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Stirling Morris
Stirling Morris was a candidate for Place 8 representative on the Plano City Council in Texas. He was defeated in the general election on May 6, 2017.
Plano's municipal elections are nonpartisan, but Morris identified with the Democratic Party in his responses to Ballotpedia's candidate survey.[1] Click here to read Morris' responses and themes discussed on his campaign website.
Morris provided the following statement of political philosophy to Ballotpedia on April 3, 2017: "I'm a firm believer that government should always be, as Abraham Lincoln put it, '...of the people, by the people and for the people.' As citizens, we should all feel empowered to add our voices to the government. Everyone should have an opportunity to add their voice to the conversation."[2]
Biography
Morris holds a B.S. in education from Phillips University.[1] He became an architectural consultant with Sierra Pacific Windows in 2017.[3]
Elections
2017
Rick Smith and incumbent David Downs defeated Stirling Morris in the general election for Place 8 on the Plano City Council.[4]
| Plano City Council, Place 8 General Election, 2017 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Candidate | Vote % | Votes |
 Rick Smith |
49.00% | 11,660 |
| David Downs Incumbent |
36.02% | 8,572 |
| Stirling Morris | 14.98% | 3,566 |
| Total Votes | 23,798 | |
| Source: Plano, Texas, "Elections," accessed May 6, 2017 | ||
Campaign themes
2017
Candidate survey responses
Morris participated in Ballotpedia's 2017 survey of municipal government candidates.[5] The following sections display his responses to the survey questions. When asked what his top priority would be if elected, the candidate made the following statement:
| “ | Find better ways to improve the ongoing gender, sexual orientation, racial, disability, and other inequalities lived daily. Otherwise, we're going to continue to experience the same problems.[6] | ” |
| —Stirling Morris (April 3, 2017)[1] | ||
Ranking the issues
The candidate was asked to rank the following issues by importance in the city, with 1 being the most important and 12 being the least important: city services (trash, utilities, etc.), civil rights, crime reduction/prevention, environment, government transparency, homelessness, housing, K-12 education, public pensions/retirement funds, recreational opportunities, transportation, and unemployment. This table displays this candidate's rankings from most to least important.
| Issue importance ranking | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Candidate's ranking |
Issue | Candidate's ranking |
Issue |
| Environment | City services | ||
| K-12 education | Homelessness | ||
| Civil rights | Unemployment | ||
| Housing | Crime reduction/prevention | ||
| Transportation | Government transparency | ||
| Recreational opportunities | Public pensions/retirement funds | ||
Nationwide municipal issues
The candidate was asked to answer questions from Ballotpedia regarding issues facing cities across America. The questions are in the left column and the candidate's responses are in the right column. Some questions provided multiple choices, which are noted after those questions.
| Question | Response |
|---|---|
| Very important | |
| Local | |
| Public outreach/education programs | |
| Recruiting new businesses to your city | |
| Plano has great Public Schools & Libraries | |
| It isn't enough just to think sustainably, we have to act accordingly. We are all stewards of the environment. Our recognition and consistent practice of environmental awareness projects is paramount to the future of both our community and our shared planet. We need to continue our support existing programs while embracing new ones along the way. |
Morris also submitted survey responses on February 19, 2017. Click [show] on the right side of the box below to see these responses.
| Candidate survey responses from February 19, 2017 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Morris participated in Ballotpedia's 2017 survey of municipal government candidates.[7] The following sections display his responses to the survey questions. When asked what his top priority would be if elected, the candidate made the following statement:
Ranking the issuesThe candidate was asked to rank the following issues by importance in the city, with 1 being the most important and 12 being the least important: city services (trash, utilities, etc.), civil rights, crime reduction/prevention, environment, government transparency, homelessness, housing, K-12 education, public pensions/retirement funds, recreational opportunities, transportation, and unemployment. This table displays this candidate's rankings from most to least important.
