Austin City Council District 9 race: Where candidates stand on the issues

The American-Statesman surveyed the candidates in the Austin City Council District 9 race to get their positions on some of the key issues facing the city and their district.

Here are their responses, some of which have been edited for length and clarity:

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Linda Guerrero

Biography: Austin schoolteacher for 28 years and a small business owner for 15 years. Chaired Austin's parks board and environmental commission and co-chaired I-35 coalition. Vice-chair of Austin Downtown Commission. Served on other city commissions or committees, including South Central Waterfront Overlay, Bond Oversigh and Barton Springs Master Plan. Holds a bachelor's degree in education and in sociology.

How can the City Council slow the increase in housing prices and make home ownership a greater possibility for more residents?

Since the early 2000s, corporations have poured into Austin increasing the price of housing. The city has for decades offered large companies tax incentives, fee waivers and rebates to encourage them to move to Austin. Our property taxes have increased mainly because home values increased brought on by the demand that the incentives to large companies generated. Reportedly Austin currently has more job openings than individuals needing jobs, I would oppose any further incentives to large corporations.

Currently the development fees in Austin are high and these costs could get passed on to home buyers and renters. Austin needs to conduct a study to determine whether the fees could be lowered and determine whether technological solutions can be used to reduce times and costs.

Austin City Council District 9 race: Big field of candidates focused on city's housing policies

What is something you would change about the city’s policies on homelessness?

People will be camping either openly or in hiding until we can provide housing for those in need. Rather than requiring people to meet conditions before qualifying for public housing, I believe that the first step is to provide a roof over their heads and then help the former homeless residents through their problems such as mental illness and drug addiction. Additional permanent supportive housing is necessary instead of shelters. I am interested in the Community First Village housing model as a possible solution. I believe that we should make supportive community housing available in all parts of the city, not just on county land. Housing needs to be built as funding is available.

How would you rate the quality of policing services Austinites are getting as the police department deals with hundreds of officer vacancies, and what can be done to improve those services?

The delay in the cadet classes, along with higher than average retirement rates, had measurable impacts on the vacancy rates. While the vacancy rate is of course an important metric, it only tells part of the story of increasing response times, concerns about officer safety, and overall morale. The next council will have to navigate through the meet and confer process to respond to these challenges, while also rebuilding trust in the community through enhanced police accountability and oversight. We’re going to need strong council leadership to help bring us forward and achieve such a contract.

I support Austin’s Reimagining Public Safety Initiative, a holistic approach to training, retraining, assessing and evolving public safety systems intended to address community needs equitably for all Austinites.

What would you consider priorities for Austin when it comes to traffic/transit (Project Connect, I-35 expansion, road safety, etc)?

I see Project Connect as a transformative project. However, with the 30% design not yet completed, I have concerns about the impact on local businesses, the cost increases and the environmental effect of two river crossings. As a council member, I’d like to serve on the CapMetro board, so that I have the opportunity and information to oversee Project Connect.

I’m similarly concerned about TxDOT’s proposed widening of I-35 and subsequent displacement of an estimated 150 homes and businesses. Widening highways typically encourages more automobile traffic resulting in more pollution. I think the proposals for a greener, more sustainable I35 area will be embedded in the future cap and stitch process currently being worked on with stakeholder involvement. I support many of the Rethink I-35 and Reconnect Austin’s goals which can be incorporated into the final plan. The City Council and members of the public need to continue to advocate for a better plan.

What other priorities do you have? What sets you apart as a candidate?

My 20 years of public service on Austin boards and commissions set me apart as a candidate. I have led with integrity, transparency, and fairness during my years on the boards and commissions and as a council member I will bring my proven leadership to the City Council dais. For me, the best part of community involvement and participation is the potential to create an acceptable solution for all parties. As a council member, I will continue to bring people together to build consensus to achieve positive outcomes for our city’s most pressing issues.

What is an issue that faces your district specifically and how would you address it?

District 9 has the oldest infrastructure in the city. Roads, sidewalks, water supply, drainage capacity and electrical power all need to be maintained and expanded as density increases. Deferred maintenance often causes frequent safety hazards, boil notices, power failures and flooding, all of which ultimately increase costs. As a council member, I will introduce an infrastructure improvement plan prioritizing the most needed areas.

