How will Stafford balance its budget and attract new businesses to bolster its economy and revitalize key retail spaces? How will Stafford Municipal School District work to navigate the COVID-19 pandemic and fill in educational gaps for students who have fallen behind?Â
Candidates for SMSDâs Board of Trustees and Stafford City Council addressed those topics and more during a debate hosted by the Fort Bend Chamber of Commerce last Thursday at the Stafford Civic Center.
The candidates for SMSD Board of Trustees Position 1 seat are Darren Keith Blakemore, Clint Mendonca, Edward E. Rector, Dawn Reichling, and Suzette Thompson. Blakemore did not participate in the forum.Â
Stafford political candidates take stage in forum fortbendstar.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from fortbendstar.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
A successor has been chosen to fill Stafford Mayor Cecil Willisâ vacated seat on the city council.
 Xavier Herrera defeated Tom Virippan in a special election Saturday to become the cityâs new councilman in Position 5.
Herrera received 546 votes, or 70.61 percent of the vote. Virippan garnered 226 votes, or 29.39Â percent of the vote.
The city released the unofficial election results at 8:20 p.m. Saturday.
 Herrera has been a Stafford MSD board member since 2015 and is the chairman of the cityâs planning and zoning commission. He is also the communications director for Fort Bend County Judge KP George.
Virippan also has a background in education, as a former teacher and principal. In November, he lost his election as the Republican challenger to incumbent State Rep. Ron Reynolds in House District 27.
Early voting begins Monday for Stafford City Council spot
Roy Kent, Staff writer
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When Cecil Willis was elected mayor of Stafford last year, it created an open seat on the City Council when he was sworn in to office. Now that seat it about to be filled.
Early voting begins Monday is special election to fill the Position 5 seat on Stafford City Council.
Voters have the choice of Tom Virippan and Xavier Herrera to complete a term which ends in May 2023.
Herrera has been a board of trustees member for Stafford Municipal School District since 2015. Since January 2019, Herrera has served as communications director for Fort Bend County Judge KP George.
The Stafford City Council voted 6-0 to make Alice Chen the cityâs new Mayor Pro Tem during a Jan. 20 council meeting, following Don Jonesâ resignation from the position.Â
 Jones read his resignation letter to the council during the meeting, and cited among the reasons for his decision to step down from the Mayor Pro Tem position the length of the term, which was shortened to six months due to a change in the cityâs election cycle brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic. It also postponed the 2020 city council and mayoral elections from May to November, mandated by orders from Texas Gov. Greg Abbott.Â