A Progressive Vision for Austin

"While Austin's home prices have come down from their peak, mortgage payments and rents are still near record highs. Austin has become unaffordable for many residents who are fleeing their neighborhoods; leading to a dramatic slowdown in Austin's growth. This is partially a product of Austin's historically outdated zoning scheme and building codes; but also high property taxes and city mismanagement. We must adopt a development plan that allows for more construction of homes in blighted areas or underutilized parking lots and commercial sites. At the same time, we have to balance the urgent need build more housing with the reasonable concerns of local neighborhoods. In short, we must prioritize building dense, affordable housing that can keep up with the demand while not displacing or destroying what makes Austin special.  "

"We must keep Austin's few walkable streets a safe place for residents and visitors alike. I have heard from too many residents and visitors that now feel unsafe walking in parts of District 9 at night. This includes parts of West Campus and Downtown on and near the 6th street corridor. Promoting public safety involves a multi-pronged approach including proper street design, adequate lighting, a fully-staffed 911 call center, and a well-trained and responsive police force. As a Council Member, I will do everything in my power to address these gaps in safety."

"I will never accept a dime of corporate lobbyist money. Period.  My opponent has raked in tens of thousands of dollars in contributions from big-money donors that have business before the city.  His voting record betrays how beholden he is to Michael Whellan, a high-dollar lobbyist for various corporate interests. If elected, I would support the creation of an inspector general position within the city government to root out the endemic transactional culture. I will not be a doormat for companies, developers, or their lobbyists."

"The funding of the new $1.6 billion Austin convention center that my opponent voted for is siphoning money away from cultural, arts and preservation funds. If elected, I would increase the share of the Hotel Occupancy Tax (HOT) allocated to arts and preservation."

"Austin's green spaces are our most important resource and yet remain chronically underfunded and unevenly distributed. We must increase park funding and make access to parks more equitable across the city. At the same time, we must take steps to preserve and expand Austin's tree canopy to improve our quality of life."

"The State government has declared war on public education. We must do what we can as a city to prevent a takeover of the city's school system. The high cost of living in Austin is making it more difficult to attract quality teachers, staff, and bus drivers."

"Austin's first responders, including our APD officers, have important and demanding jobs. We must do more to adequately pay our first responders to retain sworn officers, EMS personnel, firefighters, 911 call operators, and staff and improve coverage and response times. Like all Austinites, first responders are struggling to stay in Austin and often move to the surrounding communities in search of affordable housing." 

"We must re-establish the public's trust in the Austin Police Department and the City of Austin at large by promoting transparency and freedom of information.  Shedding light on problems is always the best disinfectant, and that hiding or obfuscating bad police behavior is counter-productive to APD's law enforcement mission. With the new Austin Police Accountability Act (APOA), Austin has taken a positive step toward transparency. Now, we should extend the same ethos of transparency to the rest of City Hall. "