Cheryl Lee will become Bastrop's first Black female council member when she takes office in May

Growing up in Bastrop, Cheryl Lee never thought she’d serve on the City Council. But the fourth generation Bastropian will become the city’s first African American female council member when she is sworn in to office in May. 

“It’s crazy, right?” Lee told the Advertiser. “We are now in 2022 and we’re still having these firsts. But I feel very honored to be a first.

“I know the opportunities haven’t been the same, and still aren’t, for African Americans. However, I do feel that we’re in a period of time where doors are open, it’s just how persistent are you at walking through the door.”

And it was Lee’s persistence that got her a seat on the city’s policy making board. Just as she lost her second council race in a year, Lee signed up for her third hoping it would be the one that got her over the finish line.

“I’m relieved that it’s over,” she said. “I’ve been campaigning literally for a year — three elections. So, I’m very happy to have stayed the course and achieved the goal, and I’m just looking forward to getting started in May and working with our council members and the community to do what we can for Bastrop.”

In May 2021, Lee lost her race against Jimmy Crouch for the Place 4 City Council seat by just two votes. Last month, she lost a special election for the Place 3 seat against Kevin Plunkett by more than 100 votes. 

Though she said she was ready to throw in the towel, her supporters continued encouraging her and reminding her why she was seeking elected office — to bring about change and amplify community engagement. 

So, on Feb. 1 — three days after losing the Place 3 special election — she filed her candidacy for the open Place 1 seat. 

Place 1 Council Member Bill Peterson could not seek reelection in May as he has served to consecutive terms, as per the city charter. 

Lee was preparing to continue campaigning for her May election, but she and John Kirkland, who was seeking the open Place 5 seat, didn’t draw opponents in their races and both will sail to City Council office. 

“I hope that what people will recognize is that, yes, I am the first African American woman to be able to able to serve in Bastrop on the City Council — just like Connie (Schroeder) was the first female mayor to serve — but you can be the first by being persistent about it and understanding what you’re getting into so that you can effectively transition into these types of roles,” Lee said. 

“I hope that my experience over this last year has encouraged not just Black females or males, but everyone to continue down your path,” she said. “Know what you want to do and do what you need to do to get there because the door is open. It’s not going to be easy to walk through it but if you keep pursuing it you will be successful.”

Lee said her priorities on council will include the city’s land development code and addressing issues and concerns residents and developers have. She said the B3 code needs to be tweaked to make it easier for people to develop properties and to attract new businesses. 

She also said public infrastructure, like the wastewater plant under construction, will be a priority for her as well as getting acclimated to serving on the council, such as preparing for the annual budget, reading quarterly reports and transitioning from spectator to council member. 

She also wants to get more involved with parks and recreation. “I feel like that’s probably going to blow up in the next five years as we try to bring more things to the city to improve the quality of life of our community and residents,” she said, adding that she would like to see Minerva Delgado Park built out as well as new parks developed.

Lee said she wants residents to feel comfortable coming to her with concerns, ideas or just to have a conversation. 

“I am an open door,” she said. “I am a middle-of-the-road kind of girl. To me everything is not black and white. I love to hear both sides of the issue before I make a decision. So, I hope that people will always feel comfortable coming to me with how they feel about a certain situation and trust that I will take their feelings into consideration as I make decisions for the entirety of Bastrop.”

'Energized and excited' to serve

Kirkland, who was seeking the Place 5 seat being vacated by Dock Jackson, said he was ready to run a campaign and had already spoke with hundreds of residents and placed political signs downtown. Though he said it was a surprise he didn’t draw an opponent, he’s welcoming the news by preparing for the job instead of campaigning. 

“My priority is to focus on the residents of Bastrop through the public service ahead of me,” he said. “This involves ensuring fiscal responsibility with their tax dollars and managing the growth that is here, while honoring the unique history of our home.”

Kirkland, who is a principal engineer and program manager for a technology company, said every issue can be broken down, measured and solved with smart people, teamwork and passion. He said he looks forward to analyzing the questions that come before the City Council through this lens. 

“I hope to look back on my service to this city and say that I helped to provide homes, jobs, roads and other city services to the expanding population of our city,” he said. “I believe we need to make the process easier for home owners and small-business owners to build or make modifications to their existing homes or businesses, and I believe we need to encourage smart growth and development such that the historic nature of Bastrop is maintained.”

Kirkland said he is "energized and excited" about the work ahead of him. 

“If any residents of Bastrop have concerns about our city, now or in the future, I look forward to listening and helping where I can in this role,” he said. 

The Place 5 seat became open after Jackson decided against reelection to seek the Democratic nomination for Bastrop County judge in the March primary. As the only candidate in that race, Jackson will advance to the November general election and face off against the Republican nominee for county judge. 

Four candidates — Peter Hicks, Gregory Klaus, Donald Loucks and Lyle Nelson — are seeking the GOP nomination for county judge in the March primary.