# FAQ | Jonathan Coffman | Pflugerville City Council Place 1 Canonical page: https://jonathanforpflugerville.com/faq/ FAQ # Answers to what residents ask most. The questions Jonathan hears most often, from knocking on doors, council meetings, and social media. Answered directly, without hedging. [Water & Utility Bills](#water-bills) [Housing & Development](#housing) [Infrastructure & Quality of Life](#infrastructure) [Jobs & Economic Growth](#jobs) [Transparency & Governance](#transparency) [Getting Involved](#get-involved) ## Water & Utility Bills For the adopted FY27 rates and the separate rate-study record, see the [current water-rate summary](/issues/#water-rates). Why are you focused on water bills? I have argued for a water-rate structure that is fairer to lower-use households and makes conservation count. I requested a [rate-structure analysis](/updates/water-rate-study/) in March. The FY27 rates took effect October 1. The City says 77% of residential customers are expected to see their water and wastewater bills stay the same or decrease. The separate 2026 cost-of-service study remains a different item; the August 25 Legistar record lists it as discussion only. Why are Pflugerville’s water and wastewater rates so high? Rates reflect long-term infrastructure costs: treatment, capacity, pipes, maintenance, and the debt used to build and expand those systems. When growth planning, financing, or timing gets out of sync, existing customers end up carrying more of the cost through higher fixed charges and rate increases. What are you doing to lower water and wastewater costs? My focus is on cost discipline, better long-range planning, and making sure growth pays for growth where the law allows it. That means pushing for clearer capital planning, tighter project oversight, and rate structures that are easier to understand and fairer for typical households. What will the utility rate study actually change? A rate study does not make infrastructure cheaper. It examines the costs of water and wastewater service and how customer charges are structured. The FY27 rate schedule took effect October 1. The separate 2026 cost-of-service study was listed as discussion only on August 25. The [water-rate record](/issues/#water-rates) links both matters and the underlying City sources. What did the water emergency show about Pflugerville's infrastructure? It showed how little margin for error the system can have when drought, storage levels, and pipeline reliability collide. Emergency restrictions were necessary to protect essential service, but the larger lesson is that pipes, pump stations, storage, interconnections, and drought planning have to be managed as long-term public infrastructure, not just as crisis response. ## Housing & Development What does “affordable housing” mean to you? It means housing choices across price points and life stages: starter homes, townhomes, senior housing, and more. Teachers, first responders, seniors, and young families should be able to live in Pflugerville. The practical levers are zoning, development standards, and a housing mix that includes smaller homes, townhomes, duplexes, and apartments in the right places. How will you handle growth? Pflugerville is growing. The question is whether we manage it on purpose. I support growth that is fiscally responsible, aligned to infrastructure capacity, and designed to add long-term value: more jobs, more commercial tax base, and neighborhoods that work for families. What changes are you pushing in the Unified Development Code (UDC)? The Unified Development Code, or UDC, is where we set the rules for what gets built and where. If the rules are outdated, we get bad outcomes: higher costs, less housing choice, and more traffic friction. My priorities are [modernizing standards](/priorities/#growth) to allow more housing types, reduce unnecessary parking requirements, improve walkability, and keep expectations clear for residents and builders. How should Pflugerville balance apartments, townhomes, and ownership housing? A healthy city needs a mix. Apartments serve workforce housing and people in transition; townhomes and smaller-lot homes create attainable ownership options. The goal is to put the right housing types in the right locations, with infrastructure to match, instead of pretending one format fits everyone. How do we make sure developers pay their fair share for infrastructure? We should use impact fees, which are charges that help pay for infrastructure needed by new development, along with development agreements and clear standards so new development contributes to the roads, utilities, and facilities it requires. I push for transparency in these deals and for policies that reduce the chance that existing residents end up subsidizing growth. Where do you stand on data centers? A large data center is not automatically a bad project. It can add tax base without creating the traffic profile of other major commercial uses. But the impacts are specific enough that they need specific rules: noise, power demand, water use, cooling technology, visual scale, and grid responsibility. I support requiring public review and clear standards before major data center proposals arrive. ## Infrastructure & Quality of Life What are you doing about traffic? Traffic is a regional problem, but we still have local levers: smarter land use, safer intersections, better signal timing, and targeted projects that remove bottlenecks. I support prioritizing projects that improve safety first, then reliability for daily commutes, and coordinating with TxDOT and partner