My name is Michael Herrera and I’m running for the Llano City Council. After retiring for the third time, my wife of 40 years and I decided it was time to come home. Originally from San Antonio, we wanted to live in the Texas hill country and Llano was just what we were looking for. So, we bought a neglected piece of property and built a house and for the past five years we have been proud to call Llano our home.
1. What qualifications, skills, or experience do you bring that would make you an effective member of the Llano City Council?
I have over 35 years of experience serving the public sector. In the course of serving the public, I acquired my City Planning Certification through the University of Miami Architectural school. My most recent retirement was from the City of El Paso where I served as Assistant Director of Engineering and Planning, I.T., Training, Safety and Security for Sun Metro Transit. Prior to that, I retired as the City of San Antonio’s Master Planner. I also retired from Bexar County Public Works Engineering Department as their Development Coordinator.
My wife and I developed, owned and operated our own business in the Cloudcroft, NM area.
2. What motivated you to run for Llano City Council?
I believe in serving your community. I served as Planning Chair in Otero County, NM and also served on the Llano Planning Commission which included the comprehensive planning committee. While attending almost every city council meeting since my arrival, I have taken note of some of the decisions and direction given by our current elected officials, many of which have been detrimental to our city and its residents.
As I see it, it is time to take a COMMONSENSE approach to solving the challenges facing our city and its residents. I am of the opinion that the entire community should be engaged when decisions are made with long-term effects.
3. What do you see as the most pressing issues facing the City of Llano today?
The most pressing issues are water, infrastructure and financial solvency. These systemic challenges seem to be beyond the current city council’s ability to solve.
For example, raising utility rates to levels that diminish residents' quality of life or make it unaffordable for them to stay in their homes is simply bad management and not always the answer.
4. Water is one of Llano residents' biggest concerns. What, in your belief, is the best path for Llano regarding our water future? Please be specific.
Llano’s water problem has been an issue going back to the1950’s when the river went dry. At that time the train ran to Llano and the contingency plan then was to freight water into town for the community.
Today whenever asked the question what our contingency plan is in the event the river runs dry? The answer from one of our serving council persons was “I guess you better buy more bottled water.” That being said, my plan is a three-step approach:
Develop and/or revise a contingency plan. Present it to the Llano residents demonstrating we have a back-up plan in case such an event should occur.
Look for a sustainable water source that will address our needs for today, tomorrow and the future. I would advocate for a pipeline. It is the tried-and-true method other communities are implementing in order to address their water needs. Our water problem is not unique. Water has come to the forefront throughout the state of Texas. All you have to do is read about what is happening in Corpus Christi.
Our elected city council are our representatives and they should be lobbying our representatives, congressmen and sentors in charge of approving grants out of the one billion dollars the state of Texas has set aside for these projects. At the federal level, the EPA offers Drinking Water and Clean Water State Revolving Funds for infrastructure improvements and WIIN Act grants for underserved communities, while the USDA Rural Development provides grants and loans for rural water, waste disposal systems and emergency community water assistance. The Bureau of Reclamation offers WaterSMART grants, FEMA funds hazard mitigation and resilience projects, and the Department of Housing and Urban Development offers Community Development Block Grants that can be applied to water infrastructure projects. I have highlighted some key points from these agencies to emphasize that the money is out there and the question you should be asking yourself as you head to the polls is why they (the current council) haven’t pursued these grants. We need full-time council people not part-time politicians to solve our problems.
5. How would you approach the budget process to fund the city’s needs without placing additional burden on taxpayers?
My Plan is to advocate for a one-fiscal year moratorium on raising any fees until all departmental budgets have been scrubbed. The first place to start is with the departments that consistently run in the red year after year.
6. How can the City Council work with staff and existing resources to move the JLK Event Center, Llano River Golf Course, City Pool, and Lantex Theater toward self-sufficiency?
My plan is to reach out to other communities and form a peer review committee to assist us in identifying how we can provide these services more efficiently as we work towards the goal of self-funding.
7. How would you approach economic development and business retention while preserving Llano’s small-town character?
The City of Llano has an established LEDC (Llano Economic Development Corporation) which is tasked with these two items. By updating the City’s Comprehensive Plan (with public input), the Council would then provide specific directives to the LEDC to implement.
8. What are your top priorities for Llano's aging infrastructure?
On July 7, 2025, the five-year Capital Improvement Plan was presented to city council by Steger Bizzell. In it you will find analysis, cost and high priority areas that need immediate attention. To date, little has been initiated by our current city council to address the findings and recommendations. I would identify funding sources and follow the plan.
9. How do you plan to engage with residents and ensure their voices are heard in council decisions? Will you take direct questions from citizens?
One of my first priorities will be to present the city’s draft comprehensive plan. This will allow for all residents of the City of Llano to have a direct say in what is important to them, what direction they want the city to go, and what their vision of a future Llano looks like (e.g., everything from housing, schools, business, sidewalks, streets, parks, hiking trails, parking, events, and every aspect of life). I would also advocate for office space where citizens can meet with council members.
10. If elected, what specific goals would you aim to accomplish during your term
The most pressing issues are water, infrastructure and financial solvency. When we have accomplished the financial solvency, then identifying the revenue source to tackle the other two challenges becomes much easier.
