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Jarrett Lipman
From Ballotpedia
This page was current at the end of the individual's last campaign covered by Ballotpedia. Please contact us with any updates.
Jarrett Lipman ran for election to the San Antonio City Council to represent District 9 in Texas. He lost in the general election on May 6, 2023.
Lipman completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2023. Click here to read the survey answers.
Biography
Jarrett Lipman was born in New Brunswick, New Jersey. Lipman's professional experience includes working as an education consultant. He earned a bachelor's degree from Rutgers University in 2007 and a graduate degree from the University of Texas at San Antonio in 2022.[1]
Lipman has been affiliated with the following organizations:[1]
- Texas City Managers Association
- International City Managers Association
- Texas Music Educators Association
- Texas Bandmasters Association
Elections
2023
See also: City elections in San Antonio, Texas (2023)
General election
General election for San Antonio City Council District 9
Incumbent John Courage defeated Jarrett Lipman, David Lara, and Dominque Liu in the general election for San Antonio City Council District 9 on May 6, 2023.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ |  | John Courage (Nonpartisan) | 62.5 | 14,803 |
 | Jarrett Lipman (Nonpartisan)  | 27.6 | 6,545 | |
 | David Lara (Nonpartisan) | 5.7 | 1,345 | |
| Dominque Liu (Nonpartisan) | 4.2 | 998 | ||
| Total votes: 23,691 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates
- James Casey (Nonpartisan)
Campaign themes
2023
Ballotpedia survey responses
See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection
Jarrett Lipman completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2023. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Lipman's responses. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.
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I am driven to serve. For 15 years, I served students and families as the high school band director at Johnson High School in District 9. I recently graduated from UTSA with a Master’s in Public Administration and an Urban and Regional Planning Certificate. Now, I want to serve our community as their voice on San Antonio’s city council. I know there is a bigger vision for our district, and I want to help the city reach its full potential.
Currently, I work as a Part-Time Lecturer in Music Education at Texas State University. In October of 2022, I was one of 30 music educators nationwide to receive the Music Teachers of Excellence award from the Country Music Association (CMA) Foundation. In 2016, I was Named an H-E-B Outstanding Educator Finalist in the “Rising Young Star” Category (one of five statewide). I regularly volunteer at the San Antonio Food Bank to help fight hunger in San Antonio and the surrounding communities and with Sleep in Heavenly Peace to build and assemble bunk beds for needy children. “Boots on the ground” is the best kind of leadership, and as Councilman, I will be out in the community every day with our citizens.
- The residents of District 9 want to feel safe in their neighborhoods and see a reduction in crime. This is addressed through strong support from leadership of our law enforcement to improve morale. SAPD needs additional investment in wages, benefits, and liability protection as well as aggressive support for recruiting new officers. Filling vacant positions and providing more officers will help combat crime. We also need to work with neighborhood HOAs/POAs to target areas in need of enforcement, and improve neighborhood watch organizations. We need to improve lighting and security at local businesses to reduce property break-in. Council needs to show strong support for the DA prosecuting criminals and holding them accountable.
- District 9 residents also want to see improvements to infrastructure projects in the area, specifically roads, drainage, and upgrades to district parks. Road construction projects are disjunct and often fall behind schedule. Our residents need an easier way to communicate concerns and see results. A better, more transparent project tracking system would help this process. We need to communicate better with local HOA/POA to seek feedback from residents on road/drainage projects and concerns, like the flooding happening in the back of Encino Park. We need to look at ways to expand parks in areas in D9 that have grown quickly, specifically along Bulverde Road. Our existing parks need additional parking capacity and playground equipment.
- Our residents also want to be sure their power and water stay on and that utility prices remain affordable. We need to ensure that San Antonio does not transition away from coal power before other reliable, cost effective alternatives are in place.
Community Question Featured local question
The pandemic made me realize how fragile freedom is and how quickly it can be usurped if people are not ready. We never imagined how quickly the government would take charge of our lives and for how long they would try to hold on to this control. The pandemic made me realize we also were not prepared for a major public health crisis, and we need to ensure we have systems and processes in place, so we never make knee-jerk, reactionary decisions again. We need to protect both physical and mental health. We are paying a steep price for the decision to shut-down schools and businesses. The disease killed many, but so did the response to it.
Community Question Featured local question
I get crime data from the Uniform Crime Reports. Crime is increasing in San Antonio. I would vote “no” on the Justice Charter Amendment. We are trying to do too much with too little. We need to entice new applicants to the Police Academy to grow our force. We need to repair relationships with law enforcement by fully funding their salaries, pension, and benefits and supporting liability protection. It is important to hold officers accountable for misconduct and ensure egregious infractions result in dismissal. With that said, we also must continue to focus on all of the positive things the majority of officers do to protect the citizens of San Antonio, and empower them to make decisions to maintain law and order.
