If you’ve read our post on what Austin residents think of Mayor Steve Adler, you might be wondering how the other City Council members fared in the court of public opinion.
The American-Statesman conducted an anonymous survey in December to gather Austinites’ opinions on the first 10-1 council, for a package examining the council’s first year in office. We got close to 900 responses across all of the City Council districts, many of which included written responses.
First, it’s worth noting some of the flaws in this survey. Because it was done online and not sent to a targeted population that mirrors the city’s demographics, it’s not going to be representative of Austin as a whole. Experts we consulted say the Statesman survey likely skews toward higher-income and younger respondents. It was circulated through social media and in an email letter to subscribers.
In addition, we didn’t get the same amount of response from every district, which is why you will see an uneven sample of survey responses listed below. These are all comments from each council member’s own constituents.
Council Member Ora Houston at a June 2015 meeting.
District 1: Ora Houston
Some folks commented on her communication with her district:
“Council member Houston seems overwhelmed with the job and is not responsive to emails to her staff other than automated replies. She was much more responsive at the start of her term.”
“Ora Houston campaign’s slogan was “A leader listens”. CM Houston is not leading, and is she not listening. E-mails are sent to her, unresponded and unacknowledged. Thinking, OK, maybe she doesn’t do email, I call her instead. No one answers the phone, and the voice mailbox is full. How is she listening? This wouldn’t irk me as much if she was leading on issues or making strong votes, but she is not.”
But others shared happy stories about her office providing a helping hand:
“Ora responded quickly and effectively when our neighborhood had problems with a wastewater project was being handled. She and her staff were instrumental in getting the problem handled by the wastewater department.”
“She has been responsive. To our neighborhood concerns from the time she was sworn in- available and returns phone calls- excellent!”
From the Houston fan club:
“I know her personally and she is a wonderful woman. I actually don’t agree with her on several policy issues, but she represents the district well.”
“Ora is conscientious and keeps in mind the values of the majority of her constituents.”
A random grab-bag of Houston criticism:
“CM Houston has been inconsistent and confusing to follow, with her rhetoric and her record usually falling on opposite sides of the issues. Her comments during council meetings make me question her understanding of the issues under discussion.”
“She’s wildly inconsistent, is not responsive to constituents, is openly insulting to wide swaths of the public, and is lazy in not reading backup before she enters meetings. I struggle to think of how you could be worse. I can’t believe she has a 4 year term. Ora Houston is the poster child for why 10-1 was a bad idea.”
“Mobility issues such as cycling infrastructure and pedestrian safety are my highest priority in local policy, and Houston has been vocally anti-bike. This makes me think she is an absolutely terrible representative for her district, given the large number of cyclists and its proximity to UT and downtown.”
“She is out of touch with the younger population that now makes up a majority of her district and fights things like bike lanes, accessory dwelling units, and much needed new housing projects while supporting poorly planned economic development projects like the golf course proposal on parkland near Walter Long Lake.”
Council Member Delia Garza, shown at an August 2015 meeting on parkland for the Mexican American Cultural Center (MACC).
District 2: Delia Garza
From the Garza fan club:
“Ms Garza reaches out to our community as well as responding quickly to us when we reach out to her. She has an excellent staff, knowledgeable about city departments and how to get answers to our questions. I can not speak highly enough about her.”
“Garza puts the needs of the people first.”
“Delia is Wonder Woman. In the middle of running a campaign, she got married, had a child and still works nonstop for her District members. She cares and she knows where the work needs to be done. She simply rolls up her sleeves and does it. Delia also hired the most competent staff I’ve ever seen at City Council. They are smart, efficient, get it done young women. “
“We had issues with a local development and both Delia and her assistant have played a role in making sure our thoughts were heard.”
A random grab-bag of Garza criticism:
“Member needs to take care of street maintenance and landscape to reduce accidents and flooding during heavy rainstorms. Many residents have over grown yards and vehicles on sidewalks that are no being cited. Bus stops are not lighted or do not have cover and benches.”
“No visible presence on the web. No newsletter. No interaction with neighborhood association. A stealth councilperson. Very disappointing.”
Council Member Sabino “Pio” Renteria at an August 2015 meeting.
District 3: Sabino “Pio” Renteria
People have not forgotten his efforts to curb barbecue smoke:
“I am disappointed at Mr. Renteria’s stance against barbecue restaurants.”
“Too much time wasted on BBQ smoke and other small ticket items.”
“First priority was to go after BBQ smoke? What? Why? I thought we were getting affordable living, not banning BBQ.”
