Join Local Councilman Phil Vaughan and our host, Kevin Hadas in an insightful discussion on small business funding, EDC initiatives and pressing political issues in Universal City. In this podcast episode, we dive into the challenges faced by local small businesses and the initiatives taken by the EDC to support them. Councilman Phil Vaughan shares his experience and knowledge of local politics and addresses some of the critical issues that impact the community. Tune in to get valuable insights and stay informed!
Local Politics Episode 10: Interview with Phil Vaughan
There are new faces on Universal City Council, and one of them is a “No” man. Phil Vaughan is a chartered public accountant, a newly elected member of the Universal City Council, and he’s the special guest on this episode of the Local Politics podcast! He tells Kevin and Jason about what he’s learned since being voted onto the board and what his plans are for the future of Universal City.
Phil tells Kevin and Jason about how he was motivated to join the board when he discovered that the board rarely dissented on major issues. He unpicks his election campaign and shares his perspective on the board from the vantage point of his accountancy background.
The guys get into some nitty gritty discussions about Universal City Council’s latest decisions, including whether the golf course should still be run by local government and which businesses in the city center would benefit the most from tax cuts and government funding. Stay to the end of the episode to hear why Phil is against the Judson School District Bond and what his closing message is to his fellow council members.
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Timestamps
[0:57] Welcome to the podcast, Phil!!
[3:07] Phil talks about his first months in office
[5:50] Being the councilmember that says “No”
[8:05] So, why were there two new councilmembers at the last election?
[13:13] “I was very naive”: Phil’s assessment of his own campaign and why he’s not going to change his tactics
[17:02] Grilling Phil: What’s the deal with the golf course’s venue tax?
[22:22] Getting a vote on the venue tax
[26:10] “Should the government run a business?”
[28:11] A perfect segue into discussing a new senior center
[30:44] “Spread the cash”: Redesigning the downtown area of Universal City
[34:27] Kevin explains why planning and zoning can get in the way
[37:20] The $250,000 Aviation City masterplan
[40:00] Is it better to give funding to new or existing businesses?
[44:52] How Walmart came to town
[46:03] Phil reveals the secrets of the Pat Booker Pub Crawl
[49:35] Question from a listener: “Why couldn’t we get a Judson Bond sign in your yard?”
[52:20] The culture shift in the Judson School District
[54:23] Why Phil was against the Judson School Bond
[56:55] What impact will Greg Abbott’s property tax reform have on the local area?
[1:02:30] So what happens when your government isn’t in power?
[1:04:29] Phil’s closing words to his fellow councilmembers
Highlight Quote
“I was very naive, I was kind of dumb. I thought that I would just throw a website out there, I’m going to say “Here’s my points” and people would either vote for me or not vote for me. Well, right away I made a key mistake. I was too specific and I said “Hey, let’s do some of these things” and people started picking away at me”.
Phil Vaughan, Local Politics podcast (13:15)
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