From the months of July to August, several citizens around Gatesville filed to serve their community by submitting applications for various open positions in the Nov. 3 election.
Voters will decide on candidates for the mayor of Gatesville and city council member Ward 2 Place 4, with council members for Ward 1 Place 2 and Ward 2 Place 6 seeing the return of their current holders.
Before early voting begins on Oct. 19, the candidates have responded to a forum held by the Gatesville Messenger to introduce themselves to the general public as well as provide insight into their decision to run for their designated position. Candidates will be listed in alphabetical order by last name.
Mayor
Leo Corona, a retired U.S. Army veteran, moved to Gatesville in 2012 after retiring from the Army with his family. Corona is involved in several organizations around the community that focus on family and public safety such as the following: GISD Friends on Duty, Cen-Tex Crime Stoppers, veterans’ organizations, and Keep Gatesville Beautiful. Corona is also involved in faith-based organizations such as Mission Righteous Roots and Rebirth Recovery.
Corona decided to run after seeing a disconnect with citizens and their local government.
“My mission is to strengthen the connection between local government and you,” Corona said. “I will lead with transparency, listen carefully, and stay accessible. Together, we can move Gatesville forward, ensure your voice is heard, and address concerns such as projected water-rate increases through 2030.”
Corona states he is qualified both from his experience managing multi-million dollar resources during his miliary career as well as leading more than 750 soldiers at the same time.
“I bring 30 years of proven leadership, fiscal responsibility, ethics enforcement experience, and knowledge of best practices for mayors and councilmembers as outlined by the Texas Municipal League,” Corona said. “I have completed Texas Attorney General training on open meetings and public information, along with FEMA courses in ICS, NIMS, and NRF. My focus is transparency, accountability, readiness, and protecting you and your family during emergencies.”
Meredith Rainer is a long time Gatesville resident, returning to the community after college to be close to family and friends. Rainer can typically be seen at various local sporting events supporting her children, and Rainer is well known in the community as a former high school teacher and former city council member. Rainer is currently working as an office manager at Bob Brown Apartments to provide residents with affordable housing.
Rainer decided to run to continue to grow the Gatesville community.
“Great things are happening in Gatesville, but I also know the challenges we face with our aging infrastructure and possible future growth,” Rainer said. “I decided to run because I believe I’m well equipped to face these challenges through communication and thoughtful decision making. I love Gatesville, and I’d be honored to be a part of watching it grow and thrive for generations to come.”
Rainer states that her qualifications for the position come from her previous experience with the Gatesville City Council.
“After serving on the city council from 2015-2025 and as mayor pro-tem from 2019-2024, I have a record of being fiscally conservative and remembering that every dollar spent is from hard-working citizens,” Rainer said. “I have always believed that asking the hard questions and understanding issues from all sides is the best way to make informed decisions. My goal is to make decisions that benefit our citizens not just today, but in the future as well.”
City Council
Douglas “Buddy” Cuevas, Jr., is a fifth-generation Gatesville resident running for the Ward 2 Place 4. Cuevas currently works as an automotive collision estimator and is a 40 year member of the Live Oak Baptist Church.
Cuevas decided to run to be a voice for his community.
“I want to be a voice for my fellow citizens,” Cuevas said. “I know there are multiple current issues of concern to be addressed, many related to costs of utilities. I plan to focus on these as they affect everyone and I have seen so many speak out about them. At the same time, I will work diligently with the other city council members and the mayor to better all phases of our city government.”
Cuevas stated that his experience in the automotive industry qualifies him for the city council position.
“I’ve spent over 27 years in the automotive industry with every decision I made on a daily basis determining the health of my employer’s bottom line,” Cuevas said. “I’m certain I can use the lessons learned from those decisions to help implement fresh, positive ideas to make Gatesville the best it can be. I love my hometown and only want the best for it.”
Jon Salter, returning to the council in Ward 1 Place 2, has technically be around the Gatesville community since 2003 when he began working at Coryell Health. Now, as Coryell Health’s Director of Diagnostic Imaging, Salter and his family has lived within the community since late 2022. Since living in the community he has served on the Gatesville City Council since 2024 and outside of Gatesville Salter is involved in various organizations and has been prior to moving to Gatesville.
Salter decided to return to the council because he likes being involved in decisions that impact the community.
“I really like being involved in things that make a difference,” Salter said. “The City Council has an important obligation to help provide essentials and protection to its citizens and being someone that can protect those rights is important to me. Since 2024 we have been working on several projects, and I feel consistency to see those projects to fruition is important.”
Salter stated that his prior experience serving on the city council makes him qualified to hold it once again.
“I have been on the city council for the last two years,” Salter said. “It has been a huge learning experience. I am also serving on a couple of boards in other areas and understand processes needed to fill these positions. Also I have a willingness to be committed to our community and see it grow to its potential.”
Jason Shields, a newcomer running for Ward 2 Place 4, has been apart of the Gatesville community since 2010 when he and was stationed around the area while in the U.S. Army, bringing himself and his family to the area. After retiring as the 1st Cavalry Division Master Gunner in 2013, Shields has gone on to start Cutting Edge Graphics, which has donated several banners and marketing items to various youth organizations, churches and community events, as well as co-found Hoof Haven Sanctuary Home of the Forgotten Horses. He has also been involved with various nonprofits since 2015 as well as various religious organizations.
Shields decided to run to be the voice for citizens.
“I would like to see the city management do a better job in handling grievances with our citizens,” Shields said. “I always make myself available to take with people around town to ensure their concerns are being addressed.”
According to Shields he is qualified to be on the city council due to the time he has spent developing leaders through mentorship and counseling.
“I have spent countless hours developing subordinate leaders,” Shields said. “Our citizens should not be responsible for bearing the burden of our expanded growth. We can save our tax dollars through additional grants and ensuring that our subcontractors are held accountable to our timelines. Quality of work needs to be inspected to ensure our infrastructure will accommodate our growth. As a council member I will ensure that all contracts benefit our blessed community.”
Kalinda Westbrook, an incumbent reclaiming her spot on the City Council for Ward 2 Place 6, came to Gatesville in 1982 after her husband was hired as the band director for the Gatesville school district. Since coming to Gatesville Westbrook has worked for the district as the School District Business Manager and has also worked as a self-employed part-time accountant. Westbrook is active in the community by being a member of the First Methodist Church, a city council member, a HOT funds committee member and assisting with events such as the Back to School Bash, Christmas on Marshall and Spring into Summer.
Westbrook decided to run for her position again due to the love she has for the community.
“I enjoy being part of a caring community,” Westbrook said. “I have seen Gatesville grow and want to keep it a safe and happy place to live. The city has many infrastructure projects in the works, and I am proud to be a part of those decisions and look forward to seeing them come to completion.”
Westbrook stated that she is qualified to retain this position due to her experience in accounting.
“My background in Governmental Accounting with GISD and 10 years with State Medicaid Auditing allows me to bring a unique skillset regarding budgeting and financial planning for a Municipality,” Westbrook said. “Since I have been in the community for 44 years, I have gained a perspective of things the members of our community desire for Gatesville.”