Southern Denton County residents will head to the polls next month to decide several municipal and school board contests.
In Double Oak, three at-large council seats currently occupied by Jean Hillyer, Mark Dieterich and Khourschid Favero are up for election. All three incumbents filed for a new term, and three challengers also running: Jaquelyne Barrow, Ginger Brittain and Janet Robertson. The candidates fielded questions from residents in a recent forum:
Election Day is May 4, and early voting will run April 22-30. The last day to register to vote is April 4, and the last day to apply for ballot by mail is April 23. Click here for more information about voting in Denton County.
The Cross Timbers Gazette asked each candidate in a contested local race to answer a brief questionnaire to help voters make an informed decision at the polls this May. The candidates for Double Oak Town Council are listed in alphabetic order below with their answers to the questionnaire.
Double Oak Town Council (2-year-term)
Jaquelyne Barrow, 63
Town of residence: Double Oak
How long have you resided in the town you wish to represent? 11 years
Occupation: Retired
Education: Some College- North Central Texas College
Focus on Internet Technology- Hardware/Software.
Previous public service: Flower Mound H.S. Color Guard/Winter Guard Booster.
Marcus H.S. Drumline Booster.
Elementary School volunteer reading Tutor. English and ESL program.
Committee Member Elementary School Title 1 Program.
What motivated you to run for this position, and why are you the best choice? I realized 2 years ago that I needed to understand our towns issues and policies better when a candidate knocked on my door during election season and we proceeded to have a disagreement. I sent them on their way. Six weeks later that same person knocked on my door and asked me to step up and help my town. This time I agreed, and I’ve been “all in” ever since.
I’ve spent time with town leaders, past and present, learning about the important “needs” of our town. I’ve reached out to the DOVFD, DOPD, and town administration to better understand how they function to provide their best services to our town. And I spend countless hours listening to so many townspeople, learning what is important to them.
A Double Oak council member should be ‘plugged in’ to their community in order to be the best representative possible. Thats me. That is why I’m your best choice..
Mission statement: I am committed to serving Double Oak with honest, sound principles. I understand how important low property taxes are to our citizens. Ensuring that low property taxes remain a focus to the Double Oak Town Council is my goal. Also, I believe the council is responsible for representing what the community as a whole, wants. Let’s make that happen!
Ginger Brittain, 67
Town of residence: Double Oak
How long have you resided in the town you wish to represent? 17 years
Occupation: Senior Executive Assistant
Education: Attended Abilene Christain University
Previous public service: Double Oak Town Council Member 2018 – 2019
Officer – DFW Culture Council – J. P. Morgan Chase
Co-Director/Event Planner for Employee Appreciation Week – J. P. Morgan Chase
President of Ranchview High School Athletic Booster Club
Volunteer – Carrollton-Farmers Branch ISD
What motivated you to run for this position, and why are you the best choice? As a member of the founding family, it is my honor to carry on what the family started by establishing Double Oak in 1974. A family with a strong history of service. I will continue the forward thinking which brought Double Oak to where it is today.
If elected to serve as a Town Council member, I will:
• Be financially responsible with your dollars.
• Work to continue to improve our roads, drainage and Town infrastructure.
• Support the Double Oak Police Department and Volunteer Fire Department.
• Work toward goals which are beneficial to EVERY resident.
• Be open and available to ALL residents.
• Serve the Town with fairness, honesty and impartialness.
EXPERIENCE MATTERS! With my former service as a Town Council member; I bring knowledge, leadership skills and commitment to serve the residents. These attributes make me your best choice for Town Council.
Mission statement: DOUBLE OAK FIRST! Serving the residents of Double Oak is my highest priority. The residents of Double Oak deserve a council member that will listen to their concerns. I will ask questions, research and seek out experienced, qualified resources in order to find the best solution to both short/long term decisions made for the Town of Double Oak.
Mark Dieterich, 63
Town of residence: Double Oak
How long have you resided in the town you wish to represent? 18 years
Occupation: Engineer
Education: BS Computer Science – Cal State Fullerton
CISSP – 10-years
Previous public service: Worked as a project leader for Denton County 4-H – 3rd generation 4-H member
Served on Double Oak Volunteer Fire Department for over 12-years
What motivated you to run for this position, and why are you the best choice? Principled Conservative working to keep finances in line and accountability.
