Wes Benedict (L) is Running for City Counsil

Being a council candidate is nothing new for Benedict, who received 35 percent of the vote against Council Member Danny Thomas in 2003 and 18 percent against Council Member Betty Dunkerley last year.

He's made a splash by dogging opponents for campaign finance violations; last year, Dunkerley returned $13,000 to out-of-town donors after he complained that she'd accepted too much cash.

Benedict wants to cut taxes and reduce spending on such things as affordable housing and open space, which he says "benefit a few number of people and raise taxes for everyone else."

The council and Capital Metro could ditch commuter rail and discontinue little-used bus routes, he said, and spend the savings on sidewalks and road construction.

The former owner of a 20-employee marble business, Benedict also wants the council to stop offering large tax breaks to a few big firms and give all businesses a tax cut instead.