Meet the candidates running for Austin City Council, District 5

Why are you running for this office and what is your top priority?

To give the residents a voice in city council & bring transparency and accountability to the seat. We need to address the homeless issue which also affects public safety & the environment.

How do you view city spending and taxing, and would you pursue any specific fiscal strategies in office?

Taxing & spending seems unchecked. I support Prop I & I would want an in-depth audit of all city spending before asking the taxpayers for more money

How would you maintain, or change, Austin’s homeless strategy initiatives?

We should move away from the housing-first policy and move more towards a treatment-first policy. We need to enforce the camping ban.

How would you grade the city’s current work on affordable housing and development policy, and why?

D. The city has given developers monetary fee-in-lieu loopholes to not build affordable housing units. Density housing projects should work within a neighborhood, not drastically change it. Increasing taxes & fees, year over year, contribute to Austin’s affordability issue.

Why are you running for this office and what is your top priority?

City Council is serving big special interests and not the people who elect them. I will prioritize listening to residents, providing excellent constituent service, and making real progress on affordability, public safety, and improving parks, public schools, and public amenities.

How do you view city spending and taxing, and would you pursue any specific fiscal strategies in office?

District 5 residents have lost faith and trust in their Council Member. This needs to be restored before any future tax increases are proposed. We need a real audit of city spending and find ways to do more with less. Texas needs to increase funding for education and other areas.

How would you maintain, or change, Austin’s homeless strategy initiatives?

There is important work being done to move people out of homelessness, but we need to do more and look to other cities for better overall models. Strategies such as placing homeless resource centers in one Council district has been a failure. Services need to be distributed across the city.

How would you grade the city’s current work on affordable housing and development policy, and why?

A mixed bag. We need to do more to provide true affordable housing for working families while preserving the character of neighborhoods. Government must play an important role here. HOME is not creating affordable housing in D5. Construction of many rental units has improved the cost of renting.

Why are you running for this office and what is your top priority?

Four years ago, I ran to make Austin more affordable, and we’ve made real progress. Housing costs have fallen faster than anywhere else in the country, and we’ve nearly doubled the senior homestead exemption. I plan to build on that progress, so it’s not so hard to get by.

How do you view city spending and taxing, and would you pursue any specific fiscal strategies in office?

Every tax dollar should be treated as someone’s hard-earned money. That’s why we initiated an efficiency audit, so we don’t have to keep asking you for more. Let’s invest in smarter services that lower cost and improve outcomes, like the mental health response model I’ve championed the past four years.

How would you maintain, or change, Austin’s homeless strategy initiatives?

Preventing homelessness is the cheapest and most effective tool we have, and I believe we should be using it more. I’m proud that we’ve nearly doubled shelter and housing capacity, but thanks in part to new investments in prevention, fewer people have become homeless each of the past two years.

How would you grade the city’s current work on affordable housing and development policy, and why?

For too long, Austin’s housing policy of “don’t build it, they won’t come” drove up everyone’s costs, squeezing out the middle class. We changed those policies and Austin led the nation—first in building the housing we need and now lowering housing costs—so working people can live here too.

Why are you running for this office and what is your top priority?

Candidate did not respond to questionnaire before press time.

How do you view city spending and taxing, and would you pursue any specific fiscal strategies in office?

Candidate did not respond to questionnaire before press time.

How would you maintain, or change, Austin’s homeless strategy initiatives?

Candidate did not respond to questionnaire before press time.

How would you grade the city’s current work on affordable housing and development policy, and why?

Candidate did not respond to questionnaire before press time.