Story reprinted from Star Local News
By Chris Roark, roarkc@acnpapers.com
The race for Place 2 on the Flower Mound Town Council got a little smaller Tuesday.
Bob Kohankie and Jan Balekian both told The Leader that they plan to withdraw from the race, which now features incumbent Al Filidoro and Gerald Robinson.“I got to understand more about the candidates and decided not to run,” said Kohankie, a 29-year Flower Mound resident.
Kohankie said he will now support Robinson.
“Robinson has a long history with various aspects of the town, serving on various committees and boards,” Kohankie said. “He has an extensive business background, and he approaches issues facing the town today with a fact-based approach instead of on assumptions and innuendos.”
Kohankie went on to say there is a lot of wrong information being circulated.
“I’m looking to encourage people to talk with people to verify facts instead of going by hearsay,” Kohankie said.
Balekian said she will also support Robinson.
“I filed to enter the race for Flower Mound Town Council Place 2 primarily because it appeared that Al Filidoro was going to run unopposed,” Balekian said. “I do not believe Mr. Filidoro is the type of person we need on our town council. With the emergence of an outstanding candidate, Gerald Robinson, I have decided to withdraw and put my full support behind Mr. Robinson. I believe Mr. Robinson has the experience, the commitment, and the values we need in our community to keep Flower Mound a great place to live.”
Among Robinson’s experience that Kohankie referred to was serving on the Open Space Board about 10 years ago, as well as being chair of the board. That later became the Environmental Conservation Commission (ECC), which he also chaired. Robinson was also a member of the master plan steering committee in 2005-06 and later, as part of the mixed use committee, he helped create the town’s mixed use ordinance.
Robinson has also served on the town's citizen's budget review committee and on the Denton County Transportation Board. He has also been a Flower Mound Rotarian and was president of the Rotary in 2004. He is also vice president of the Summit Club.
Filidoro has also served the town in a wide capacity, including being on the town council for a full term and part of another term.
Filidoro has served on the town’s planning and zoning commission, he is president of the Summit Club and is a member of the Flower Mound Chamber of Commerce and the Flower Mound Rotary Club.
Filidoro, an attorney, is licensed by the Supreme Court of Texas and admitted to practice in front of the United States Supreme Court. He is a member of the Flower Mound and Denton County Bar Associations. He is an associate professor of MBA programs at the University of Phoenix in Dallas and Los Colinas teaching business law.
