Central Texas regional partnerships were the topic of a mayors' summit held April 19 at the Renaissance Hotel in Austin. Austin Mayor Lee Leffingwell, Round Rock Mayor Alan McGraw and San Marcos Mayor Daniel Guerrero addressed topics including economic development, job growth and education at the forum.
The summit was held to highlight the partnerships between the cities of Austin, Round Rock, San Marcos and other municipalities in Central Texas as the region continues to grow. Accommodating that growth is fostering a need to reach out beyond the local level and craft policies that work for each city and the region as a whole, McGraw said
"We need to recognize when we craft regional policies that one size does not fit all," McGraw said. "But we're all gathered to support this region ... we all benefit or we all suffer."
Among the concerns the region is working together to solve is transportation. All three mayors agreed that each city needs individual transportation options, and the area needs to work together to improve driving conditions and mass transit options overall. Solutions could include road improvements, commuter rail and rapid bus lanes.
