Nothing fully prepares you for getting a range of policies passed and implemented except doing it. For 4 years, I've honed the skills to not just talk about problems, but instead fix them.
Over the past 4 years, I've helped send clinicians instead of cops to mental health crises, filled first responder vacancies, and cut emergency response times. I'll build on that by investing in preventing crime before it starts and matching each call to the right responder instead of treating every emergency the same, which creates safer communities, is more effective, and costs less.
One of my proudest accomplishments is finally building more housing which lowered costs so teachers and seniors can stay here instead of being pushed out. And bond funds that sat unspent for years are finally being put to work, so the roads, sidewalks, flood protection, and parks you asked for are getting built. I am committed to keeping this progress going so we can meet our infrastructure needs.
Large data centers that drain resources and drive up costs have no place in Austin. That's why we acted to keep them out and put water-use protections in place for any large user, data center or not. Smaller facilities that power daily life still offer real benefits, so now they'll need Council approval to locate here, pay their fair share, and be good neighbors.
25yrs of union construction - from ditches to running shops.
Labor/Management Training & Cooperatives
Negotiations
Accountability - budgets, man-hours, production, personnel safety
Mother of 2 boys
There needs to be deep dive into Austin's homeless industrial complex and end enabling. Housing First is not working. Enabling Is Not Compassion. We need to look at other cities, like San Francisco, who is proposing legislation to address these difficult issues. Residents of Austin have the right to feel safe in their neighborhoods, to walk the streets, ride the bus, and live their day to day.
We need to expand the use of AI-driven traffic signals for signal coordination to improve traffic flow. We also need to look at reducing the tolls for 18 wheelers, to be either free or nearly free, to encourage those passing through Austin to bypass the city altogether. Any dense housing developments need to seriously consider input from surrounding neighbors and to be respectful of the community
Data centers are going to be built somewhere. When they are built in our area, they provide a great deal of work with high, competitive pay for many trades. It is important for the data centers to be mindful neighbors in the areas where they are being located - having an open dialogue addressing concerns like water and electricity usage & noise and light pollution. Mindful construction is needed.
I was Chief of Staff for a State Representative who believed constituent service was job #1 and I worked my tail off at it and came to believe in it. +25 years in and around government, MPA degree.
This is an incredibly important issue for District 5. The very first thing I will do as mentioned above is work extremely closely with the district and very hard as well. The city needs to move to district distributed services for homeless individuals - one or two service centers will not work. I also plan to work closely with experts and advocates in this field to make improvements.
Public transportation is sorely lacking in District 5. Bus service needs to be improved, including bus public safety. The city should also look at options involving more micro transit services. Expanding mopac south won't help. Signal issues on Slaughter need to be fixed.
The city has done a good job building affordable apartments; the government must do more to build affordable homes.
I am deeply concerned about the unchecked, rapid expansion of data centers. This swift, largely unregulated development threatens local power grids, drains water supplies, increases consumer utility bills, and by passes environmental and transparency safeguards. I support a moratorium on the construction of new data centers in Texas.
Austin business owner, UT paralegal certified, mother, and policy advocate. 18+ years leading local business, civic ordinance reform, property tax relief, and equal opportunity for District 5 families
As a single mother and victim advocate, public safety is my highest concern. I will protect District 5 businesses and families using existing local tools: APD Safe Place partnerships, commercial crime prevention surveys, and multi-disciplinary crisis response like Austin FIRST. We must curb petty crime, defend civil liberties, and ensure every neighbor feels secure.
Infrastructure must scale with growth using strict accountability. City audits show poor training wastes tax dollars, so I will mandate rigorous training, audit systems, and contractor oversight. To fix traffic and housing, we must adopt smart traffic technology and tech-driven management for multifamily housing, coordinating with local, state, and federal leaders to deliver.
Austin has 50+ data centers bringing vital tech, trade, and engineering jobs to District 5. I support smart development with strict water protections: mandating closed-loop dry cooling systems that eliminate water waste, expanding reclaimed water networks, and requiring large facilities to protect municipal drinking water. We can grow our economy while preserving vital natural resources.