Another important issue for District 9 are the local creeks which have repeatedly flooded over the years. I will prioritize better management to better control the creek. This will decrease localized flooding and to reduce property damage and loss of lives.

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Ben Leffler

Biography: Longtime Austin resident who manages teams that improve digital service delivery for the Department of Veterans Affairs, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, and the National Science Foundation. Attended the University of Texas and earned a bachelor's in government and a master's in public affairs. Was educated in Austin public schools. Previous work experience includes in the city's auditor's office and as a policy advisor to then-Council Member Chris Riley. Has served on the Cherrywood Neighborhood Association Steering Committee and currently serves on the LBJ School Alumni Board. Co-founded a nonprofit that raised over $50,000 for Planned Parenthood, the ACLU and Casa Marienella.

How can the City Council slow the increase in housing prices and make home ownership a greater possibility for more residents?

We must build all types of housing for all income levels in all areas of the city, including subsidized affordable housing and market-rate housing. To do so, we must update Austin’s 38-year-old land development code, which is a significant contributor to our city’s housing and affordability issues. It limits housing stock, subsidizes car dependence, and incentivizes sprawl. There isn’t a silver bullet to fix our housing crisis, but we could accomplish a lot by updating the (land development code)to be more equitable and consistent, reduce minimum lot sizes, minimize parking requirements, address compatibility along our corridors and raise the site plan threshold. We can also better incentivize workforce housing development by expanding Affordability Unlocked and increasing density bonus programs.

What is something you would change about the city’s policies on homelessness?

The HEAL initiative is a good program, but it’s not enough, and we just learned that nearly a third of program participants left without a permanent home placement, which, again, speaks to the critical need for more housing. The city must improve data collection to better understand how people are moving through HEAL, and work to decrease the time they’re waiting for housing placement. Homelessness is not unique to Austin, so we should partner with adjacent communities on a strategic regional plan that takes a housing first approach and increases temporary and permanent supportive housing. In a time of limited budgets, this will require partnership with the private sector for much needed resources.

How would you rate the quality of policing services Austinites are getting as the police department deals with hundreds of officer vacancies, and what can be done to improve those services?

Unfortunately, increased societal dislocation, rising mental health challengesa nd reckless state gun policies have created significant issues across the country, including Austin. While meeting with neighbors, I have heard many concerns about the rise in crime and police response times. This is exacerbated by the current APD vacancies, and we need to better understand how to staff the department appropriately, because everyone in our community deserves to feel safe.

If we’re ever going to have faith that public safety is equitable in Austin, our City Council must work hand-in-hand with the community and APD to find common ground, because Austinites deserve to trust in their police department. To rebuild trust, our itcy must acknowledge that Black and other Communities of Color have been overpoliced and disproportionately experience police violence.

What would you consider priorities for Austin when it comes to traffic/transit (Project Connect, I-35 expansion, road safety, etc)?

Project Connect is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to make Austin a more accessible, inclusive and sustainable city, and we must prioritize building significant equitable transit oriented development along lines and other transit. Expanding bus routes, dedicating right-of-way for Bus Rapid Transit on major corridors, and filling the “last mile” gaps will greatly improve transit. Completing the sidewalk system and the urban trail network, adding protected bike lanes, and increasing e-bike subsidies will make it safer and easier for pedestrians and bikers to traverse the city. We must also ensure that our sidewalks, bike lanes, and trails are accessible, well-lit, and safe for all ages and abilities.

We must continue to push TxDOT for an I-35 solution that aligns with community goals rather than further dividing Austin. The current upper deck segment is the most dangerous stretch of road in Texas and must be addressed, but there is no sense in tearing a 20-plus-lane scar through the heart of the most vibrant city in America... we should continue to push to make I-35 renovations as equitable and sustainable as possible.

What other priorities do you have? What sets you apart as a candidate?

I’m extremely concerned about the environment, especially as Austin is increasingly impacted by climate change that will bring hotter, drier days, larger rainstorms and severe weather events and increased wildfire risk. To minimize the impacts of drought, the City should accelerate progress on implementing Water Forward, and expand our range of options for water collection, aquifer storage and retention. District 9 is home to several flood-prone areas, including Shoal Creek, which has repeatedly flooded North Lamar during heavy rains. Improving the surface and underlying infrastructure along creeks will help minimize property damage and danger as flash floods become more common.

