Northwest Austin Edition | October 2022

CONTINUED FROM 1

District decisions The 2022 election will be held under new district maps designed to give diverse communities the opportunity to elect candidates most representative of their area. While only ve district races are on the ballot, Austinites vote for a mayor at large.

DISTRICT 1

DISTRICT 3

DISTRICT 5

93,992 29.47%

91,533 38.72%

97,539 54.7%

Population

White

Hispanic/ Latino

39.42%

44.4%

31.33%

7.41%

4.2%

4.1% 4.6%

Asian Black

19.86%

8.32%

Districts not up for election

130 TOLL

2 or more races

3.2%

3.36%

4.4%

45 TOLL

183A TOLL

0.64%

0.87%

Other*

Median household income:

620

$69,625

$59,349

$82,006

183

620

73.2% 26.8%

47.56%

49.66% 50.34%

Owned Rented

52.44%

290

DISTRICT 8

DISTRICT 9

AUSTIN 961,855

AUSTIN

MOPAC

99,093 63.99%

97,690 62.33%

Population

47.1%

White

Hispanic/ Latino

18.64%

16.46%

32.48%

9.91% 2.14%

12.66% 3.69%

8.93% 6.86%

Asian Black

290

2 or more races

4.65%

4.12%

3.87%

183

0.68%

0.74%

0.77%

Other*

Median household income:

$114,712

$83,872

$75,752

33.1% 66.9%

70.17% 29.83%

SOURCES: CITY OF AUSTIN, U.S. CENSUS BUREAUCOMMUNITY IMPACT

54.49% 45.51%

Owned Rented

Next step for new system In 2012, Austinites voted to move civic elections from the spring to November; revise term limits; and establish a new 10-district geo- graphic council to replace at-large representation. Following that shift, more than 80 candidates campaigned citywide to be their district’s rst council member in the election of November 2014. Five representatives remain from that time, and four—Mayor Steve Adler and council members Pio Ren- teria, Ann Kitchen and Kathie Tovo— have hit their term limits and will be replaced next year. Incumbents Nata- sha Harper-Madison and Paige Ellis are up for re-election and eligible for another term. This year’s slate of 34 candidates could have the potential to change the direction of how council and the city function. While council lays out policy, Aus- tin’s weak-mayor system leaves day- to-day civic operations in the hands of its chief executive and administrator, the city manager. Steven W. Pedigo, director of the LBJ Urban Lab at The University of

Texas at Austin, said the increased number of voices present in the 10-1 system may have “complicated” that relationship and overall city e- ciency, which the new council could seek to address. “There’s certain issues where coun- cil hasn’t been able to get themselves to consensus, complete consensus, or it’s been consensus and step back,” Pedigo said. Adler said the 10-1 switch was a main draw in his rst run for oce, and pointed to equity and closer com- munity engagement as successes he said he has seen during the rst itera- tions of a district-based council. “Ultimately, the proof is in the nature of the discussions that we have on the dais, which I think now much more fully represent the kinds of dis- cussions that are happening in homes across the city,” he said. Ana Aguirre, president of the Austin Neighborhoods Council, which rep- resents dozens of local neighborhood groups across town, said the organi- zation hopes whoever is elected will make City Hall more accessible for residents wanting provide input on the direction of council discussions.

NOTE: COUNCIL MEMBERS FOR DISTRICTS 2, 4, 6, 7 AND 10 WERE LAST ELECTED IN 2020 AND WILL EITHER TERM OUT OR BE UP FOR REELECTION IN 2024. ALL RACIAL AND ETHNIC GROUPS EXCEPT HISPANICLATINO ARE NONHISPANIC. *OTHER: NATIVE HAWAIIAN, PACIFIC ISLANDER, AMERICAN INDIAN, ALASKA NATIVE OR ANOTHER RACE

campaign is the limited term that may- oral candidates are now running for. Austinites voted last year to line up local mayoral contests with national presidential races beginning in 2024, meaning Austin’s next mayor will have a shorter timeframe to accom- plish policy goals and plan for another election bid. Candidates disclosures show former mayor and state senator Kirk Watson and state Rep. Celia Israel have earned the most nancial support this year. That pair and real estate broker Jenni- fer Virden, a former council candidate, reported the most cash on hand head- ing into October. Smith noted that the arrival of established political names early in the election cycle may have “scared o” other candidates. But the two- year term also leaves opportunity for this year’s losers or others waiting in the wings to make their run in 2024.

“I think some people are somewhat disappointed on how things are being done, and they [say], ‘Let’s improve this process.’ And when we’re saying community engagement, you need to mean it,” she said. Candidates line up Pedigo said voters have a “large buet” to choose from, a fact that may also mean most council races are headed for runo elections if no can- didate earns at least 50% of the vote. Runos were needed in half of the council elections since the 10-1 switch. “There’s a lot more similarities and a lot more overlap in the candidates than not,” he said. “When I look at the council election, it’s just really noisy.” Pedigo said there might be more room for detailed policy debate during runos when only two candi- dates are competing. Another wrinkle in this year’s

COMMUNITYIMPACT.COM