Candidates fail to file financial information

The Austin Monitor asked the Office of the City Clerk on Tuesday for all of the financial information statements filed by City Council candidates running for election and re-election on the Nov. 8 ballot.

Although there are 14 candidates, the clerk’s office was able to produce financial statements for only 12 of those candidates. Candidates Natalie Gauldin and Nick Virden acknowledged that they had not turned in the documents on Aug. 26, the deadline for doing so.

Gauldin, the only candidate running against Council Member Leslie Pool in the District 7 race, seemed surprised by the Monitor‘s question about whether she had turned in such a document. She said, “I’ll have to look into that,” offering no other comment or explanation.

Virden, who is running for the District 10 seat against incumbent Council Member Sheri Gallo, told the Monitor that he had nothing to report anyway. When informed at 4:30 p.m. Tuesday that he had missed the deadline, Virden said he would be filing his report that same day. When asked if he would email a copy of the report to the Monitor, Virden declined.

“Unless you are requesting an interview, you can just pick it up” at the clerk’s office, he said. “It’s going to be blank anyway.” Virden pointed out that he is a recent college graduate and only recently employed. He said he does not even have any student loans.

Gallo – who lists her occupation as Council member, Realtor and mortgage loan officer – and her husband, William J. Hudspeth, reported that they own a home on Rim Cove and nine rental properties, as well as agricultural and vacant land. Gallo also reported three loans of at least $50,000 and one of less than $10,000.

Philanthropic advisor Alison Alter – who is running against Gallo – and her husband, Jeremi Suri, reported that their income comes from her business and from his job as a professor at the University of Texas. Her clients include The Dallas Morning News, William P. Hobby and two New York universities. The couple reported ownership of their family home, a loan from New York Community Bank and a smaller loan from Acura Financial Services.

Also running against Gallo is Rob Walker, a certified public accountant specializing in international tax. Walker listed his residence on Asmara Drive as his home and office. He claimed capital gains of between $20,000 and $50,000. His wife is Janet Walker, personnel manager and homemaker, according to his statement.

Pool and her partner, Will Grover, reported ownership of their home on Shoal Creek Boulevard as well as a rental property on Fleetwood Street. Grover is a radiology technician at the Seton Family of Hospitals. He reported one loan of between $75,000 and $100,000. They also reported stock ownership.

District 4 Council Member Greg Casar and his partner, Asha Dane’el, who works for the Austin Independent School District, reported student loans and a home loan on their house on Skyview Road.

Running against Casar are Gonzalo Camacho and Louis Herrin, both of whom are engineers. Herrin, who works for the state of Texas, listed only his home as an asset, but no loans. Camacho listed ownership of two homes, one of which is his residence on Avenue F. He reported no loans or debts.

District 6 Council Member Don Zimmerman and his wife, Jennifer Zimmerman, listed their home on Enchanted Rock plus two rental properties in Houston. They did not list any loans or debts.

Zimmerman’s only opponent in the race is Jimmy Flannigan, a web developer for the law firm McGinnis Lochridge and Kilgore. Flannigan listed five loans and ownership of a rental property.

District 2 Council Member Delia Garza and her husband, Ramiro Martinez Jr., listed their home on Sandra Street as their only property. Martinez is an accounting supervisor. The couple has several loans, including a loan that helped Garza attend law school.

Garza’s opponents are Wesley Faulkner, a social media manager, and Casey Ramos, a professional boxer.

Faulkner and his wife, Margaret Tate, an adjunct professor whose employer is not listed, own their home on Redrick Drive and listed one loan as their only outstanding debt.

Ramos listed his employer as Top Rank Inc. of Las Vegas, a boxing promoter. He lists no real estate ownership and has one loan from the U.S. Department of Education.

Photo by Stuart Seeger made available through a Creative Commons license.

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