Community Question Featured local question
Downtown has pockets of the area that are thriving by the Riverwalk, Hemisfair, and Southtown, some still under duress due to COVID, like Market Square, and others totally abandoned. My definition of a healthy downtown is one where people want to spend time working, living, and playing. We have many areas downtown with no people working, living OR playing. Infrastructure and safety concerns continue to plague areas West of 35 and North of Santa Rosa and Commerce. The Alamodome parking lots sit vacant and unused most of the year. There is the opportunity to build vertically on Lot C at the dome, and turn Lot B into a park with outdoor restaurants and shops to drive traffic to this area. It is underutilized and crime thrives along Cherry Street. Business traffic will decrease crime by bringing more people to the area. We need to continue supporting creative investment in the downtown area that will draw more convention traffic and tourism to support the city’s economy. We can then reinvest revenue into the other districts from a thriving downtown.
Community Question Featured local question
The government answers to its residents, and a smaller, leaner government is the way to ensure it remains focused and efficient. Our charter dictates that the city council serve the residents by addressing only public welfare and budget issues, including critical infrastructure and safety. As Councilman, I will have an open door with all constituents. I will host monthly citizen forums and meet regularly with neighborhood HOAs and POAs. I will have an active presence on social media and the internet to solicit feedback from constituents. Our office will also post notices in local print newsletters for those who do not use social media. I will also have regular meetings with business owners to meet their needs.
Community Question Featured local question
We should be an open book. If we are working for the people, the people have a right to access emails, phone records, and documentation of sessions where decisions are made about the people’s business.
Community Question Featured local question
The residents of District 9 want to feel safe in their neighborhoods and see a reduction in crime. I will address this through strong support for our law enforcement, focusing on improving officer morale. SAPD needs additional investment in wages, benefits, liability protection, and aggressive support for recruiting new officers. Filling vacant positions and providing more officers will help combat crime. We must also work with neighborhood/property associations to target areas needing enforcement and improve neighborhood watch organizations. We need to improve lighting and security at local businesses to reduce property break-ins. Even if it does not manage the DA, Council needs to show strong support for the DA prosecuting criminals and to hold them accountable.
Community Question Featured local question
While many areas in District 9 have been built out, land is still available for the new development of houses and businesses. With that said, infill development in the southern ends of the district is inevitable, and we will begin to face issues with gentrification in the years to come. As Councilman, I will advocate for the existing homeowners in the district and explore freezing property taxes for long-time residents or policies allowing residents whose taxes have grown more than 10% to defer property tax payments until they sell. This requires discussion at the local and state level, but it is essential we do not tax people out of their homes as we continue to grow our city.
Community Question Featured local question
Listen to the community and gauge support for the most pressing issues, then build consensus around these. As Councilman, I will have an open door with all constituents. I will host monthly citizen forums and meet regularly with neighborhood HOAs and POAs. I will have an active presence on social media and the internet to solicit feedback from constituents. Our office will also post notices in local print newsletters for those who do not use social media. I will also have regular meetings with business owners to meet their needs.
Community Question Featured local question
We are trying to do too much with too little. We need to entice new applicants to the Police Academy to grow our force. We need to repair relationships with law enforcement by fully funding their salaries, pension, and benefits and supporting liability protection. It is crucial to hold officers accountable for misconduct and ensure egregious infractions result in dismissal. With that said, we also must continue to focus on all of the positive things the majority of officers do to protect the citizens of San Antonio and empower them to make decisions to maintain law and order.
Community Question Featured local question
We want clean water and clean air. With that said, we also need to power our homes and businesses. We must make policy changes to improve the environment logically and pragmatically. We should not shut down the power plants we need without an alternative solution. We can start with common sense initiatives like weekend trash clean-up days and “adopt a highway” programs to remedy our litter problem in San Antonio. The “cure” for the more significant issues of smog and water pollution should not kill the "patient." In other words, as we work for a cleaner environment, we cannot kill businesses and affordable utilities in the process. It is a careful balance.
Community Question Featured local question
District 9 residents want a safe and beautiful place to call home. We are not the “new kid on the block” anymore and many of our neighborhoods are beginning to look worn and tired. We cannot continue to give away money to other districts in San Antonio without investing in our needs. The neighborhoods in Brook Hollow and near Churchill are well-established. Encino Park is in its “forties” and Stone Oak is in its “late thirties.” Even many of our newer neighborhoods are over fifteen and twenty years old. Our streets and sidewalks show evidence of heavy traffic and use, and the schedule of resurfacing and repaving is scattered at best. We need to coordinate better with HOAs and POAs regarding replacing fences and exterior walls in communities that look rundown. Our center medians on roads are often an afterthought unless an HOA actively maintains them. We need school zone speed signs in all heavily trafficked areas, including Johnson High School on Bulverde and the back exit to Reagan High School on Huebner. There are drainage issues along the back of Encino Park that need to be addressed immediately because of the new development along Redland Road that has backed water into the yards of Encino. I will coordinate with community leaders in Brook Hollow, Thousand Oaks, and around Churchill High School to commit funds towards restoring these areas to their once vibrant state. I am also committed to upgrading Gold Canyon park by adding playground equipment and exploring additional park locations in the 78259 area. McAllister Park has issues with capacity and parking that require exploration of whether or not we need more "spaces to park," or more "park spaces" to alleviate pressure on this District 9 favorite. All of our parks in the district need fitness stations. I have heard from residents about a desire to explore a pool and/or splash pad for the district and would like to pursue further discussion.
