Ed English, a 30-year resident of the Milwood neighborhood, announced his candidacy Feb. 20 for the City Council District 7 seat.

English is a founding member of the Northwest Austin Coalition and served as the North Austin coordinator for Austinites for Geographic Representation—an organization that was heavily involved in the redistricting process for the city.

The commission charged with creating Austin's new voting districts—the Independent Citizens Redistricting Commission—split the city into 10 City Council districts in which the North Austin area is represented by districts 4, 6, 7 and 10. The ICRC approved the final map Nov. 25.

On Nov. 4, residents will vote for candidates from the district in which they reside instead of voting for council members to serve everyone, or serve at-large. Voters will also choose a new mayor, who will still be elected at-large.

English said he does not yet have a platform for his campaign because he is seeking input from residents about what issues are important to District 7. He said he is regularly attending meetings about important projects that affect the city and District 7 such as Project Connect and CodeNext.

"Right now, I am soliciting input actively about what the priorities are and what the suggested solutions are," he said. "My focus right now is being a good listener."

English was born in Freeport, Texas and attended Texas A&M University—Kingsville where he obtained a bachelor's degree in political science. He is a Vietnam Era veteran and has been married for 34 years to his wife Robin, who is an Austin ISD counselor.

"I'll have an open door policy up until the election and as long as I am in office," he said. "I will always be actively seeking the input from the neighborhoods and civic organizations within the district and any other interested parties. That is an ongoing process that does not stop at the election."