Issue(s): Affordability

How will you help address the affordability problems in Austin?

Issue(s): Economic Opportunity, Innovation

How can the City support the continued growth and success of Austin’s tech sector?

Issue(s): Innovation

What steps will you take to support modernization and digitization of operations within the City of Austin?

Issue(s): Affordability, Land Use

With Council’s decision to end CodeNEXT, how do you envision moving forward to update Austin’s land development code?

Issue(s): Economic Opportunity, Social Equity

What do you see as the City’s responsibility toward addressing the digital divide in Austin, and what steps would you take to bridge that divide?

Issue(s): Mobility, Public Safety

Moving forward, what role should dockless mobility play in Austin?

Issue(s): Mobility

What is your vision for the future of high capacity transit in Austin?

Issue(s): Affordability, Housing

How will you address Austin’s housing shortage? What regulations will you change to allow more housing where people want to live?

Issue(s): Economic Opportunity, Innovation

How can the City better work with Austin’s tech community to bring innovative approaches to civic challenges?

Issue(s): Land Use

Do you agree that the ballot language proposed for two ballot petitions – the CodeNEXT petition and the Austin Efficiency Audit – was misleading to the voters of Austin and if so, will you help clarify to voters what these measures really mean – regardless of how you might vote on them? (Note: This article in the Austin Bullldog is a helpful review. Also note: the Texas Supreme Court ruled on August 27 th , in favor of the city of Austin – see KUT report here.) Rate your support on a scale of 1 to 10, 10 being the most support and 1 being the least.

Issue(s): Land Use

Will you pledge to immediately reconvene the Charter Revision Commission to revisit its recommendations and to discuss how to ensure its most important recommendations are placed on the next available city ballot? (Note: This helpful article in the Austin Bullldog explains how Council inaction put the kibosh on major reforms that should have been on the November ballot. The most egregious omission to us at IndyAustin was Recommendation 4 – which would close a loophole currently preventing petitions to repeal controversial Council decisions like the Precourt Soccer Stadium or the 2008 $2.3B biomass boondoggle – aka Voter Referendum. Read our Referendum page here.) Rate your support on a scale of 1 to 10, 10 being the most support and 1 being the least.

Issue(s): Open Government

Will you refrain from voting to allow the City Manager to execute contracts for controversial projects like the Soccer Stadium on public land and demand a final review and vote of the Council? (Note: This letter from open government attorney, Bill Aleshire, to the City Attorney, warns about the legal problems that are likely ensue after a final lease or contract is signed with Precourt Sports Ventures.) Rate your support on a scale of 1 to 10, 10 being the most support and 1 being the least.

Issue(s): Economic Opportunity

Do you agree that Austin desperately needs a united front of officeholders, local businesses and voters to “make growth pay for itself?” (Note: An example is the passage of full water impact fees implemented on new developments in 2013. See the huge benefits below. Mind you, these benefits would have disappeared had the “Pilot Knob fiasco” been allowed to stand.) $300 million collections years 1-10 (already raised $150M in first 5 years) $45 million less debt service Fiscal Year 2018 15% lower customer bills Rate your support on a scale of 1 to 10, 10 being the most support and 1 being the least.

Issue(s): Economic Opportunity

Do you agree that Austin desperately needs a united front of officeholders, local businesses and voters to “make growth pay for itself?” (Note: An example is the passage of full water impact fees implemented on new developments in 2013. See the huge benefits below. Mind you, these benefits would have disappeared had the “Pilot Knob fiasco” been allowed to stand.) $300 million collections years 1-10 (already raised $150M in first 5 years) $45 million less debt service Fiscal Year 2018 15% lower customer bills Rate your support on a scale of 1 to 10, 10 being the most support and 1 being the least.

Issue(s): Affordability, Economic Opportunity

Will you refrain from supporting any economic development projects that do not adhere to a 90% local hiring requirement​, unless they are related to addressing a security threat to the Austin area? (Note: 2014 Candidates Steve Adler and Greg Casar approved this idea in ChangeAustin.org’s candidate questionnaire. To our knowledge, neither have attempted to fulfill this promise.) Rate your support on a scale of 1 to 10, 10 being the most support and 1 being the least.

Issue(s): Open Government

Will you pledge to propose an ordinance or charter amendment to end the practice of the Chamber of Commerce or any other private trade association from negotiating public subsidy deals for the City of Austin without a super-majority vote of the City Council? — like the one going on right now for bringing the Amazon H2Q to the Austin area? (Note: This IndyAustin blog linking to the Austin Bulldog on the secretive Amazon negotiations by the Greater Austin Area Chamber of Commerce and Amazon for the City of Austin.) Rate your support on a scale of 1 to 10, 10 being the most support and 1 being the least.

Issue(s): Land Use

Will you defend the right to petition for a public vote on publicly owned property outside the facilities so long as petitioners are conducting themselves in an orderly, legal, and peaceful manner to secure signatures? (Note: In 2017-2018, the Austin Public Libraries and the Palmer Events Center began barring petitioners from petitioning on city property outside the facilities. Petitioners were forced to threaten suit. The issue pending. The San Antonio Firefighters recently filed a federal lawsuit for similar practices by the San Antonio Public Library.) Rate your support on a scale of 1 to 10, 10 being the most support and 1 being the least.