As we get drier and hotter, Austin will also be at increased risk of wildfires. There should be a concerted effort to clear high-risk areas of excess wildfire fuel, and to ensure (Austin Fire Department) can access all areas of Austin in a timely manner. We should also increase incentives for planting trees on residential and commercial properties to minimize heat island effects.

What is an issue that faces your district specifically and how would you address it?

The lack of access to housing and transit is not specific to District 9, but we have a unique opportunity to make big improvements. Project Connect’s Orange Line will run down Guadalupe and Lamar, right through the heart of this district. This is an immense opportunity to address housing affordability, transit accessa nd sustainability for our district and the city. However, if we don’t continue to push for sufficient equitable transit oriented development and adjust development rules as necessary, we will miss the opportunity to make the most of this generational investment.

If elected to the City Council, I will prioritize building significant eTOD along the Orange Line (and other lines and transit corridors). This will require updates to the land development code, the right incentives for affordable housing, and ongoing engagement with stakeholders and advocacy groups, to ensure we are best serving all community members.

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Zena Mitchell

Biography: Administrative assistant at an international renewable energy company. Past professions include schoolteacher, electrician and congressional liaison to former Sen. Donald Riegle, D-Mich. Holds a bachelors degree in public affairs in urban policy.

How can the City Council slow the increase in housing prices and make home ownership a greater possibility for more residents?

Limit profit investors make on selling a house to 2% simple interest per annum. This will apply to any residential real property that is not used as a primary home. This formula is used for people qualifying for affordable housing in order to keep houses affordable. If we can limit profits poor people can make, we can certainly do so for non-residents who are only investing for profit.

Limit the number and amount of residential real property an individual or business may purchase. Investors who buy up properties only to flip them for profit or turn them into Short Term Rentals (STRs) are driving up prices and decreasing availability.

What is something you would change about the city’s policies on homelessness?

I propose that we install public restrooms a few blocks from anywhere in the city. Perhaps port-a-potties under bridges until populations are homed. A public shower and laundry center. How could anyone find employment without access to these basic needs?

Getting any kind of social services, assistance, mental healthcare requires access to a mailbox, phones, and computer, and the ability to use them. Create resource centers staffed with people who can assist. Hire homeless to fill many of these positions. Locate, reach out to, and educate people as to what resources are available to them.

How would you rate the quality of policing services Austinites are getting as the police department deals with hundreds of officer vacancies, and what can be done to improve those services?

I believe we need to alleviate duties of the police that would be better served by other professionals. In trying to find help for my own brother who experiences dementia and severe mood swings, I was told someone could drop by his place for a “wellness check.” I later learned this was done not by a social worker, but a police officer. It terrified me that in my brother’s state of mind, he could have panicked seeing an officer and injured the officer or get killed himself. And what could have happened if he were a person of color? We need to safely let professionals handle their own professions.

What would you consider priorities for Austin when it comes to traffic/transit (Project Connect, I-35 expansion, road safety, etc)?

For the sake of our planet, mass transit must be high priority in our city, state and country. We must create a highly functional mass transit system that is more practical and appealing than private vehicles. I strongly support Project Connect, though tunneling under the river seems unnecessarily hazardous to me. In the meantime, our bus system needs vast improvement. We need at least three commuter lines running directly to the airport, crosstown buses, and higher frequency.

We improve ridership by making private vehicles impractical. Gradually shut down the entire downtown area to personal vehicles, allowing only buses, rail, bicycles, pedestrians, clearly marked taxis and emergency vehicles, with park-and-ride locations outside of downtown. Incentivize businesses to encourage employees by charging for parking, while offering free public transit passes. Regarding I-35 expansion, I am absolutely against it. Cap-and-stitch is absurd; $5 billion and 10 years mess to displace communities for what? Burying the traffic jam will not make it go away. We should incentivize non-local trucks to use toll roads around Austin. Aside from that, I honestly can’t see spending billions, millions or even thousands to improve traffic for private vehicles when that money should be spent on public transit.

What other priorities do you have? What sets you apart as a candidate?

