Two candidates, Heather Nesmith and Patty Wheeler, are running for the Tioga City Council, Place 5.
Heather Nesmith has been on the council for 18 years.
Her family moved to Tioga 19 years ago to be closer to her parents and raise their children in a small-town environment.
Nesmith works with Tioga ISD as a substitute teacher and has prior experience serving as president of the Parent Teacher Organization at Tioga and serving on Tioga’s Chamber of Commerce.
Nesmith shared that she brings experience, open-mindedness and objectivity, and, if elected, hopes to continue helping the community by representing the residents.
“It’s more than showing up for a meeting once a month; … there are decisions that have to be made on behalf of all the citizens,” Ne- smith said.
She added that not all residents will be pleased with every decision.
“It’s about what is in the best interest of Tioga as a whole,” she said.
Nesmith decided to run again because of her love for the community and her passion for volunteering and acts of service.
“I truly believe in democracy, and I feel like it starts in our small towns,” Nesmith said. “It’s the good, the bad, the ugly. It’s the whole process, and I’m a strong believer in it.”
She hopes to continue moving Tioga forward through controlled growth while prioritizing residents’ desire to maintain the small-town character.
Nesmith added that she, along with the council, will continue to hold developers accountable.
“If we don’t set those expectations and those boundaries and stand firm on them, then the developers— they’ll come in and railroad us,” she said.
If reelected, Nesmith’s main priorities are to continue the city’s current path by maintaining a healthy budget and lowering the tax burden for residents by drawing more commercial developments into the area.
Wheeler and her family moved to Tioga in 2011 to raise their children in a small town with a strong sense of community.
Since then, Wheeler has organized community events in Tioga from 201822, such as Cinco de Mayo and a fall festival.
She served on the Tioga Youth Soccer Association in 2018 and has previous experience in youth ministry at a church in Tioga.
Wheeler also served on Pilot Point’s Chamber of Commerce from 2020-22 and organized community events for Pilot Point from 2022-24.
As a business owner and event planner, Wheeler says she understands the importance of supporting local businesses and enjoys hosting both public and private events in the community that bring families together.
“When you have fun stuff to do within our downtown, the money stays here,” Wheeler said. “The money goes around and comes back to the sales taxes. And those sales taxes, it helps our police offi cers, our fire department, our city, our school. I think that is very important to maintain, and I’m very passionate about that.”
If elected, Wheeler wants to continue to increase community involve-ment in
meetings, including city council, school board, and planning and zoning.
She wants to spread awareness through social media and other avenues so residents are informed about what’s happening in their community.
“The more people get involved, the more people get to know what’s going on,” Wheeler said.
Some of her other priorities include providing residents with accountability, transparency, preserving Tioga’s history, open communication and addressing residents’ concerns equally.
Wheeler said she plans to bring an open mind and a fresh perspective to the council as the town continues to grow if she were to win.
The May 2 general election will be held at the Tioga Fire Department Meeting Room, 601 Main Street.