Issue(s): Land Use

Do you support Austin voters securing their right to vote on CodeNEXT or any comprehensive​ development code overhaul — Proposition J on the November ballot? (Note: Passage of Proposition J does not mean that all code changes come to a public vote – only a comprehensive code overhaul, whether it’s called CodeNEXT or something else.) Rate your support on a scale of 1 to 10, 10 being the most support and 1 being the least.

Issue(s): Environment

As climate change and fast-paced growth proceeds in Austin, there is growing concern to both secure water supply for the future while conserving a finite resource for our region. Will you pledge to support an Austin future that prioritizes conservation, reuse, and local water supplies, and to oppose actions that would require pumping of groundwater in either the Edwards Aquifer or the Carrizo/Simsboro aquifers east of Austin beyond a sustainable level that matches rates of recharge? Rate your support on a scale of 1 to 10, 10 being the most support and 1 being the least.

Issue(s): Land Use

Do you support the right of Austin voters to vote on the sale, lease, or conveyance of any City-owned land that will be used as a sports and/or entertainment stadium? (Note: We recommend this Statesman commentary by UT Professor, Nathen Jenson, for context to this question.) Rate your support on a scale of 1 to 10, 10 being the most support and 1 being the least.

Issue(s): Open Government

When the Council considers an agenda item that includes granting fee waivers or waivers of environmental standards, a.​ will you pledge to push for public agenda notices that clearly set out proposed fee waivers whether or not it is required by the Texas Open Meetings Act? And, b.​ , will you pledge to help ensure that staff- granted waivers are reported to Council? (Note: District Judges said that the postings for Pilot Knob – which did not mention over $100 million in fee waivers, and the Champion tract agenda item – which did not mention waivers from the Hill Country Roadway Ordinance and Lake Austin Watershed Ordinance – should have included public notice of those waivers.) Rate your support on a scale of 1 to 10, 10 being the most support and 1 being the least.

Issue(s): Housing, Public Safety, Social Equity

What are the most critical issues in your district and how will you address them?

Issue(s): Environment

What is your top environmental concern and how would you address it?

Issue(s): Land Use

Explain what important aspects of the land development code revision you support.

Issue(s): Affordability

What policies do you support to make Austin a more affordable place to live for all residents?

Issue(s): Affordability, Diversity & Inclusion, Economic Opportunity, Housing, Mobility, Social Equity

What policies will you advocate to address the increasingly unaffordable housing, transportation, and utility costs that are economically segregating our neighborhoods?

Issue(s): Diversity & Inclusion, Social Equity

How will you resolve policy issues and cases that come before you when the wishes of some incumbent residents in a neighborhood conflict with the interests of other residents and the larger, city-wide community?

Issue(s): Diversity & Inclusion, Social Equity

What policies and approaches will you advocate to promote neighborhood improvement, and avoid neighborhood protectionism, as Austin changes and grows?

Issue(s): Diversity & Inclusion

What policies will you advocate to accommodate and welcome the full abundance and diversity of people who aspire to live in Austin’s neighborhoods?

Issue(s): Arts & Culture, Environment

Do you consider parks an important community asset? Why?

Issue(s): Arts & Culture, Diversity & Inclusion, Environment

Ensuring equitable access to quality parks for all Austinites is a key priority for Austin Parks Foundation. How might you work as a decision-maker for both your district and the city as a whole to move the needle on equitable access to quality parks?

Issue(s): Arts & Culture, Environment, Land Use

What’s your favorite park in Austin? Why?

Issue(s): Arts & Culture, Diversity & Inclusion, Environment

Austin Parks Foundation is continuously involved in community engagement to ensure that our projects and work align with community values and needs. What is your philosophy on community engagement, and how would you engage with the community to ensure that their needs around parks and open space are appropriately addressed?

Issue(s): Economic Opportunity, Open Government

What do you believe the role of private partners should be in maintaining and improving public parks? What actions would you take to strengthen and improve public-private partnerships?

Issue(s): Arts & Culture, Environment, Public Safety

The City of Austin Parks and Recreation Department faces $125 million in deferred maintenance each year, ranging from playground maintenance and aquatics needs to mowing and servicing trash and recycling receptacles. What would be your strategy for addressing this need?

Issue(s): Affordability, Land Use

How can legislation improve access to affordable housing?

Issue(s): Diversity & Inclusion, Education

How would you address the issue of declining enrollment in Austin’s schools and bridge the achievement gap across AISD?

Issue(s): Affordability, Diversity & Inclusion, Health & Human Services

What role can Austin play to improve access to affordable healthcare?

Issue(s): Affordability, Health & Human Services, Innovation

How can you make healthcare more accessible and affordable to the large population of small business owners and entrepreneurs in Austin?

Issue(s): Affordability, Land Use

How would you improve access to affordable housing for both renters and owners in Austin?

Issue(s): Criminal Justice, Diversity & Inclusion, Immigration

How would you counteract anti-immigrant sentiment to make our local communities welcoming to all?

Issue(s): Criminal Justice, Immigration

As a majority-minority state, what role do you see Austin playing in the long-term conversation around immigration and migrant rights?

Issue(s): Affordability, Diversity & Inclusion, Mobility

How do you plan to accommodate low-income neighborhoods who need alternative transportation methods?

Issue(s): Affordability, Mobility

How do you plan to to improve access to public transportation and ensure its affordability?