West Lake Hills to welcome new council member in May

The city of West Lake Hills will welcome a new face on the City Council dais come May.

The city officially called off its May 1 election during a March 11 council meeting, as all candidates were running uncontested races. The last day to file for a place on the ballot was Feb. 12.

Incumbents Rhonda McCollough and Beth South will continue to serve the council on Place 1 and Place 3, respectively. A new member, Gordon Bowman, will join the council in the spring at Place 5.

However, this is not the first time Bowman has served the city. The 25-year resident was previously chosen to serve on the West Lake Hills bond advisory committee before plans for a large capital improvement bond were halted by the pandemic.

“I think he’s going to be a great addition to the council,” Mayor Linda Anthony said, adding that Bowman will bring a beneficial skillset to the city.

Bowman, a land-use attorney, previously worked for Travis County for 15 years and the city of Austin for another 15, according to Anthony. He was involved in notable projects including improvements to Bee Caves Road in West Lake Hills and the construction of The Long Center for Performing Arts in Austin.

Bowman will fill a seat left vacant by current Mayor Pro Tem, Jim O’Connor, who did not seek re-election.

O’Connor confirmed his departure from the council earlier this year. The longtime council member has served in the Place 5 seat since 2015.