Using his own salary to fund the positions, Mayor Steve Adler has hired two temporary employees as policy advisers. Brandi Clark Burton and Kazique Prince had been working as volunteers for the mayor and officially became city employees last week. City spokesman Bryce Bencivengo said they each will be earning $31.25 per hour, which is $65,000 a year. Burton is known for her expertise in environmental matters, and Prince has a background in education and diversity. Both had been volunteering in the mayor’s office for several weeks. Adler now has a total of seven employees. Two additional employees are on loan from city management: Sara Hartley, chief of staff for the Public Works Department, and Sly Majid, chief service officer for the city. Adler had wanted a 24-member staff — or more — but that idea proved highly unpopular with his colleagues. The City Council Audit and Finance Committee will be discussing options for providing additional staff for Council offices at its meeting Wednesday.
Jo Clifton is the Politics Editor for the Austin Monitor. More by Jo Clifton