Espinoza pushes for transparency, financial clarity in Abilene runoff campaign

ABILENE, Texas (KTAB/KRBC) – Miguel Espinoza Challenger Miguel Espinoza is heading into a runoff election against Incumbent Abilene City Councilmember Kyle McAlister for the Place 5 seat after neither candidate secured more than 50% of the vote in the May election. The runoff is set for June 7.

While Espinoza said the election was intense, he felt very supported throughout.

“What made it really nice is all my supporters were there, all my people that knew me before I even started this journey. So all those people are with me. They’re encouraging. They were probably more nervous than I was, which was kind of funny, because I’m excited, you know, it’s a blessing. It’s a great opportunity. But just to have all my people there, that meant a lot to me,” Espinoza expressed.

He anticipated that a runoff might occur with three candidates in the race.

“Having three candidates in the race, you knew that everybody’s going to pull votes in their direction. A lot of it was just making sure that we had enough to force the runoff,” Espinoza explained. “You never know what can happen, like with the voter turnout and all that. So we were excited to push it on to the next round, and hopefully we give it another good push.”

Throughout the runoff election, Espinoza stated that numerous campaign contributors and endorsements have been coming in.

“Anytime that you go into a runoff, you need more advertisement, more signs to really help you get over the top. My supporters came out swinging, and they came out with money to help me do that. A lot of endorsement letters to help us push not only people who came out and voted the first time, but also to hopefully get some additional voters to come out and vote for me,” Espinoza said.

As Espinoza talks with residents, he notes that most people are eager for change.

“I think just in my conversations with people, they’re like, you’re a CPA [Certified Public Accountant]. You understand what goes on with the budget. Just here recently, there’s been a massive push for financial transparency and understanding what’s going on within the city, and having a CPA to really help you explain and see the accounting and somebody who knows this is where the flow of the transaction is going to help explain that that’s a big deal to people,” Espinoza shared.

As he observes city council meetings, he has noticed that council members tend to use the general fund for various projects.

“What my general understanding is, you know, it frees up a lot of their options, cash flow-wise, what they can do with the money. But just from a budgetary standpoint, what I’ve noticed, what people are… very hungry to see that allocation, to know that look, money is going there versus it kind of just sitting in the general fund. Money is going to that issue,” Espinoza said.

Espinoza stated that his experience as a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) allows him to break down these complex topics easily.

“You’re taking very complex federal tax law, and you’re trying to explain it to a person in their business, and how that applies to them. It’s a natural conversation that I have on a daily basis, so it’s normal to me, because that’s just the way I see the world. I see it in the debits and credits, the revenues, expenses, everything flowing, all the accounting; that’s just the way I see it,” Espinoza explained. “Whenever it comes to breaking it down for people, I’m like, Well, this is what they’re spending, this is where it’s going, and this is what’s designated for. That’s with my experience with nonprofits, too.”

Since the runoff, Espinoza has engaged with many Abilene residents to better understand their needs and the town he aims to serve.

“People are excited. I’m excited. To have this opportunity is a huge blessing. But, yeah, just bringing forth energy, just more and more and more conversations you get to have, the more you get to learn about Abilene,” Espinoza expressed. “Now, if they didn’t consider you a serious candidate, they’re now taking you a lot more seriously. So they’re like, maybe I need to talk to this person, and let me get his perspective on a few more things. So I’ve had a lot of people reach out on the second kind of go-around. It’s been cool to just meet more people and learn what their priorities are, and how they see the political landscape.”

Something that came to light during the election was that Espinoza has not voted in a municipal election. He says his voting record shouldn’t reflect his values and qualifications.

“I don’t feel like my qualifications and my skill set reflect my voting record. So, for someone to hold that against me, that’s kind of on them, for what they prioritize as a candidate for city council, that’s on them to weigh. I would highly encourage people to consider my qualifications as a CPA, somebody who’s very active in the community, and if you have any questions, as far as what that means, voting for a CPA, what I do for a living, all the things that I do, nonprofit wise, even at the state level, on the committees that I serve on. Those are things that I’m happy to field and make sure people know about,” Espinoza said. “But when it comes down to my voting record, I don’t feel like that should be weighed against me, especially as somebody who’s as young as I am… I would encourage people to get involved in politics early on, but not everybody has that opportunity. I don’t think that should be held against somebody as a negative. I think when you do get involved, I think that should be encouraged, and that should be a big positive, instead of a negative.”

Espinoza emphasizes transparency, stating he is open to discussing topics of interest with anyone.

“I’m not afraid to open myself up, whether you have a question, I’m more than happy to talk about those issues, whether they’re kind of relevant or kind of not. There’s certain things that I’m like, ‘Well, I would like to stay more focused on the relevant issues, because I feel like that’s the most important thing for this election.’ But I understand people having questions about your values and your standards for certain things,” Espinoza shared. “I have no problem discussing that with people, because I want people to know who I am as a person, and I hope that kind of factors into their vote, that they know, hey, this is a person of strong work ethic, and really cares about Abilene, and who’s also extremely qualified based upon my resume.”

If elected, Espinoza states he would prioritize economic development as opportunities arise in the Key City.

“Abilene is in a strategic position to take advantage of a lot of economic development, and so that’s kind of my big motivation for running, is to really help the city take advantage of all these opportunities that are on the table because we’re in competition with all these surrounding communities for all of this investment,” Espinoza explained. “To make sure Abilene is laying the infrastructure and doing the right thing strategically to take advantage of all this economic development that is kind of brewing here. I would love to be a part of that, because I’m going to be in Abilene for a very long time, and hopefully I can serve in serving as an example for my kids and my grandkids that, look, this is a wonderful place to live and to serve your community well, and to take part in whatever your gifts are, apply it to your community and and give back.”

When asked why people should take a chance on him, Espinoza responded:

“I’m somebody who’s going to bring a lot of energy to the table. I’m very financially savvy, and whenever it comes to the budget and the things that really matter to the city operationally, I’m going to be a massive asset there. I think, just representation-wise, I’m going to serve the city well, and just kind of broadening the diverse skill set that’s already on the current Council. I think that I’m just gonna bring forth a lot of energy, hard work, and really help the community grow.”

McAlister and Espinoza will face off in the June 7 runoff election for the Place 5 seat.