All five candidates for Austin mayor discussed their political positions and policies if elected in a live forum Wednesday.
The forum, held in PBS Austin’s studio in conjunction with UT’s Lyndon B. Johnson School of Public Affairs, saw Jeffery Bowen, Doug Greco, Carmen Llanes-Pulido, former Austin City Council member Kathie Tovo and incumbent Mayor Kirk Watson, who is running for a third term.
The candidates were questioned on a number of issues including the controversial proposed contract for Austin police officers, housing and economic concerns, drug addiction in Austin and animal welfare.
Housing
Each of the candidates addressed the Home Options for Mobility and Equity, or HOME, Initiative. The initiative’s second phase, adopted by Austin City Council in May, updated Austin’s land use code to allow the development of single units on smaller lots, and followed the implementation of the initiative’s first phase, which allows up to three residential properties to be built on a lot.
Together, the initiatives are meant to expand the options for residential construction on plots of land that would have otherwise faced stricter restrictions on the number of properties that could be built.
Tovo and Llanes-Pulido both support the increase in housing, but raised concerns over the initiative’s lack of a specific provision for affordable housing.
Tovo said the properties can be used for the construction of short term rentals, which she suspects will increase displacement. Tovo added that some of the permits approved through the initiative are resulting in the demolition of existing structures to construct new houses that won’t be cheaper.
“This is one of the top issues people mention,” Tovo said. “Without a measure to require that that housing be affordable, the market will not provide affordable housing.”
Llanes-Pulido advocated for climate-friendly housing for low-income homeowners, along with other proposals like floodplain and drainage updates. She said that Austin is “affordability last,” not “affordability first,” and a central solution is protection for small homes on small lots as opposed to the upcharge reselling of smaller lots.
“We have plenty of units that are too expensive for people,” Llanes-Pulido said. “We need to keep people where they are and produce truly affordable housing.”
Greco pointed to an increased cost of living as a central issue in Austin’s high-priced housing market. He supports the updates to the land-use code, but said he would have fought to curve the role of outside investors in Austin’s housing market in favor of middle- and low-income residents.
Greco added he would have been a stronger advocate for anti-displacement.
“The forces of downtown development, condo development, unchecked development (have led) our income inequality to increase,” Greco said.
Bowen praised the code’s updates for not changing a number of ordinances, but also pointed to the lack of inclusion of affordability as an issue. He said there are areas of the initiative that haven’t been implemented fully yet, and that it “may not work out.” He recommended the establishment of a department where residents can go to seek clarification on permitting processes and costs.
“I have a lot of concerns with (the initiative),” Bowen said. “It’s a very diverse subject.”
Watson said this council has delivered on addressing affordability, citing the reforms to the land development code meant to impact the affordability curve. He said an increase in the housing stock leads to a decline in the affordability curve as well as in displacement.
“If we’re providing greater supply, we’re also having a positive impact on displacement,” Watson said. “I’ve put in a performance review on at least an annual basis so we can see if we’re having unintended consequences.”
Austin Police Department
The proposed Austin Police contract has fallen under scrutiny for its vagueness around G-files, files on officers that include complaints. Historically, G-files have been sealed, but the Austin Police Oversight Act, which was passed last year, has changed that precedent to require the files be unsealed. The act’s validity was affirmed by a state district court after legal concerns were raised by Watson’s administration and city officials.
Also included in the contract is a 28% raise for officers over five years. Some council and community members have raised concerns over the cost that will produce and the strain it may have on the city budget.
Every candidate approved of the proposed raise. All candidates but Watson mentioned the need for the release of the contract so that it could be reviewed by the public, citing the lack of detail available right now.
Greco, Llanes-Pulido and Tovo spoke to the need for the inclusion of the Oversight Act’s G-file requirements, which Watson said would be included in the contract now that courts have provided clarification on its legality. Despite that statement, some candidates raised concern over whether it was included or not.
“We wanted transparency, and we should not trade that away for a police contract,” Greco said.
The candidates agreed on the need to recruit and retain officers. On drug use, opioids and fentanyl specifically, Watson highlighted his administration’s work so far, citing Narcan provisions, an increased focus on hotspot areas like downtown and the planned establishment of a downtown command facility for Austin-Travis County EMS during peak times. Greco and Tovo supported the initiatives, but both also emphasized the need to focus on prevention.
Llanes-Pulido emphasized prevention as well, but also focused on the role communities play in supporting individuals through addiction. She recommended listening to survivors and criticized Watson for his lack of attendance at a community event. Bowen raised questions about the lack of adequate enforcement against those selling drugs and made claims about the inability to control the flow of drugs due to what he views as an open southern border.
Individual Priorities
The candidates were each asked a question about an individual priority.
Watson talked about his plans to keep airport renovations on schedule, which he said he’s done before and will do again. Greco emphasized the need to support local education and workforces with living wages in order to support working class Austinites.
Llanes-Pulido connected proposed climate initiatives to the need to consult with the Austin Energy and Water departments on how to implement and adapt to deregulation changes introduced through the HOME Initiative. Tovo plans to work with public partners like Austin ISD to improve childcare, and Bowen insisted on the need for a thorough external audit to evaluate changes needed to the budget.
The candidates are scheduled to debate on KXAN Oct. 17. Election day is Nov. 5, and early voting runs Oct. 21 to Nov. 1. The deadline to register to vote is Oct. 7.
