Former City Council Member Mike Martinez has plunged back into local politics in order to support former rival Mayor Steve Adler’s $720 million transportation bond proposal. Addressing a packed press conference at City Hall on Friday, Martinez said he was fulfilling a promise he had made to Adler during their otherwise contentious mayoral campaign in […]
Mike Martinez
Former Austin City Council member. First elected in 2006, Martinez served as Mayor Pro Tem from 2009 until 2011. He ran for Austin Mayor as part of the November 2014 citywide elections.
Posted inAustin, Elections, Local Politics
Adler wants group to study campaign finance rules
New Austin Mayor Steve Adler wants a group of reform-minded citizens to consider whether Austin needs to tweak its campaign finance rules. He has already talked to attorney Fred Lewis about helping with the project. Lewis, with a background in campaign finance reform, is the leader of Texans Together, which works to foster grass-roots activism. […]
Posted inAustin, City Charter, City Council, Local Politics
For Martinez, 10-1 dominated 2014
Council Member Mike Martinez is fresh off a campaign for mayor, one where he did his level best to bring up big-picture issues. Indeed, as many have reported, affordability and transportation became key notes in the campaign. Still, when he sat down to talk with the Monitor about the past year, the very first thing […]
Posted inAustin, Elections, Local Politics, Monitor News & Media
Adler maintains lead in new Austin Monitor poll
According to a poll conducted this week among 942 likely Austin voters, mayoral candidate and attorney Steve Adler maintains a commanding lead over his runoff opponent, City Council Member Mike Martinez. When asked who they would be likely to vote for in the Dec. 16 runoff election, 56 percent of respondents said Adler, compared to […]
Posted inElections, Local Politics, Monitor News & Media
Monitor Poll: Adler’s lead over Martinez increasing
A poll commissioned by the Austin Monitor shows that 56 percent of voters said they would likely vote for mayoral candidate Steve Adler, compared to 35 percent who said they would vote for his runoff opponent, City Council Member Mike Martinez. Only 8 percent of those polled indicated that they were undecided in the mayoral contest. […]
Posted inAustin, Elections, Local Politics
Adler, Martinez headed for runoff in mayor’s race
Political newcomer Steve Adler will face incumbent City Council Member Mike Martinez in a Dec. 16 runoff for Austin mayor. Adler led the field of eight candidates, pulling in about 37 percent of the vote, with Martinez garnering nearly 30 percent early this morning. Mayor Pro Tem Sheryl Cole picked up about 15 percent of the […]
Posted inLocal Politics, Resources
Adler releases plan to solve Austin water crisis
Austin mayoral candidate Steve Adler, who has already issued extensive position papers on affordability and education, got his feet wet Wednesday with a new plan to deal with Austin’s water crisis. He issued an “agenda paper” that primarily opposes buying and shipping new water from elsewhere, preferring to emphasize conservation, reuse and a restructuring of […]
Posted inLocal Politics
Martinez tries to paint Adler as rich, out of touch
Mayoral candidate Mike Martinez’s campaign continued its attacks on opponent Steve Adler on Wednesday, alleging that he “owns a villa at Esperanza in Cabo San Lucas, one of the most exclusive resorts in Mexico.” That proved to be an exaggeration. Bo Delp, Martinez’s deputy campaign manager, said they got the information from Adler’s recently filed […]
Posted inLocal Politics
Martinez, Adler bicker over homestead exemption
Mayoral candidate Mike Martinez staged yet another battle in the ongoing war over homestead exemptions Thursday, holding a news conference to attack candidate Steve Adler’s plan and reveal details of his own proposal. “If Steve Adler has his way, the average middle-class renter in Austin will see their cost of living increase by $80 each […]
Posted inLocal Politics
Firefighters issue four Council endorsements
The Austin Firefighters Association began announcing its endorsements for City Council Tuesday, beginning with two of its own, Council Member Mike Martinez, who is running for mayor, and District 2 candidate Delia Garza. The group also chose Council Member Chris Riley for District 9 over fellow incumbent Kathie Tovo and Ora Houston, the apparent front-runner […]
Posted inElections, Local Politics, Uncategorized
Property tax relief hot topic at mayoral forum
During the South Austin Democrats‘ mayoral candidate forum Tuesday night, candidate Steve Adler defended his position in support of a citywide 20 percent homestead tax exemption. Fellow mayoral candidates Mike Martinez and Sheryl Cole have blasted Adler’s flat 20 percent homestead tax exemption proposal as an ill-advised idea, noting that a city report said it […]