agencies where needed. Where do you stand on public safety? Public safety starts with staffing, training, and clear accountability. I support investing in police, fire, and EMS in ways that are measurable and tied to outcomes. I also support transparency around data, policies, and technology so residents understand what tools are used and how they’re governed. How do you evaluate police, fire, and EMS needs? Response times, staffing, equipment, station placement, training, and interagency coordination all matter. They should be evaluated against what residents actually experience as the city grows. I try to understand that work directly, including spending time with first responders, so budget and policy decisions are grounded in operations instead of only in meeting packets. Do you support parks, trails, and tree cover? Yes. Parks and trails are core city infrastructure for quality of life, health, and property value. I support practical investments like trail connections, shade and tree planting, safe crossings, and maintenance that keeps existing assets in good shape. What is the plan for growth east of SH-130? That area represents major long-term growth potential, but it has to be sequenced with utilities, roads, and emergency services. I’m focused on making sure plans are realistic, infrastructure is funded, and development patterns don’t lock us into high-cost maintenance with low return. ## Jobs & Economic Growth What kind of economic development should Pflugerville pursue? Pflugerville needs a clearer strategy: current regional data, predictable rules, focused investment, and a stronger vision for growth east of SH-130. The goal is not chasing any project at any price. It is building a stronger commercial and sales-tax base so residents are not carrying so much of the local cost burden through property taxes and utility bills. How should the city support local small businesses? Economic development should include the businesses already here, not only outside recruitment. That means making city processes easier to understand, reducing unnecessary friction where possible, helping entrepreneurs navigate requirements, and treating growing local companies as part of Pflugerville's long-term jobs strategy. What’s happening with Austin Community College (ACC) in-district for Pflugerville? Pflugerville is the largest city in Central Texas outside ACC’s taxing district. Joining that district would make local students eligible for lower in-district tuition and expand access to workforce and adult programs. I’m working to get this on the November 2026 ballot. We need roughly 4,000 petition signatures and are about halfway there. ## Transparency & Governance How will you strengthen transparency and accountability at City Hall? I push for clearer reporting, better public-facing explanations of big decisions, and stronger follow-through on adopted plans. When the city is spending millions, residents deserve to see the assumptions, the timeline, and how we’ll measure whether it worked. What does transparent government look like in practice? It means major decisions are explained before they are made, not just defended after the vote. Residents should be able to see the policy logic, fiscal tradeoffs, and practical consequences in time to react. A meeting packet online is not enough if the important assumptions are buried or hard to follow. What rules should apply to AI, surveillance technology, and resident data? Pflugerville can use modern tools and still protect residents. I support practical guardrails: human review before relying on AI-generated work, city control over city-generated data, clear limits on outside agency access, and a public inventory of high-risk technology systems. Vendor contracts should not substitute for public policy. If the city collects or creates data about residents' movements, vehicles, images, or locations, the city should set clear rules for access, retention, auditing, and deletion. What are Flock cameras, and why are you asking questions about them? Flock cameras are license plate readers. A scan can include a plate number, timestamp, location, and vehicle image. The core questions are how long that data is kept, who can search it, which outside agencies can access it, and what Council-level oversight applies. Public safety tools should be governed by public rules. ## Getting Involved How can residents get involved or serve on boards and commissions? Boards and commissions do real work on planning, appeals, and advisory oversight. Many roles are low-meeting, high-impact. If you’re interested, check the city’s boards and commissions page and apply when openings are posted. How can I contact you and follow what Council is doing? You can email me, attend council meetings, and watch or read agendas and minutes through the city’s public meeting portal. I also share plain-language updates on major issues so residents can track decisions without digging through a full packet. How can I follow an issue before Council votes? Start with the posted agenda and packet, then look for staff presentations, backup materials, and prior related agenda items. Many important decisions have a history before they reach a final vote. If something is unclear, ask early. Part of my job is helping residents understand what is being decided, what the tradeoffs are, and when public input can still matter. Don’t see your question here? [Send it directly.](/contact/) ## Still have a question? Reach out directly or keep up with regular council notes. [Contact Jonathan](/contact/) [Read Council Updates](/updates/)