North Central Austin Edition | October 2022

CANDIDATE Q&A

Get to know candidates running in November’s midterm elections

2022 VOTER GUIDE

COMPILED BY BEN THOMPSON

Candidates were asked to keep responses under 75 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. Austin City Council, District 1

Incumbent

MELONIE HOUSEDIXON

Questionnaire not returned by deadline

MISAEL D. RAMOS

CLINTON RAREY

Occupation: District 1 Austin City Council member Relevant experience: East Austin Advocates, Take5ToVote 2016-present, small-business owner/self employed 512-200-3703 | www.natashaforaustin.com NATASHA HARPERMADISON

Occupation: Indeed businesss analyst manager, Blackland Community Development Corp. president Relevant experience: aordable housing development, anti-displacement advocacy, neighborhood association vice president 512-827-7287 | www.misaelramos.com

Occupation: self-employed (solar/roong) Relevant experience: military, government, small-business owner 512-436-3573 | www.clintonrarey.com

How would you work to tackle the issue of housing aordability for both renters and homeowners in the city?

Development can be responsibly managed and encourage the kinds of built communities that consider aordability. This requires a change in the transparency of processes and incentives for responsible development (like waivers for building aordable units or preserving historic buildings). Looking at development policies more carefully is also an opportunity to involve existing communities —many of the best solutions for aordability issues for both renters and homeowners come from the community level.

I would reduce the fees we charge to build by more than 50%. … This would allow smaller mom-and-pop developers to compete in the housing market. Driving down costs and putting more houses/units on the market. Next I would expedite the permitting process to automatically approve a permit after it reaches 30 days. Lastly I would require all department service employees to be in the oce ve days a week.

The only eective solution to our aordable housing crisis is to signicantly increase our housing supply. … We must work together to remove unnecessary impediments to growth and eliminate unnecessary roadblocks to development. We can increase our housing supply partly by streamlining our building permitting processes and making sensible changes to our obsolete Land Development Code … rooted in exclusionary policies that prevent growth at the rate that is needed to keep up with demand.

How should council address the implementation of larger transportation initiatives as well as safety and mobility improvements?

For both the expansion of I35 and Project Connect, the city has interacted with citizens directly in a novel and exciting way. I encourage continued community involvement, not just feedback, in the completion of these projects. The community knows best its hyperlocal needs for bike lanes, transportation hubs, etc.

The council should lay out all the pros and cons of implementing large transportation initiatives. … I did and still do not support Project Connect as I know it will eventually reach $20 billion to complete as did the light rail in California. … I want to focus on improving our bus routes/times and increasing better city roadways and bike routes. Project Connect should have happened several decades ago before the city became so developed.

When it comes to mobility in our city, we need to do what is best for the city, the people and the environment. If we build more space for cars, cars will inevitably take up that space. Cars are important, but we must move the focus away from car- oriented development and grow the city with a transit-oriented development mindset. … Dense new [housing] growth should be placed in close proximity to transit corridors.

How would you rate Austin’s recent disaster response, and what changes would you propose?

Winter storm Uri really tested the limits of our community, and while we were able to ultimately get our water and energy up and running again, it took too long and shined some light on areas of our emergency management preparations that could use some help. I think the city did all that it could from a reactionary stance, but we should have done more from a preventive stance.

With a growing population and escalating climate change threats, the city faces a serious challenge. “Crisis hubs” are a proposed city solution, which I support—as long as community needs remain at the forefront and response is timely. We must work together to remain prepared. Where infrastructure failed us in the past, community stepped in.

The city should have action plans for any possible disaster and train rst responders either annually or biannually on these potential disasters. Currently the city has a F rating in my book.

NORTH CENTRAL AUSTIN EDITION • OCTOBER 2022