Meet Heather - Heather Jefts
This is the campaign website for Heather Jefts, for Cedar Park City Council
Heather Jefts,Cedar Park
15431
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Meet Heather

Heather Jefts was elected to the Cedar Park City Council in May 2017.  A resident of Cedar Park since 2005, she volunteers with her children’s school Parent-Teacher Associations and with SAFE Place.  Heather can often be found in a swimming pool, teaching swim lessons.  In fact, Heather’s love of swimming has taken her full circle in her career – from a collegiate team swimmer for Johns Hopkins University, to owning Tempo Swimming, which is currently merging with the local swim club and organization CK Swimming/Sailfish.

 

Prior to starting her own business in 2013, Heather, who had been a Biology major at Johns Hopkins, returned to school.  She put herself through and graduated from Austin Community College in 2010 with an Associate of Science in Biology and Associate of Applied Science, Biotechnology.  She worked from 2010 to 2013 in the University of Texas’ Genomic Sequencing Analysis Facility.  Heather also has over a decade of experience working as a vet/surgical technician in veterinarians’ offices in Maryland and Central Texas.

 

An avid sports and outdoors person, Heather’s favorite things about Cedar Park are the friendly people and the many hike-and-bike trails.  She enjoys participating in triathlons, woodworking, gardening and reading.

 

Heather was born at Fort Bragg but grew up in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.  She and who she lovingly describes as her “awesome husband” Richard live in the Forest Oaks subdivision with their two teenaged sons, 19 year-old David and 15 year-old Will, and the family’s two big dogs.

Accomplishments

ACCESSIBLE

  • Held over 70 days of office hours at City Hall and local coffee shops. Continues to hold weekly
  • Responsive to all constituents, via email, letters, social media, and phone
  • Improved diversity and inclusivity on our appointed Boards and Commissions
  • Increased public outreach for major city projects, including storm water drainage ballot initiative, Destination Bell workshops, the Lakeline Park planning, Waste Diversion Master Planning, and Transit Study/Master Plan update

STRONG on ETHICS, TRANSPARENCY and ACCOUNTABILITY

  • Advocated for and passed early adoption of Financial Disclosure to uphold high standards of integrity
  • Posting and highlighting Council Agenda to improve transparency
  • Advocated for and brought to voters initiative to uphold election integrity by curbing back-door appointments to City Council; it passed and has been adopted into City Charter
  • Advocated, voted for, and passed a more stringent Revolving Door Policy to stop former officials and employees from profiting off proprietary information

FISCALLY RESPONSIBLE

  • Balanced budget with a decrease in tax rate two straight years while strengthening vital services
  • Keeping our city tax rate one of the lowest in our area and among similar growth cities across Texas
  • Brought in several hundred new jobs, including Hyliion, a manufacturer of hybrid semi-truck parts
  • Passed first-of-its-kind Homestead Exemption for property tax relief

MANAGING GROWTH

  • Proposed and passed first major transit study in nine years and transportation master plan update in four years
  • Proposed and passed Waste Diversion study to help Cedar Park plan for our future needs
  • Increased connectivity of sidewalks as well as strong, vocal advocate for pedestrian- and bicyclist-friendly policies to improve public safety and safe paths to schools
  • Brought a ballot initiative to the voters for drainage improvements to protect our homes

QUALITY OF LIFE

  • Purchased 70 acres of new parkland to bring Lakeline Park up to nearly 200 acres, and used 2007 and 2015 bonds to begin its planning and design
  • Helped get water bottle filling stations installed in municipal buildings and will be installed in our parks
  • Implementing recycling bins in all city parks and buildings as well as waste receptacles installed along Town Center trails
  • Funded more public art pieces to beautify our parks and trails, including our newest Korean War memorial at Veterans Memorial Park
  • Worked to get several new trails passed and construction started, including a new trail connecting Brushy Creek Lake Park to Ranch at Brushy Creek and 1431 as well as mountain bike paths in Brushy Creek Sports Park

STRONG LEADER

  • Represents Cedar Park on the Capitol Area Council of Governments Exec Committee as well as Clean Air Coalition
  • Fought LCRA putting a high-power line next to Caballo Ranch neighborhood homes
  • Long-time community volunteer in PTA, Band, and several local clubs and charities
  • Named 2018 Fellow from Center for Public Policy and Dispute Resolution
  • Appointed to Council Legislative and Finance Subcommittees

PUBLIC SAFETY ADVOCATE

  • Increased Cost of Living Adjustment retirement benefits for police & fire
  • Passed new police contract, improving everything from managing reports and supervision to promotion procedures, all while keeping our officers’ pay and benefits competitive
  • Funded and broke ground on our fifth fire station and continued hiring new firefighters to staff the fire station
  • Funded new and upgraded equipment for our police and fire
  • Regularly attends the swearing-in and promotions of police officers and firefighters
  • Cut the ribbon on our new dam and trails, which will improve public safety and security while providing beautiful new trails between Champions Park and Brushy Creek Park
  • Responded to public input and voted for a new traffic signal at Lakeline and Cougar Country, improving safety and security for hundreds of children
  • Supported “smart signals” traffic lights that recognize cyclists and extend the green light for them