I propose studying and copying San Francisco’s virtual universal health care program. Why not here? I want to stop free rides for corporations. I’m pro-choice and anti-gun. I will say things others will not, which may make some uncomfortable, but are things that need to be voiced (such as, “we may have to sacrifice a little comfort to save the world. Even in your own backyard”). I am the only candidate committed to spending less than a grand on my campaign.

What is an issue that faces your district specifically and how would you address it?

District 9 contains most of the downtown district and SoCo, so I would like to say one more thing about mass transit. I suggested all these bus-line improvements and so many more buses. How do we pay for that? As a teacher I was always faced with doing a lot with very little. If you don’t’ have it, then ask for donations from our good community.

Kym Olson

Biography: Has more than 25 years of policy experience at all levels of government. Served on the board for the Texas Network of Youth Services for seven years, advocating for public policies and priorities to strengthen youth and families, specifically displaced and homeless youth. Holds undergrad degrees in political science and communication, and a master's in public affairs from the University of Texas.

How can the City Council slow the increase in housing prices and make home ownership a greater possibility for more residents?

Start with the permits. A full audit needs to be done to see actual details of money in and where it is going versus intent. Scrub all the permits to determine what works, what doesn't and what's ridiculous. Full transparency must be in place moving forward to rebuild trust.

What is something you would change about the city’s policies on homelessness?

Youth in Austin have very few options other than the ARCH. Not OK, as there is no separate area for them. We must create a Center for Health Care Services to provide all types of services and can accommodate any and all our citizens as needed and for those without homes, absolutely crucial to meet their basic mental needs prior to giving them keys to a home and sending them on their way. Taking care of the needs of our community is a principle responsibility of city government. The current plan is a smoking mirror to hide our dirtiness, rather than provide the assistance needed.

How would you rate the quality of policing services Austinites are getting as the police department deals with hundreds of officer vacancies, and what can be done to improve those services?

(Bad) and getting worse. The APD contract actually ends at the end of September. When we can't tell a recruit what their benefits or salary will look like moving forward, we are left with the officers that can't get a job anywhere else. we could alleviate so much of their time wasted on mental health, social issues, well being, and stick to crime and criminal issues.

What would you consider priorities for Austin when it comes to traffic/transit (Project Connect, I-35 expansion, road safety, etc)?

District 9 could use a much easier mode of transport just to zip from point A to B which are also the main tourist spots. It would also be beneficial to start a shuttle program from a parking lot to/from downtown locations.

What other priorities do you have? What sets you apart as a candidate?

• Awareness: we are living in a house of cards. Under-performing plans and the lack of infrastructure, accountability or leadership. Our power utility plant and infrastructure is in critical need to be addressed immediately. If it struggles to maintain current load, add density plus escalating climate events, we are screwed.

• Preparedness: we need to be researching other resources for power to ensure capacity and maintain reliability so we don’t get caught in the cold. Let's get APD contract negotiations begin immediately. Trust has been annihilated. Enough is enough on this time wasting infighting. Build a Community for Mental Health Center. Separate the social and criminal services, providing relief to APD. Separate social, mental, welfare from crime/criminal.

• Readiness: Re-examine the failing massive projects. Do a better job including all stakeholders. Proper research using local experts to determine the actual problem zones and size. Ensure all infrastructure with worsening client conditions and in mind. Start small with pilot projects to determine success, work needed and any unintended consequences.

What is an issue that faces your district specifically and how would you address it?

Crime. Blighted area has expanded from the ARCH to encompass downtown to campus and south to the river and now over the river and rapidly growing. Police are strapped for officers; extra resources critical. Tent city and 24 hour sidewalk sleepers need a center where they can go that provides the help, coping skills, and coaching they will need to transition from one lifestyle to another and responsibilities/expectations involved. Our home first effort is completely backwards and obviously not working.

Zohaib "Zo" Qadri

Biography: Worked for a consulting firm opposing certain conservative bills in Texas legislature. Before then worked for a House office and in city government offices in Kyle and Houston. Holds a bachelor's degree in sociology from the University of Texas and a masters of public administration from Texas State University. Assisted on Beto O'Rourke's 2018 Senate campaign and on Elizabeth Warren's 2020 presidential campaign.

How can the City Council slow the increase in housing prices and make home ownership a greater possibility for more residents?

