The decision by Austin City Council’s lone conservative member to not seek re-election in District 8 opened up the potential for a liberal Southwest Austin representative; however, at a Thursday forum, the three left-leaning candidates had difficulty distinguishing themselves on several key issues. Paige Ellis, Bobby Levinski and Rich DePalma each position themselves as an environment-focused, left-leaning change of pace for District 8, which, for the last four years, has been represented by Council Member Ellen Troxclair, the only conservative on the 11-member dais. The three candidates faced off Thursday night at a forum hosted by the local chapter of the League of Women Voters. Frank P. Ward III, a conservative fourth candidate vying from the seat who has earned Troxclair’s endorsement, was absent from the event. Ward’s absence forfeited the evening’s platform to the trio of liberal candidates; however, Ellis, a marketing specialist at an environmental consulting firm, Levinski, an environmental attorney and DePalma, a longtime community leader and former vice chairman of the city’s parks board only proved they mostly aligned on several key issues, from watershed protection, housing and public safety to several of the propositions on November’s ballot.

Similar perspectives 

As part of the $925 million bond package voters will weigh in on in November, $184 million would be allocated to parks, open space and water quality. When asked how specifically they would spend that money, each candidate focused on Southwest Austin’s watersheds and flood mitigation. Ellis said she would spend money to ensure flooding is mitigated in a way that protects Austin’s water quality and addresses unprotected low-water crossings in the community. Levinski said he would focus the dollars on upstream protection of Williamson Creek and buy open space as drainage strategy. Although DePalma said water quality protection is a top priority, he would leverage some of the money to bring parks to the district’s deficient areas. Each candidate said Austin has failed thus far to build sufficient affordable housing. Ellis, Levinski and DePalma voiced support for the $250 million affordable housing bond—the centerpiece of the aforementioned $925 million bond. They each highlighted homelessness in Southwest Austin as an important issue that is too often placed on the backburner to downtown’s homelessness. Levinski said that focusing homelessness services only in the center city hurts areas like District 8. Community policing and finalizing a police contract surfaced as a public safety priority for all three candidates. They each supported stronger transparency and accountability from the police department but said Austin’s police officers have unfairly suffered as a result of the contract’s fallout. DePalma said he was “disappointed” in the current City Council for its handling of the negotiations. All three candidates also voiced opposition to Proposition K, which will ask Austinites this November whether they support a full audit of the city’s spending, which Troxclair and the city’s more conservative sect have supported. Ellis criticized it as an attempt to “break down government.” Election Day is Tuesday, Nov. 6. The last day to register to vote is Tuesday, Oct. 9.