For Kathie Tovo, who has been on Austin City Council since 2011, 2020 was a year like no other. Tovo told the Austin Monitor that she’s most proud of some of the work she did on the city’s response to the Covid-19 pandemic. She pointed to a resolution to expand eligibility criteria for utility assistance shortly […]
City Council
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Alison Alter: ‘Excited to begin again in 2021’
While 2020 was a challenging year for every member of the Austin City Council, it was particularly challenging for District 10’s Alison Alter and District 6’s Jimmy Flannigan, who had to defend their seats in the purple areas of the city. Council members Leslie Pool and Greg Casar had an easier path to reelection since […]
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Jimmy Flannigan: Taking care of unfinished business
Since losing to Mackenzie Kelly in Northwest Austin’s District 6 runoff election, City Council Member Jimmy Flannigan has focused on keeping his head down, continuing to work and trying to “figure out what’s next.” “There’s a lot of work that you do as a Council member hoping that you get a second term – a […]
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Mackenzie Kelly: Ready to collaborate and communicate
Speaking to Mackenzie Kelly, it’s clear she’s touched by the early overtures from her new colleagues, who are already helping her adapt to her new post as City Council member for District 6. “They’ve been wonderful and kind and gracious, and for that I’m very thankful. When you run a campaign, it’s very different from […]
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Leslie Pool: Governing not for the faint of heart
The year 2020 has been a stressful year for almost everyone. For those considering running for a seat on City Council at some point in time, District 7 Council Member Leslie Pool has some advice. As she told the Austin Monitor, “Municipal governance in the 21st century is not for the faint of heart.” While […]
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Pio Renteria: ‘We are going to come out of this really strong’
Austin City Council was forced to overcome many setbacks during 2020, but Council Member Pio Renteria said he was encouraged that he and his colleagues made strides on their efforts to help the city’s most vulnerable populations. After shifting gears to address a variety of pandemic concerns, Renteria said he took particular pride in adding […]
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Greg Casar: 2020 was the ‘hardest year’
“I was wrong,” Council Member Greg Casar said. He was recalling his observations of 2017, the first year of the Trump presidency. At the time, he’d called it “a hellish year” – but that was before he knew what a hellish year was really like. It’s a year of pandemic, made worse by an economic […]
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Ann Kitchen: Building better solutions
Council Member Ann Kitchen has spent the year juggling difficult decisions – about the Covid-19 pandemic, reallocating police funds, finding solutions for homelessness, improving mobility and preserving the arts. “Covid has highlighted disparities in our community and highlighted problems that we already have and made them worse,” the District 5 Council member said. “So, in terms […]
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Natasha Harper-Madison: Creating a more equitable city
“Greetings!” Council Member Natasha Harper-Madison’s phone voice message said, “I look forward to connecting with you.” Harper-Madison represents District 1, which includes Northeast, East Central and far East Austin. The Council member has been hard at work, sometimes even on weekends, to keep her connection with her constituents going in an unprecedented year. This year […]
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Delia Garza is on the move
Delia Garza is blazing a trail of firsts: first Latina on Austin City Council; first Latina mayor pro tem; and soon, the first Latina Travis County Attorney. “I stand on the shoulders of other Latinas,” Garza noted. “There were four before me who tried,” she said. “Even my own (seat) on the City Council would […]
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Vanessa Fuentes: Building a pipeline to community power
Vanessa Fuentes, like all of us, had no idea what 2020 would entail when she ran to become the District 2 City Council member. But the issues that the pandemic have exposed were less of a surprise. “I didn’t realize the extent of what 2020 would include,” Fuentes told the Austin Monitor. “(But) certainly, the […]
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Council OKs contract for Ullrich repairs
After a considerable amount of discussion at its Thursday meeting, City Council approved a contract of more than $22 million, plus a 10 percent contingency, for a joint venture to rebuild the electrical pump station serving the Ullrich water treatment plant. Austin Water considers the project “critical to the reliability of the water treatment process” […]