Below are profiles for the two candidates vying to be Bellaire’s next mayor. This begins InstantnewsBellaire.com’s Q&A Series, which runs until the November election. Do you have a question for city council candidates? Please email any questions to agrant [at] instantnewsbellaire [dot] com.
Cindy Siegel
Cindy Siegel said she is running to be Mayor again because the economic downturn has introduced “immediate challenges” to the city that require experience and leadership to overcome. Since three other council positions are up for grabs in November, Siegel said her experience will be valuable.
“I think there’s still more work to be done,” she said.
Siegel is a certified public accountant who owns an accounting firm that serves small businesses and individuals. She was elected to the Bellaire City Council in 1997, and she served as a council member until she was elected Mayor in 2003. Siegel has also served on various other boards and commissions for the city and other organizations.
Siegel said she thinks the most important issues Bellaire is currently facing include finishing the comprehensive plan, improving streets and drainage, and replacing worn out city facilities. She said the economic downturn is beginning to affect Bellaire, and the city council must be careful with spending money.
“First, what will be important is that we really manage the financial condition of the city,” Siegel said. “Even more than we have in the past in terms of really conservative spending.”
According to a campaign finance report that Siegel filed on Oct. 1, she has raised over $2,000 from Bellaire residents, whose contributions ranged from $20 to $300 each. So far she has spent just under $1,400 on printing yard signs for her campaign.
Robert Riquelmy
Robert Riquelmy decided to throw his hat in the ring for Mayor of Bellaire because he can’t stand to see just one candidate’s name on the ballot, he said. He believes voters deserve a choice.
Riquelmy said he is running “to correct the many deficiencies I see in the government, foremost of which is public safety.”
He has lived in Bellaire for 34 years, and owned and operated his own carpentry consulting company for 30 years. Riquelmy served on the city’s Building and Standards Commission from 2001 to 2002. He also ran for mayor against Siegel in 2007. Since he announced his candidacy, he has attended and spoken at many city council meetings, and attended board and commission meetings.
Riquelmy also thinks continuing street and drainage improvements are important in Bellaire, but he said that public safety will be his number one priority if he is elected. He cited recent police shootings and said the city needs to correct some problems, even if it means raising taxes.
“The first thing to do is to have enough money to offer and demand first-class talent. The second is to train and supervise that talent professionally,” Riquelmy said. “I wouldn’t rule out raising taxes, because we can’t go around hurting people like that.”
According to a campaign finance report that Riquelmy filed on Oct. 8, he has not raised any money for his campaign, and so far he has spent $14.88.
