Voters in May will have the opportunity to elect candidates who hail from different neighborhoods across Bastrop or pick contenders who reside in or near the city’s center.

Many residents have complained they feel left out of City Council decisions because they do not feel represented by those in office. All but one member of the current City Council — Willie DeLaRosa — lives in or near the city’s center – an area with the river to the west and the train tracks to the north, Texas 71 to the south and Texas 95 to the east.

This go round, voters will have a chance to pick among candidates who live outside the city’s center, where council representation has largely lied in recent years.

"I have been very clear that one of my premises in running for City Council is the lack of geographical representation from other parts of the city," said Place 3 candidate Lyle Nelson, who live in the Hunters Crossing neighborhood in the western stretch of the city. "With all of our current City Council members cloistered around a six-block area of our downtown, there seems to be a limited perspective of the issues that confront our entire city and citizens."

Nelson, who is running against Rachel Corbett and Lee Harle for the Place 3 seat being vacated by Kay McAnally, said complaints and concerns from residents who live outside the downtown area are sometimes ignored by city officials.

Recently, residents from the Hunters Crossing neighborhood stormed City Hall to protest the construction of a 182-unit apartment complex being proposed in their neighborhood. The developer was seeking a conditional use permit from the City Council to build a three-story complex. City code allows building at a maximum height of 35 feet.

Residents pleaded with the council not to allow the project to move forward, though council members said they only had a say on the height of the project. With the property’s existing zoning designation, the complex could be constructed with or without the conditional use permit.

Ultimately, the council approved the developer’s request for a three-story building and residents said they left disillusioned and feeling betrayed.

"Hopefully, that will change after May 6," Nelson said. "Should an individual be elected to our at-large City Council, there is a responsibility to represent all of their constituents regardless of location, gender, race or economic circumstance — whether they live in Hunters Crossing, Riverside Grove, Tahitian Village, the North Side, Piney Ridge or Downtown."

Corbett, however, said residents are left out because only a few make it out to the polls.

"We have been failing as a local government to inform and educate the voters so that they know they are able to vote in the city elections," she said. "I have talked to so many people that had no idea they were even part of the vote."

She said though anyone who qualifies may run for office, the council should be more widely representative of its constituents.

"We are a fast-growing city and there is building going on everywhere," she said. "It’s just a matter of time until the downtown area is equal to all outer lying areas."

But DeLaRosa, who is running against Connie Schroeder for the mayor’s seat, said he takes personally the accusations that the council doesn’t currently represent the interests of all its constituents.

"I don’t buy into the fact that if you live in hunters Crossing, Riverside Grove or Tahitian Village, you aren’t represented," he said. "When people call me, I’m there to answer their call. I don’t hide from them. I want to find a resolution to their problems. I have always took pride in representing all areas of the community."

DeLaRosa said in the past, council members have lived within a four-block radius of each other — that’s just how it worked out — but it’s not the case anymore.

Schroeder, who lives in the northern stretches of the city, said Bastrop is a growing and diverse community with families with young children, couples with empty nests, single parents, retired couples and young couples — all with different needs and priorities.

"Each family unit has a unique perspective and their priorities are based on their personal circumstances," Schroeder said. "To be a successful local government, the concerns and priorities of every citizen must be taken into consideration when making policy and guideline decisions. I believe the best way for this to happen is to vote for the most qualified candidate."

The candidates for the Place 4 seat being vacated by DeLaRosa – Nancy Wood and Bill Ennis – both live downtown and said council members who are elected at-large are tasked with representing all residents and neighborhoods.

"Any qualified citizen living in the boundaries of the city is eligible to run for a city office — whether they live in one area of town or another," Ennis said. "The qualifications for office are clearly outlined in the city of Bastrop’s charter and they do not include gender, ethnicity, religion, neighborhood or any other discriminatory limitation."

Ennis said that as a Planning and Zoning Commissioner, as well as a member of two comprehensive plan steering committees, he has demonstrated a regard for the needs and development considerations of every neighborhood in the city. He said he has shown that a person can live downtown and understand the concerns for the entire community.

"Right now, a Bastrop City Council member is elected at-large by all voting citizens," Wood said. "In order to have geographic diversity, the city would have to go to single-member districts where each district would vote for the person to fill the council position assigned to them. Until that happens, we elect City Council places through the at-large process. Those running have chosen to serve the whole community once elected."