We need to bring our land use rules in alignment with Imagine Austin, the Austin Strategic Housing Blueprint and the Austin Climate Equity Plan by reforming the rules that currently keep housing unaffordable, improving “green” housing incentives that help decrease costs for homeowners, and investing in accessible and sustainable multimodal infrastructure to decrease overall cost of living in Austin.

What is something you would change about the city’s policies on homelessness?

We must be proactive about preventing displacement of and stopping homelessness at the source, including intervening the earlier stages of housing insecurity caused by unaffordability, low minimum wages for our city's workers, and the need to fortify our right-to-return and right-to-stay programs. We can also go further on existing initiatives: expanding community land trusts, investing in housing vouchers for low-income residents, and ensuring the $300M in Project Connect anti-displacement funds gets spent on truly affordable housing.

How would you rate the quality of policing services Austinites are getting as the police department deals with hundreds of officer vacancies, and what can be done to improve those services?

Our police force currently has the largest budget of any of our first responders, yet currently with the other city departments being short staffed, it pulls APD away from their duties. We need to ensure there's pay parity and equitable funding across all city services, and additionally improve the community's relationship with Austin's police through intentional policy reforms that increase transparency and citizen oversight. Despite unequivocal money invested in the Austin police budget, we have seen too often that policing does not equal safer streets. We need to reimagine public safety. Amid the tragic shooting of Mike Ramos, police did not stop that tragic loss of life, and in fact community care solutions ranging from improving street lighting and pedestrianized street infrastructure have empirically helped decrease loss of life in the urban core of cities like Austin.

What would you consider priorities for Austin when it comes to traffic/transit (Project Connect, I-35 expansion, road safety, etc)?

As we grow as a city, we must meet our growing transportation needs. We must ensure that Project Connect gets built in a timely and equitable manner, so that Austinites will be able to access high quality, frequent public transit services. To get there, we must invest in infrastructure like safe bus shelters including coverings, benches and lighting that are essential to cultivating a less car-dependent culture in Austin by making our bus infrastructure accessible, especially in hot summers like we’re enduring now. We must also expand city and regional policy to make Austin more bike and pedestrian friendly, from expanding protected bike lanes and safe-street programs, to emulating successful programs like the E-Bike tax credit proposal Denver recently enacted.

What other priorities do you have? What sets you apart as a candidate?

Representation, whether at council's dais or on our boards and commissions, is critical for us to ensure our policies help those most effected. This is especially true in Austin, as we’ve never had a South Asian or Muslim on council. Austin is in dire need of action to stop Asian hate and violent islamophobia... whether it's our cultural center in West Austin being vandalized, a local mosque being burned, or a kid being bullied because of what they wear on their head or the color of their skin.

What is an issue that faces your district specifically and how would you address it?

District 9 is a microcosm of the best parts of Austin, having active and generational neighborhoods, students, working families, bustling economic hubs and expansive parks. As such, all priorities brought to the dais in some way effect District 9, but uniquely our district has the youngest average resident and the most renters, putting affordability and improving the rent-to-own possibilities as essential priorities that must come first when elected to Council.

Greg Smith

Biography: Vice president of business development for Grayhawk Insurance. Previously worked in the golf and club management industries. Longtime Austin resident who was educated in Austin schools.

How can the City Council slow the increase in housing prices and make home ownership a greater possibility for more residents?

The way our city permits and delivers housing is badly broken. With every questionnaire I complete and every forum I attend to I see and hear the same answers – we need more supply, we need greater variety, we need density along corridors…. All of these are true, but unless we fix the systemic obstructionist approach to housing that our city has not only allowed, but fostered, we will never achieve the goals we all agreed to in Imagine Austin. Every department that touches a building permit or a site plan must be held accountable to the stated goals of providing greater levels and variety of housing.

What is something you would change about the city’s policies on homelessness?

It is clear to me that the issue of homelessness is not improving. The great majority of residents I have spoken with have pointed to our city leaders as those responsible for taking us down a failed path while continuing to support the same initiatives that have not produced measurable results. We must start over. We have to build partnerships that recognized the goals of the entire community and have the will to execute plans that achieve those goals. As a leader, it is my responsibility to provide those partnerships with the resources necessary, like city owned property and services, and then holding them accountable for the desired results.

