Hollis Bone is bringing nearly 20 years experience to the ballot box next week. With a servant’s heart, he is moving forward in what he calls “an organic process” of leadership and support for the community he loves because he enjoys talking to people, being a resource for, and finding out what is important to them.
“I have never had a path in politics. I’m really just led by a passion for our city and I am always ready to take it up another notch. I started out as a volunteer and once I got involved, I always looked for new opportunities to serve. In 2008, when I became President of the Chamber, I got a taste for leadership so when that ended, I asked myself ‘What else can I do?’. With the fulfillment I get from every new challenge—what the city does, how it manages growth and uses its money—my desire to do more grows as well.”
Bone’s experience with the Planning & Zoning Commission and Economic Development Partnership has given him perspective on the diversity of the city’s revenue streams. “P&Z is the real meat of development in this city so for the past four years I’ve been gaining the knowledge of and experience with how everything functions, what the city’s needs are and how it all works. I have heard the concerns of my neighbors and it is very satisfying to be a trusted advisor to the people I’m accountable to. I can bring that value to the job on day one.”
Bone says the variety of Round Rock’s revenue streams are part of the reason the city has one of the lowest tax rates. “Growth is happening whether we want it to or not. We have a great thing here and we can’t stop the influx, so our challenge is managing growth in the best long-term interest of the region. We are past the need to recruit, so we can ask ourselves, is this going to be a good community partner that will be good for us in the long-term? We want companies that will bring good-paying jobs and contribute to the tax base to take the burden off the taxpayers.
“As a banker, I am naturally risk-averse and I see the challenges posed by too-fast growth. So, I bring fiscal conservative values, and will help maintain balanced residential-commercial split.”
Having raised a family in Round Rock, Bone wants others to have the same opportunity to own a home, attend good schools and get a job here to continue to build the city. “This is really a self-sufficient community and a great place to live. I will continue to focus our priorities on those thing that contribute to quality of life; amenities, connectivity, taxes and transportation options.
“Running the city is like running a business. It’s a big business, but that just means paying attention to details and financials on a larger scale and managing growth on behalf of the taxpayer. I’m a taxpayer too, and a finance nerd, so I will be a hawk on that diversity stream and will hold people accountable.”
Bone has also worked closely with first responders and will continue to prioritize the needs and resources available to maintain their effectiveness. “They have a different challenge in a growing community and I am looking forward to being a part of supporting their growth as well.”
Bone assures voters he feels lucky to live in Round Rock and have the opportunity to make a difference. “This is a volunteer job and I do it for the love of Round Rock.”
See page A11 for Bone’s service in office and check RoundRockTexas.gov for election information. Vote December 16.
