Election
BY BEN THOMPSON
*INCUMBENT
Austin mayor
Why are you running for this o ce and what’s the central issue you’re hoping to address?
Following years of increased property taxes and costs for city services, how would you aim to keep Austin a ordable for residents? I’d aim to budget more responsibly and transparently, looking for e ciencies in outsourced contracting. I’d aim to stabilize home prices by preserving and producing deeply a ordable housing, scaling community land trusts while incentivizing privately-owned, subsidized a ordable housing. And I’d protect tenants and homeowners’ ability to negotiate redevelopment for maximum bene t.
I am running to improve Austin’s quality of life with new, accountable and community-driven leadership, placing public interests over special interests. Austin is at a crossroads facing stark income inequality, strained infrastructure and frequent extreme weather. With transparency, inclusivity and creativity, we can create a thriving future for all Austinites.
Carmen Llanes Pulido Experience: Lifelong Austinite, 20-year community organizer, City commissioner (Planning, Quality of Life, Redistricting), Land use scholar www.carmen4mayor.com
Getting back to the basics of running a city. Provide clarity to the citizens regarding the out of control spending and the city budget.
Since taxes never go down, the city needs to operate with a budget that does not further burden the taxpayers.
Je ery L. Bowen Experience: 68 years of life experience are my best quali cations and working with various personalities www.je owenforaustinmayor.com
As a former Austin ISD teacher and community organizer, I am running to ght for working families, build a strong middle class in Austin, and to stand up to Greg Abbott and state leaders against their attacks on local decisions, school funding and our civil rights.
Investing in education, workforce, and living wage jobs and implementing the unspent $1.8 billion in voter-approved bond measures will give us our best return-on-investment and an economic stimulus to bring in increased tax revenues. Ending “sweetheart rates” for large industrial utility users will lighten the burden on residential ratepayers.
Doug Greco Experience: Over 25 years
experience as an organizer, non- pro t leader, LGBTQ advocate and public school teacher www.grecoforaustin.com
I’m running for reelection because there’s more to do to make Austin a ordable and address needs such as homelessness, public safety and tra c. In just two years, we’ve passed the most ambitious land-use reforms in decades, made the Austin Infrastructure Academy to create more jobs and improved City Hall performance.
We need to build more housing, di erent types of housing, and housing around transit lines. We were hamstrung by segregation-era zoning restrictions and an outdated land development code, which is why we made reforms to make it easier to match the demand in housing from new and longtime residents alike.
Kirk Watson* Experience: Mayor, 1997-2001, 2023-present; State Senator (2007- 2020) www.kirkwatson.com
Austin needs an experienced leader committed to transparent government, with a track record of putting people rst; one who is a climate champion; and one committed to work with the community on Austin’s biggest challenges, from addressing issues of a ordability to becoming more resilient in the face of climate change.
As your Mayor, I will approach this issue as I did on Council: requiring developers to pay the full costs of infrastructure and development; collaborating with partners to leverage city resources; trimming unnecessary expenses from the budget; analyzing utility rates and other fees to avoid increases that impact family budgets.
Kathie Tovo Experience: Mayor Pro Tem, 2015–2019; City Council Member 2011–2023; UT adjunct professor, 2023–24 www.kathieforaustin.com
Candidates were asked to keep responses under 50 words, answer the questions provided and avoid attacking opponents. Answers may have been edited or cut to adhere to those guidelines, or for style and clarity. For more election coverage, go to www.communityimpact.com/voter-guide.
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NORTH NORTHWEST AUSTIN EDITION
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