How would you rate the quality of policing services Austinites are getting as the police department deals with hundreds of officer vacancies, and what can be done to improve those services?

We have failed the residents of our community so badly with regards to public safety, not just policing, that I believe our community has begun to accept a lower quality of life. The vision of Imagine Austin, adopted by our city more than 10 years ago, is unflinchingly consistent in its message regarding the importance of public safety in our community, that the word “safe” shows up more than 100 times. I will be accountable reestablishing those goals and adapting them to reflect the needs of our current circumstances.

What would you consider priorities for Austin when it comes to traffic/transit (Project Connect, I-35 expansion, road safety, etc)?

I consider Project Connect a priority for transit in Austin. In November 2020, voters recognized that a transit system provides much more than just a way to move around the region. A robust transit system allows our economy to grow by providing workers greater access to jobs in our economic centers, not to mention the thousands of jobs that will be created during construction and the ongoing operation of the system. Combined with a purposeful land development code, Project Connect will allow us to realize the vision of Imagine Austin and allow for real density along our corridors.

What other priorities do you have? What sets you apart as a candidate?

I want to restore trust in leadership. It is our city’s failure to address homelessness that brought me into this race, but it is the obvious crisis of leadership, of almost every issue, that has strengthened my resolve to win. We don’t need to go back and reimagine Imagine Austin. A blueprint was created for success, but somewhere along the way we got lost. We got caught in a wash of progressive policies that were more about what was said than what was done.

What is an issue that faces your district specifically and how would you address it?

The consistent feedback I receive is a desire for our city leaders to do better. This is a time of great change in our district and these changes require the attention of serious leaders. As was written in the guiding document of Imagine Austin: Change isn’t easy. Actively preparing for change and uncertainty can be tough. However, the potential rewards can outweigh the discomforts.

Joah Spearman

Biography: Entrepreneur who created and led the first-ever fashion part of SXSW Festival while also serving as director of operations for Bazaarvoice in the leadup to their IPO. Later founded Localeur to help travelers discover locally-owned bars, restaurants and shops across more than 200 cities globally. Graduated from Killeen High and the University of Texas. Former board member of AIDS Services of Austin, Austin PBS and Zach Theatre. Served on two city commissions.

How can the City Council slow the increase in housing prices and make home ownership a greater possibility for more residents?

I believe we need must start with three groups:

• Seniors on fixed incomes. I would encourage a no-interest loan program, backed by the city, in which seniors can age in place by gaining access to pre-approved development plans for ADUs which can house essential workers at below-market rents that enable seniors to offset the rising costs of property taxes.

• Public safety employees such as paramedics and firefighters, whom currently are being priced outside the city limits. We should earmark city-owned land for workplace housing for these emergency responders.

• Workers whose companies can build employee housing on privately owned land

What is something you would change about the city’s policies on homelessness?

I believe the city should not rely solely on the wits of City Council and City Hall employees to drum up good ideas around homelessness, but also direct pension dollars and other institutional funds towards housing- and homelessness-focused solutions that would enable our innovation sector to join the effort in serving the unhoused population in Austin. Just as Boston is leaning on its public health expertise and Houston is leaning on its low-code environment to address chronic homelessness, Austin must also lean on its strength.

How would you rate the quality of policing services Austinites are getting as the police department deals with hundreds of officer vacancies, and what can be done to improve those services?

Police officer training must reflect a broader mission than doing things the way they’ve always been done just as our strategy for addressing homelessness must have a broader vision than whack-a-mole type hotel purchases without a long-term policy for citywide affordability and housing availability. We can continue to treat each of these things as individual problems to be solved with individualized focus or we can acknowledge the interconnectedness of these issues as our city continues to grow and create a master plan for public safety that embraces the intersectionality of policing, race and socio-economic history, housing affordability, public and mental health, resilience and disaster preparedness.

What would you consider priorities for Austin when it comes to traffic/transit (Project Connect, I-35 expansion, road safety, etc)?

Project Connect is the No.1 transit priority in our community because it's effective implementation could lead to generational transformation of both our mobility and our climate reality. I do not support I-35 expansion, and I hope to be deeply involved in discussions with the state to ensure we have local input on any plans for the highway running through our central core. I also would be a big proponent of expanding our Vision Zero initiative. As someone living without a car for the last five years, I know first-hand how important it is that we make our roads safe not only for drivers, but also cyclists and pedestrians as we push to make our city more walkable and less car dependent.

