Korbel, age 75, has worked as the general manager of KENS-TV and founded the market research firm Core Research in 1989. She has served as a Bexar County precinct chair and a trustee of the Alamo Colleges, both elected positions. She ran unsuccessfully for sought the Precinct 3 seat in 2022.
Hear from the candidate
Please tell voters about yourself.
I was born in Detroit, Michigan. My husband George & I have lived in the same house in Castle Hills for 37 years, where our two children attended NEISD public schools.
I earned a BA from Cornell University in 1971 with an independent major in the Politics of Education. During my postgraduate studies at the University of Michigan, I concentrated on urban and regional planning, and received my Ph.D. in 1975 in Public and Educational Administration.
After working in commercial and public broadcast media, I founded Core Research in 1989. Core Research conducts focus groups, phone, mail, and online and surveys, personal interviews, and strategic planning. My client list presently includes a local foundation, a restaurant group, an entertainment destination, a performing arts organization and a non-profit serving youth.
I am active in several national professional associations as well as local political and civic non-profits.
What three issues do you consider to be most pressing for Precinct 3 and how do you plan to address them?
The top issues are interrelated and it’s impossible to separate them.
Regional Planning, Natural Resource Protection and Smart Development: We all see that Precinct 3 became a desirable place to live and so grew faster than planning for roads and public amenities could keep up. Now we have bloated highways and infrastructure in need of repair. We can’t just plan catch-up, we need to plan for growth while protecting water and natural resources to positively shape our future.
Sustainable growth should be the dominant concern of us all. San Antonio added 400,000 people from 2010 to 2022. While we welcome new residents, we need to plan carefully to determine how everyone will be housed, provided clean water, and move around the community in ways that do not deteriorate our environment and quality of life. We must continue to plan for growth while securing the quality of life that originally attracted us to live here (including housing, transportation, public safety and infrastructure). I will encourage affordable housing development to keep costs down and reduce homelessness.
Augmented Transportation Solutions: Is there anybody who lives or visits Precinct 3 who does NOT complain about the traffic? I will seek an active role on the AAMPO and all other intergovernmental and non-profit organizations to advocate for new transit options.
Public Safety: Public safety includes how to respond to & reduce crime and gun violence, maintain a responsive court system and run the county jail safely, fairly and efficiently. There are initiatives to help curb jail deaths that I want to fund. I support strengthening gun safety laws and will seek to expand public campaigns to prevent suicide and domestic violence. Bexar County needs to partner more vigorously with the violence reduction programs ongoing with COSA Metro Health and expand successful ones.
As the county considers tightening its belt on capital projects, which infrastructure needs do you believe are the most pressing, and which ones are you willing to put on the back burner?
As we consider all funding considerations, I will ask: “What are the urgent needs of the community?” followed by “Who can best meet these needs?” There are several initiatives funded by the county that pale in comparison to COSA programs. Why the duplication? Why not consolidation? Why not consider new solutions?
Traditionally Texans have chosen highways over public transit. I do not believe that we can solve our traffic problems solely with expanded roads. Research over decades suggests that public funding of sports stadiums rarely leads to significant economic gains for host cities. New sports/entertainment projects will have to provide concrete assurances that the tax investment will create a better ROI and protect those being displaced to earn my vote.
I also look at the human infrastructure of our community. We must include Social Determinants of Health (SDH) in our resource commitment. SDH account for an estimated 60% of our health outcomes. Our current systems prioritize treatment over prevention. Healthy communities feature economic stability, healthcare access, transportation, parks, recreation & access to healthy food. The County should invest in more parks, social services and promote preventive care policies that reduce the burden of chronic diseases to lower overall healthcare costs.
What role do you believe the county should play in encouraging voting, expanding voting access and registering voters?
In 2020 I formed a local watchdog group called The Bexar County Voter Protection Coalition to monitor the elections process and encourage expansion of voting rights and access. Presently I sit on the board of the non-profit YourVoteTX.com which registers people to vote and provides voter information.
Weekly I am on one of the college campuses providing these services for the non-
profit.
Soon the Elections Department will be in transition and we need thoughtful consideration of the candidates who might replace the present administrator. I intend to be very active in the selection of the new administrator and the expansion of voter education.
I am puzzled by my opponent’s position to oppose outreach to new residents to encourage them to register to vote. I just wonder what he is afraid of. While I think the contract award process for CGS was flawed, I totally support every effort we can make to educate new citizens and residents, especially those coming from out of state who are mystified by our arcane process that is intended to suppress the vote.
How would you solicit input and feedback from constituents?
Through my business and campaigning, I have listened to the voices of millions of Texans talking about their concerns with local businesses, charities, and government offices. As a commissioner, I will deploy all the skills I have used throughout my career: public polling, written surveys, outreach through email and text and monthly meetings with constituents throughout Precinct 3.
There is no substitute for personal conversations. In 2019 my firm conducted a study of the Bexar County parks, and through personal interviews with over 400 park visitors and 400 online surveys, we saw many differences in the respondent priorities.
Therefore, I propose a 24/7 “Citizens to be Heard” YouTube channel for residents to voice their concerns. I have initiated similar programs during my television career, and have learned of similar programs in other cities. If curated properly, such a channel can become a popular way to learn more about our community
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