Mission statement: Double Oak is the best place to live in the world. It is an honor to serve our residents on the Town Council. I will work tirelessly to make sure Double Oak remains the town we all fell in love with.
Khourschid Favero, 38
Town of residence: Double Oak
How long have you resided in the town you wish to represent? 2 years
Occupation: Dentist
Education: Arizona School of Dentistry & Oral Health (ATSU- ASDOH) graduated with DMD in 2013
University of California Los Angeles (UCLA) graduated with BS in 2008
Previous public service: Served on the Double Oak Town Council from 11/2023-current
What motivated you to run for this position, and why are you the best choice? I sought out Double Oak as the place in which I would like to raise my children and stay for good. It has the lowest property taxes in all of DFW and I want to make sure it stays that way! We have some really wonderful citizens in our town and I would like to make sure that Double Oak keep the charm in which brought us to it. I am grateful to be able to live in this great town and want to do my part to make sure that the town is being run effectively and efficiently while keeping property taxes as low as possible.
Mission statement: My goal, if re-elected, would be to represent the citizens of our great town of Double Oak. I want the citizens to be able to have their voices heard. I want to ensure transparency and accountability in our town.
Jean Hillyer, 69
Town of residence: Double Oak
How long have you resided in the town you wish to represent? 11 years
Occupation: Retired
Education: BAE Library Science, BAE History, MAE Educational Media, MSE Medical Informatics, IBM Sales and Marketing, HIAA-Health Insurance Association of America Certified.
Previous public service: Double Oak Town Council May 2022 – present
Double Oak Roads & Drainage Committee 2021- June 2023
Double Oak Roads Committee June 2023 – present
Trustee Wayne State Foundation – 2007 – present
Wayne State College Heritage Society 2021- present
P.E.O. Sisterhood 1982 – present (member, multiple leadership positions: chapter president & officer, Texas State Convention Treasurer – 3-yr term, Treasurer of Texas Cottey College Scholarship Funds – 3-yr, & Chair of the Texas Star Oaks Fund, Inc.
What motivated you to run for this position, and why are you the best choice? Having almost completed my first term of service on the town council, I am uniquely positioned to get things done. As a retiree, I do not need to divide my time and energy between the demands of employment and the needs of Double Oak. I am familiar with how town finances work, the budget process, and essential town services provided by our police and volunteer fire fighters. I believe in fiscally responsible spending of all town monies which is reflected in my voting record. My primary focus is essential services and infrastructure (roads, drainage, and digital backbone). Double Oak is almost fully built out. The town is facing a substantial future expense for Kings Road, upgrades to Town Hall septic system and significant major improvements to drainage systems that the town is responsible for maintaining.
Mission statement: Focus on maintaining the small-town quality of life that our founders envisioned 50 years ago when Double Oak was incorporated. Planning for future needs of our town so that it continues to be a safe, family friendly community. As revenues for businesses and franchise taxes grow, property taxes should be reduced while maintaining financial health.
Facebook page: Jean4DoubleOak
Janet Robertson, 50
Town of residence: Double Oak
How long have you resided in the town you wish to represent? 9 years
Occupation: Chief Information Officer
Education: Bachelor of Science – Industrial Engineering, Industrial Distribution
Texas A&M
Thayer Leadership Program – West Point
Previous public service: President – Double Oak Pond Enthusiasts
What motivated you to run for this position, and why are you the best choice? I chose to run for town council in order to help preserve the principles of our community, encourage fiscal responsibility, and respect the foundations that our town was built upon. Fostering family values, supporting our first responders, and advocating for transparent decision making for our town are my top priorities.
I have over 25 years experience in managing large technology teams for multinational companies and managed operating budgets of over $400M. I believe my experience in responsible and transparent budgeting, collaborative prioritization of expenditures, and multiple public speaking engagements establish my qualifications for town council.
While this is my first engagement with a political position, I am a sought after speaker on building high-trust environments and have been successful in building strong teams in the private sector as a servant leader.
Mission statement: As a dedicated servant to our beloved town and a proud conservative constitutional republican, I am committed to ensuring that our taxpayer money is managed with accountability and efficiency to keep our property taxes low and prioritizing the needs of our infrastructure ensuring it is maintained and modernized.
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