The largest amount of donations have gone to political action committees supporting the city of Austin’s $720 million mobility bond that is on the Nov. 8 ballot, according to campaign finance reports released Tuesday.
Under Texas law, specific-purpose committees are required to file their campaign finance reports with the city clerk’s office 30 days before the election. This latest round of reports, the first mandated disclosure since this summer, covers all financials from July 1 to Sept. 29, according to the Texas Ethics Commission.
If approved, the city’s
$720 million bond would be broken into
three categories:
- $482 million to fund seven existing corridor plans, including on Airport Boulevard, Burnet Road, East Riverside Drive, Guadalupe Street, Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard, North Lamar Boulevard and South Lamar, as well as develop a corridor mobility plan or engineering study on an eighth roadway in South Austin
- $137 million to implement the city’s sidewalk, bicycle, urban trails and fatality reduction master plans as well as create safe routes to school
- $101 million to spend on regional mobility projects such as expanding Anderson Mill Road, Parmer Lane and Spicewood Springs Road as well as replacing the Old Bee Caves Road Bridge over Williamson Creek, upgrading the intersection at RM 620 and RM 2222 and improving intersections on Loop 360
The next campaign finance report deadline is Oct. 31, or eight days before the election.
Here are the 7 political action committees that listed support or opposition to the mobility bond and reported contributions:
1. Austin Forward PAC
Supports mobility bond
$662,373 contributions; $307,461.27 expenditures
217 cash and in-kind donations
Top donors
• Greater Austin Economic Development Corp. (nonprofit arm of the Austin Chamber of Commerce), $91,482 in cash plus an in-kind donation of $38,518
• Austin Board of Realtors, $50,000
• RECA-Business MPAC, $50,000
• Manchester Texas Financial Group LLC, $20,000
• Austin Apartment Association PAC Committee, $15,000
2. Home Builders Association of Greater Austin HOMEPAC Corporate
Supports mobility bond
$6,515 contributions; $8,596.30 expenditures
$75,242.93 in total contributions maintained as of Sept. 29
28 cash contributions
Top donors
Bonded Builders Warranty Group, $1,550
MLAW Consultants & Engineers, $1,550
BMC, $1,500
Scott Felder Homes, $500
Reliable Cleaning Services, $350
3. Honest Transportation Solutions
Opposes mobility bond
$61,150 contributions; $7,849.62 expenditures
8 cash contributions
Donors
Mike Levy, $25,000
James Skaggs, $25,000
Bryan Hardeman, $10,000
Bradley Parsons, $350
Bill Aleshire, $250
Art Olbert, $250
Diane Olbert, $250
John Greytok, $50
4. Our Rail PAC
Supports mobility bond
$3,800 contributions (plus $3,000 loan), $3,693.59 expenditures
7 cash donations, 1 loan
Donors
Andrew Clements, $3,000 loan
Roger Baker, $1,200 from two donations
Andrew Clements, $1,000 donation
Richard MacKinnon, $800
Dave Dobbs, $500
Jack Brannon Jr., $200
Clare Barry, $100
5. Sensible Transportation Solutions for Austin
Opposes mobility bond
$19,962.20 contributions; $0 expenditures
Donor
Mike Levy, $19,962.20 from two in-kind donations for signs and printing
6. Stonewall Democrats of Austin
Supports mobility bond and other candidates
$315 contributions; $977.33 expenditures
$4,561 total contributions maintained as of Sept. 29
11 cash donations
Top donors
Leslie Pool, $60
Rich Bailey, $30
Timothy Bray, $30
Debbie Immel, $30
Margaret Kercher, $30
Jim McElroy, $30
Renee Rabb, $30
Celeste Villarreal, $30
7. Texas Vote Environment
Supports mobility bond and two candidates
$1,950 contributions, $559.65 expenditures
Top donors
Austinites for Equity, $1,500
Ann Denkler, $250
David Foster, $100
Dick Kallerman, $50
Mary Ann Neely, $50