Nationwide municipal issuesThe candidate was asked to answer questions from Ballotpedia regarding issues facing cities across America. The questions are in the left column and the candidate's responses are in the right column. Some questions provided multiple choices, which are noted after those questions.
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Additional themes
Morris' campaign website included the following themes:
| “ |
Our community is our voice. As such, each individual's voice is just as meaningful, insighful, and necessary as the shared community voice. What are the reflections of our voice today? Economic Development: Continued sound business development decisions, with small and large businesses alike, will ensure economic prosperity for years to come. The economic growth Plano gains from new & existing corporate business relationships, like those with Toyota and FedEx, is felt locally and recognized globally. That said, supporting small & existing local businesses holds merit all its own while honoring the entrepreneurial spirit. Either way, commerce drives economy, and our community flourishes in the wake. Infrastructure: From new construction to renovation, it's critical to recognize that every neighborhood we develop, every structure we renovate, every road we create, and every resource we utilize depends on laws, codes, & regulations to guide us and keep us safe & connected simultaneously. This effort is as necessary as it is ever-evolving, and when we design our infrastructure today, we're building it with tomorrow in mind. Health: Plano has numerous medical facilities and healthcare providers serving our community. The necessity for them is as much for the unforeseen as it is for the routine. With that in mind, there is an ongoing need to have a community-wide focus on our physical and mental well-being. We have a personal responsibility to stay fit but a civic responsibility to give our community options. From bike trails to recreation centers & parks, we need to maintain amenities which serve as constant reminders to be healthy. Sustainability & the Environment: It isn't enough just to think sustainably, we have to act accordingly. Our recognition and consistent practice of environmental awareness projects, such as Live Green in Plano and our recycling programs, is paramount to the future of both our community and our shared planet. We need to continue our support for these programs as well as embracing new ones along the way. Arts & Humanities: With events like ArtFest and the Plano International Festival, we continue to demonstrate an appreciation for the arts and a recognition of our shared world views. Maintaining support of our entertainment & exhibition venues and all of our cultural activities is an important reminder to appreciate each and every part of the diverse world we live in. Education: Although we have local and state school boards to lead this charge, consideration of our community voice is just as important where growing knowledge is concerned. With 94% of Plano ISD graduates pursuing higher education, public school education ensures a sustainable community in which every child is afforded the same opportunities. From primary, secondary, and post-secondary institutions to well-maintained libraries, there is always room for improvement. Civic Responsibility: With equality at the core, we must continue the support of civil rights actions that improve our laws & protect those who feel their humanity is in question. Until we find better ways to improve the ongoing gender, sexual, marital, and racial inequalities lived daily, we're going to continue to experience the same problems. Each person in Plano has a responsibility to educate themselves and help find ways to respect the diversity of the community-at-large. All of this is only part of our shared community voice today. The ultimate question, that should always be asked, is: What voice do we want representing us tomorrow?[8][6] |
” |
| —Stirling Morris (2017) | ||
Endorsements
2017
Morris received the following endorsements in the 2017 election:[9]
- Texas Democratic Party
- House District 67 Democrats
- Collin County Democratic Party
See also
| Plano, Texas | Texas | Municipal government | Other local coverage |
|---|---|---|---|
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External links
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 Ballotpedia's municipal government candidate survey, 2017, "Stirling Morris's Responses," April 3, 2017 Cite error: Invalid
<ref>tag; name "survey" defined multiple times with different content - ↑ Biographical submission to Ballotpedia on April 3, 2017.
- ↑ LinkedIn, "Stirling Morris," accessed January 8, 2020
- ↑ Plano, Texas, "Elections," February 16, 2017
- ↑ Note: The candidate's answers have been reproduced here verbatim without edits or corrections by Ballotpedia.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
- ↑ Note: The candidate's answers have been reproduced here verbatim without edits or corrections by Ballotpedia.
- ↑ Stirling Morris for Plano City Council, "On The Issues," accessed February 21, 2017
- ↑ Stirling Morris for Plano City Council, "Endorsements," accessed April 11, 2017