What other priorities do you have? What sets you apart as a candidate?

District 9 is where Red River is, where 6th Street is, where Rainey Street is, and where classic music venues like Continental Club, Saxon Pub and others reside. Simply put, if we are going to continue calling ourselves the "Live Music Capital of the World" and generating millions of tourism dollars and thousands of new residents (and tax revenue) off of this reputation, we need to make sure we re-invest into the very people, places and communities that have given us so much. Currently, musician wages are near the same levels of the 1990s and the music industry census results continue to point to below-poverty level living conditions for too many of our artists and musicians.

What is an issue that faces your district specifically and how would you address it?

District 9 is the hospitality hub. There are restaurants throughout our city, but the costs of living in D9 makes it especially difficult for our waiters, bartenders and baristas to live in proximity to their work. I would work steadfastly to adopt more of Good Work Austin and One Fair Wage principles as city policy, including an effort to make fair wages, family leave and health insurance mainstays for our hospitality professionals.

Tom Wald

Biography: A mobility advocate who founded the nonprofit Red Line Parkway, and co-founded Austin Outside, and People United for Mobility Action, which advocated for $300 million in anti-displacement funds through Project Connect. Served as executive director for Bike Austin. Bachelor's degree in physics and in philosophy.

How can the City Council slow the increase in housing prices and make home ownership a greater possibility for more residents?

Some of the mechanisms that should be approved by early 2023 and would have the quickest on-the-ground results include streamlining the development review process (including guaranteeing development timelines), eliminating car parking requirements (which both reduces costs and allows for more housing), building housing on city land, reducing development fees (temporarily and/or permanently), allowing existing residences to subdivide into multiple units, expanding Affordability Unlocked (to make it more effective and widely used, e.g., more sixplexes), and relaxing compatibility to allow more housing on corridors.

What is something you would change about the city’s policies on homelessness?

I firmly believe that we can and should end chronic homelessness by providing adequate permanent housing to those who need it. On the way to achieving that goal, and by 2024, we should provide a minimum of basic shelter to all those who need it. By the end of 2023, we should expand transitional or emergency shelter in order to immediately lift up the health and safety of all those who are unhoused.

How would you rate the quality of policing services Austinites are getting as the police department deals with hundreds of officer vacancies, and what can be done to improve those services?

We need a data-driven approach to frame our response to emerging crime trends. Of major cities, Austin continues to have among the lowest violent crime rates. Most cities saw an uptick during the pandemic, regardless of changes to police forces or budgets. Our community is stronger, safer, more just, and healthier when we focus on preventative measures, e.g. social services, sidewalks, housing, education, economic development, rather than focusing only on reactive measures that often exacerbate problems and cost much more.

What would you consider priorities for Austin when it comes to traffic/transit (Project Connect, I-35 expansion, road safety, etc)?

I’ve led efforts over the last 16 years to expand our city’s sidewalks, bikeways, trails, and transit access so that more people can safely and conveniently get around Austin without a car. I would build on that work by ensuring that Project Connect is successfully implemented and that our all-ages-and-abilities walking, wheelchair, and bikeway networks serve all parts of Austin. I have also led on Vision Zero road safety for car passengers and would continue that work as well.

What other priorities do you have? What sets you apart as a candidate?

I am the only candidate who is both fully committed to building more housing to address our housing affordability crisis and has extensive local political experience with demonstrated results to ensure that we enact policies to meet our housing needs. I am also uniquely positioned to lead on local and regional mobility, and I have the relationships and experience to lead on other Austin issues.

What is an issue that faces your district specifically and how would you address it?

It is not yet top-of-mind to most of those in District 9, but the upcoming major transportation construction projects will be an inescapable part of life in the district for several years. Project Connect includes multi-year reconstruction of several major corridors, the I-35 Capital Express Central Project will disrupt a major transportation corridor, Congress Avenue reconstruction will impinge on a major entrance and exit from downtown, and a few additional corridors funded for reconstruction will impact the district as well.

This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Austin City Council District 9 race: Where candidates stand on issues