Bryan Mayor Jason Bienski announced Saturday he will not run for the remainder of the State Representative term left by the retirement of Fred Brown.
From a prepared statement, Bienski says: “After much discussion, thought and prayer, I have decided to remain in my current position as Mayor. While I appreciate the encouragement of folks here and in Austin, I decided that there is simply too much unfinished business in the City of Bryan to leave the mayorship. I would like to participate in the hiring of the next City Manager, finish the negotiations and implementation on the Research Valley Biocorridor, and finalize a long-term agreement with the Brazos Animal Shelter, if possible. Since I have been the point person for the City on these projects, I just did not feel good about leaving them unfinished.”
Continuing from his news release, Bienski says: “Since last year, we have tried to move Bryan in a positive way. We restructured City Hall, making it more efficient for leaner times, while still investing heavily in streets, police, fire, core services and economic development. Plus, we were able to bring both cities together on projects like BVSMA and the Biocorridor.”
Bienski also cited family concerns weighed heavily in his decision. From his news release: “One of the key factors was that my kids are young (6 & 9) and I just was not excited about not seeing them and missing out on their activities during the legislative sessions. In the future this may be less of a concern, but for right now, quality time with my family is my number one priority.”