Even before she became wife to a former Addison mayor, Wheeler developed a love for local government. While they were dating, her to-be husband, as part of the Board of Zoning Adjustment and a chairman-elect for the chamber of commerce, took her to various local government functions.
“I really enjoyed going so it was kind of a match made in heaven,” Wheeler told the Dallas Express.
Once her husband was appointed to city council, Wheeler’s involvement got turned up a notch. After two years, her husband became mayor and she became first lady of the town for the next eight years.
Wheeler saw the inner workings of the town and grew to appreciate the great people serving the city of Addison as employees.
“When he finished being mayor, I thought, well gosh, maybe it’s my turn,” she said. “Maybe I can do something to help the town.”
Wheeler spent the next four years serving on the Addison Arbor Foundation, going on to the Addison Board of Zoning Adjustment, and finally the Planning and Zoning Commission, where she spent the last ten years as either vice chairman or chairman.
“I just finished being chairman of Planning and Zoning, and I thought, well I’m done, I’m done, I’m done, and then the phone started ringing,” Wheeler said.
At first, she said no to the idea of being on the City Council, having a daughter preparing to leave for college, but eventually Wheeler changed her mind.
“I thought, okay, I’ve got all these years of experience and I love the town, I owe it to the town to serve them in that way,” she said.
Wheeler thinks she brings a lot to the table from her years of serving the city and experience in construction and interior design. She adds that she’s been a mother during all of these other jobs and that’s the hardest job of all.
Wheeler hopes she can do some good for this town she loves so well.
“I’ve lived in this town for nearly 25 years,” she said. “I’ve raised my family here. Of all the people I know, I’m not sure there’s another candidate around here that could say that they’ve lived here for 25 years and raised their family here.”
Wheeler loves Addison’s culture of service, particularly the city services, and hopes to help maintain their high standard.
“I don’t know of another town where we have such find police and fire—I mean they’re at your house in three or four minutes,” she said. “You can see a police officer driving through your neighborhood about once every hour.”
Wheeler admits she may be prejudiced because she’s lived in Addison so long and knows so many of the people who made the town what it is. She hopes the people of Addison will give her a chance to be a part of Addison’s history of not government, but in her words, “servicement.”