Where the Sharpstown Civic Association Is Headed after November's Election

Only 57 Sharpstown Civic Association members voted in Thursday night's election. That's out of roughly 1,200 dues-paying members and 6,800 membership-eligible households.

Secretary Anne Wilburn published her own campaign website—a rarity in small civic association elections—in a bid to challenge incumbent president Matthew Cowan. But the election left the SCA's leadership mostly unchanged—except for two things: Wilburn will no longer be secretary, and Debbie Calkins will be moving from longtime board meeting observer to first-time director.

But Cowan, Wilburn, and Calkins all say they want to change the SCA. How?

Election Night

Some SCA members filled out ballots at a table as they filed into Bayland Community Center's auditorium to eat turkey, pie, and pumpkin bread. Others voted early and went home before dark. Nearly fifty stayed for the annual feast and listened as director Matt Wine announced the results of this year's board election.

Cowan garnered 41 votes to Wilburn's 12, according to the SCA's official numbers. All other races were uncontested, but all candidates received between 37 and 43 votes. That means 25-35% of voters abstained from most races. But less than 5% of dues-paying members and less than 1% of potential members voted at all. The civic association's quest to engage more members is still an uphill battle.

That means the new (well, mostly old) board will likely face more tough budget decisions in 2025.

Three Candidates

Matthew Cowan

Cowan's campaign flyer highlighted three priorities for his next term: "expanding community programs," including new member benefits; "being a good steward" by spending wisely; and "supporting local businesses" through "community partnerships."

His flyer also proclaimed, "We are on the path to adopt a balanced budget." How does Cowan propose to do this? In a post-election interview, he said that the board will "look at things to cut," including likely "cutting back" the amount of neighborhood mosquito spraying it pays for each year. He said that the board "over-planned" for legal fees in this year's budget, and those costs will likely be low next year.

He also expects "real estate revenue" (likely from transfer fees) will increase next year due to more home sales, and he plans to draw in more members, although he did not specify how.

Will these measures be enough? Mosquito spraying cost the SCA $19,000 this year, while financial documents show that the SCA has spent $433,000 this year as of October 31, compared to only $365,000 in revenues. That leaves a ~$68,000 deficit, roughly in line with the prediction treasurer Helen Zhou made in September. Trimming back mosquito spraying won't make up the difference. But 2025 will test whether that cut, together with other measures, will balance the budget.

Debbie Calkins

New director Debbie Calkins says she wants to use her "forty years of work in business" to "find some economies": ways to save money here and there. She also wants more "open communication" to the general membership "about what the board is doing." She attended nearly every board meeting for the past two years, but most SCA members don't have the time (or inclination) for that.

Calkins wants general members to be more informed about and involved in the SCA's financial decisions. "If the board can't decide and it's a fairly large expenditure, perhaps we should get some input from the general membership.... It's their money." She's concerned about "a small number of board members making decisions for the seven thousand" households in Sharpstown.

Anne Wilburn

Though Wilburn won't be secretary again in 2025, she still has one year left as a director. She also wants to balance the budget, improve communications between the board and community, and get more input from members on important decisions.

Who Else Got Elected?

Here are the official results for all positions, taken from the SCA's website:

Officers

• President: Matthew Cowan (incumbent)
• Vice President: Elizabeth Schooler (incumbent)
• Secretary: Charmaine LeBlanc
• Treasurer: Helen Zhou (incumbent)

Directors

• Elizabeth Schooler (incumbent)
• Helen Zhou (incumbent)
• Kathy Holston (incumbent)
• Charmaine LeBlanc (incumbent)
• Carlos Martinez (incumbent)
• Matt Wine (incumbent)
• Debbie Calkins