring to the post?
As mentioned before, I have held leadership roles in both industry and the military. Through various experiences, I have found that it is best to strive for humility. In doing so, I am open to input from all those I serve, and I work to surround myself with the best possible talent to bring overall success to the team. I am also a dad, with a wonderful wife and 3 children ages 8, 6, and 2. Through this role I have gained empathy for those who work daily to provide for their families and give their children all that they will need to be successful in life.
What do you see as the most pressing issue facing the city?
The COVID-19 virus is still a major threat to the well-being of the citizens of Wylie. It impacts both our physical and economic health. The city has done a great job in preparing for and responding to the ongoing health crisis. However, we are not out of the woods yet. The city needs to remain vigilant to protect the physical health of the Wylie citizens and to be responsive to assisting local businesses, industries, non-profit organizations, and individuals with economic assistance when needed.
In what area do you think you would make the biggest contribution? Why?
I believe that I can do much to help find the middle ground and common good among issues that are brought before the Council. I grew up in a small farm town in Southern MN but I have also lived in one of the largest cities in China. My college experience and different jobs have taken me across the US and the world, from MN, IA, CA, TX, Taiwan, Shanghai China, NC and back to TX. In all these places, I found great people with common goals to provide their families with the best possible lives. From this diverse experience, I believe that I can help find the common good in all people here in Wylie and do my part to help build a community that gives them the good life that they seek for themselves and their children.
Collin County is one of the fastest growing counties in the state. What should the City Council do, if anything, to address population growth?
I believe that the city council needs to plan ahead and invest well for the future of Wylie.
I have witnessed the dramatic change in Wylie since first coming to the city for my National Guard drills in the 1990’s. I am happy to see that Wylie has grown in a good way. I feel fortunate to live here with my wife and 3 kids.
The City of Wylie has done a great job to build a safe and clean city that still foster’s a small-town spirt. As part of the council, I would support continued investments in the city’s infrastructure, fire and police departments, historic downtown, parks and recreation, and its links with education such as Collin College. As the population of Wylie grows, I want to be sure that the same great city that Wylie is today is there for my children as they grow up.
Should the City Council try to attract more businesses? Why or why not?
Yes. Local businesses and industries are the life blood of the community. Local sources of employment help retain people, especially younger people, to the city. Wylie’s small businesses, restaurants, entertainment venues, and small industries provide a great revenue stream to the city and do much to build the sense of community. With successful local businesses, the people of Wylie do not just live here, but also want to stay here.
What would you like to change, if anything, about the city budget and taxation?
After reviewing the city expenditures, I would not promote changing the tax rate at this time.
The largest expenditures for the city are for the Police and Fire Departments. Over 40% of the city’s tax revenues go here. Both of these departments are excellent. I sleep well at night knowing that my family lives in a safe city with the best professionals and facilities for our protection. The next largest expense item is the city debt service at about 16%. This is another area where cuts are not apparent. Wylie must continue to make good on the commitments it has made in the past which allowed it to have the wonderful city center we enjoy today.
The only change that I can see at this time is to be more conservative with future expenditures that can be deemed as nice-to-have. While continuing to promote investment in safety and infrastructure, I would advocate for delay in large bond measures for recreational facilities unless they can be paid for within a short time frame. As the city pays down its existing debt, new bond measures toward additional recreation facilities could be discussed.
How will you work with residents to earn their trust in city government?
I am a resident of Wylie and I trust the city government because I like what I see. I am happy that my kids have a safe town to grow up in. I enjoy the great activities such as Bluegrass on Ballard and the main street festivals that the city sponsors. As a council member I would work to continue these events.
Another part of liking-what-I-see is through the city’s communication. I trust the city for its financial transparency. Anyone can see where their tax dollars are going through the property tax calculator on the city’s website. Knowing where the money goes is key to building trust. In addition to the great website tools, I would promote having this information included in the city’s printed newsletter.
What changes should be made, if any, to city services? What would it take to make these changes?
As the city grows, there will be greater needs related to information technology. The city website is very good, but it requires continuous updates. The changing conditions, especially with Covid-19, show the need for additional web master support. I also look for more city support of IT infrastructure to allow Wylie to take advantages of future 5G networking.
I would advocate for an increase in funding for the city’s developmental services. Wylie has much to offer. Through the Wylie development group, new city business and property development can bring in additional revenue to the city and help grow the city in positive ways.
The funding for increases to the IT and development groups could come from additional tax revenues as the city continues to bring in more households. The money spent for the development group can more than pay for itself by fostering high revenue projects for the city.
What other important issues are facing the City Council, and how would you address them?
Another aspect of population growth is the change to a more diverse demographic makeup. I see diversity as a key strength of the United States. As Wylie grows, I would work to foster a friendly, welcoming community which is open to people of all ethnicities and backgrounds.
I am open to addressing other issues as they come up. I would seek input from other Wylie residents to find ways to best serve their needs. I believe in the saying that being born with two ears and one mouth, I need to listen at least twice as much as I speak.