Community Question Featured local question
I plan to support the Police Chief’s vision for the department and to find means to provide additional resources to grow the workforce. Officers should be able to perform proactive police work in the interest of public safety without fear of termination or retribution.
Community Question Featured local question
The COVID-19 Pandemic was and is an extraordinary time in our history. The loss of life is sobering, and we are still recovering from the impact of the virus and the shutdowns. With little information, leadership had to respond quickly to keep hospitals from overflowing. I am disappointed that the closures lasted as long as they did. Our city leaders continued to micromanage businesses long beyond the time they should have, especially into the summer of 2020 and through 2021. As Councilman, I would not have supported shutting down businesses. If HEB remained open, I would have let business owners make their own decisions. I recognize the decision to close was made at the state level, but I would have advocated to re-open as soon as possible and return the decision to the business owners. I also would not have tried to interfere in the management of the public schools and would have supported families who decided to send their students for in-person learning and those who chose to keep their students home. It comes down to individual freedom and choice. The choice to use masks or vaccinate is individual, and the government should not regulate this.
Education, Water Management, Public Safety, Infrastructure, and Urban and Regional Planning.
The Councilman is the liaison between the district and the city as a whole. The Councilman is “boots on the ground” and a voice for their constituents. They should advocate for their constituents' voices and ultimately need to fight for what is best for those who live in the area. They should coordinate with the state and federal representatives to ensure that the voices of the people are heard at all levels.
I look up to Ronald Reagan because of his ability to unite the country around his agenda and restore confidence in the belief that our best days are still ahead of us. Reagan fiercely protected individual freedoms and the free market and believed in limited government. He was a vibrant personality and inspired our nation. I believe in staying inside one's "circle of influence" and focusing on providing a narrow scope of services at a high level. Reagan reminded us that citizens are the best to make decisions about their lives, not the government. He was committed to restoring prosperity and keeping the country safe. Many lessons from his time in the office directly apply to city government focusing on keeping its citizens safe and prosperous.
"Good to Great" by Jim Collins.
An ability to build relationships with people and build consensus around issues would be most helpful. It is also critical that the person running has a strong business background to understand budgeting and fiscal responsibility. A person in this position should be a great listener and a hard worker. They must be energetic and willing to go above and beyond the call of duty to serve their constituents. Being an informed citizen about important local, state, and federal issues is critical. You have to know what is going on in the world.
I have outstanding written and verbal communication skills. I am a great relationship builder because I am a better listener. I am empathetic and compassionate. I have a strong work ethic and will work as hard as it takes to get the job done. I am not only interested when it suits me, but committed to seeing tasks through until their completion. I am good at motivating those around me and understanding how to move a team forward. I am a consensus builder and can rally the troops around a cause. I never give up and I am not afraid to swing and miss. I’ll come back stronger for it.
Being able to “Stay in your lane” or your “circle of influence.” City Council work isn’t glamorous. It should remain laser focused on infrastructure, utilities, public safety, and keeping taxes low in the process. It is not a stepping stone to another political office. It is not a bully pulpit for social issues. It is the voice of the people you represent.
To leave San Antonio better than I found it.
The first historical event I remember was the Gulf War. I had just turned five years old.
High School Band Director at Claudia Taylor "Lady Bird" Johnson High School for 15 years.
"Whisper" by Mark Batterson. This book details how God speaks to us in our daily lives, sometimes loud and other times in whispers. It makes me think every day about where and what my blessings are, and how to improve my relationship with the Lord through small changes or daily interactions.
Piano Man, Billy Joel.
Work-life balance. When I am committed to something, I am all in. I don't like to split my focus.
City Council has the most significant direct impact on public policy in San Antonio out of any elected official. They control the budget, public safety, infrastructure, and hiring of the City Manager. This impacts the day-to-day operations of the city and everything that happens in it.
Because of the grassroots nature of this position, it is better for the person serving not to be a career politician. We should go back to shorter term limits for the council, four years total, to ensure we are getting fresh ideas and new leadership to help keep the city moving forward. The status quo is dangerous, and we are living it right now.
An ability to build relationships with people and build consensus around issues would be most helpful. It is also critical that the person running has a strong business background to understand budgeting and fiscal responsibility. A person in this position should be a great listener and a hard worker. They must be energetic and willing to go above and beyond the call of duty to serve their constituents. Being an informed citizen about important local, state, and federal issues is critical. You have to know what is going on in the world.
Note: Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate's campaign requests it.
Note: Community Questions were submitted by the public and chosen for inclusion by a volunteer advisory board. The chosen questions were modified by staff to adhere to Ballotpedia’s neutrality standards. To learn more about Ballotpedia’s Candidate Connection Expansion Project, click here.
See also
2023 Elections
External links
Footnotes
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