From the Renteria fan club:
“He’s not insane like the other council members.”
“Pio has a sound head on his shoulders (minus the BBQ thing) and generally seems to represent us well. In general, Pio seems content being quiet and only talks when he has a real opinion. Other council members should take note.”
“Mr. Renteria makes the effort to reason through issues and weigh the input of city staff and multiple stakeholders when deciding his vote on a given issue.”
“He is of the people of his district and he knows our challenges. He stands with us when we are wronged, but he stands for what is right for the City.”
A random grab-bag of Renteria criticism:
“He’s weak and doesn’t know what he’s talking about on the rare occasion when he opens his mouth.”
“He’s more interested in the east part of our district than the south part where I live, but it’s not his fault the districts were so poorly drawn with such disjointed parts.”
Greg Casar speak with supporters during a party in the spring of 2015.
District 4: Greg Casar
From the Casar fan club:
“He has consistently worked to create equity and a voice for our district, something that I can’t remember there ever being in this part of town.”
“All neighbors were impressed he took the time to come door to door and ask what changes we would like to see during his term.”
“He has made appearances and corresponded with my Neighborhood Association. That had never happened before. He is very responsive to the community and I very much appreciate the transparency of his office.”
“Greg has done a good job representing the interests of renters and low income residents. The ADU ordinance was a nice way to empower property owners to moderately increase housing supply. He and his staff have been very responsive to constituents.”
“Disagree with him on a key issue but he is smart and thinks about his votes. Most importantly, he is not crazy.”
A random grab-bag of Casar criticism:
“I have lived in my district for over 20 years. My representative has lived here for only a few months. He clearly is more concerned about undocumented immigrants than he is those of us who pay taxes and follow the laws.”
“He is not sticking to his campaign promises and is easily influenced by developers.”
“Greg Casar approved tax incentives for [Circuit of the Americas] — a business that is killing local Austinites in terms of home pricing. Regular COTA members buy Austin condos and leave them empty 99% of the year and rent to AirBNB. Greg Casar is ignoring the middle class and pushes incentives that only benefit the lower class.”
Council Member Ann Kitchen shown at a meeting in June 2015.
District 5: Ann Kitchen
She got more comments than other council members about her role drafting regulations of ride-hailing companies:
“Ann Kitchen has led this war against ride sharing all because she accepted campaign money from the taxi union. Such a conflict of interest. Please leave ride sharing alone. I depend on it.”
“I appreciate her transportation efforts overall, including the effort to fingerprint Uber and Lyft drivers.”
“Ann Kitchen is jeopardizing the presence of Uber, a service that I use frequently.”
“Kitchen has struck a nice balance and I appreciate her [guts] going up against Uber.”
“I didn’t vote for her to go after Uber. We have major issues way down south, transportation being near the top of the list. She should be working to expand options, not exclude them.”
Some survey respondents noted how Kitchen handles other transportation issues:
“Focus is on narrow, special-interest led issues like ride sharing ordinance while ignoring major problems like education and transportation.”
“She was able to get the light at Slaughter @ Manchaca on the radar as a problem project that’s been stalled for about 5 yrs.”
“I live southwest of Wm Cannon & Congress, east of Mopac. There are a lot of traffic issues that need attention, yet she’s focused on Uber. Davis Lane was not constructed to meet the traffic demands of a growing area. Left turn lanes need to be doubled at Slaughter & Manchaca.”
Quite a few people focused on the density vs. neighborhoods dynamic in District 5:
“I appreciate her efforts to counter the efforts of “urbanists” to have a “one size fits all” city that fulfills their ideological vision.”
“Ann Kitchen seems to be very interested in hearing what we have to say, as well as wanting to work on our problems (instead of pandering to developers).”
“Kitchen has aligned herself closely with the conservative neighborhood groups vs. being a true progressive voice. I’m very disappointed in her leadership.”
“She can be relied upon to align her position with that of the Zilker & Barton Hills NA. Those groups most certainly don’t represent me or my interests.”
From the Kitchen fan club:
“She has an EXCELLENT TEAM OF STAFFERS. Every one of them is extremely personable, responsive, professional. Thus, CM Kitchen can get a lot accomplished and has a good rapport even with folks she hasn’t had direct contact with.”
“Very responsive to the Onion Creek flood emergency. She is a solid progressive and has the best interests of the community in mind.”
“Experienced, competent, responsive to constituents, great outreach, keeps constituents informed and MOST IMPORTANT of all she listens and CARES.”
“Ann Kitchen is a strong supporter of what most people think is important in District 5 and we are lucky to have her as our council member.”
A random grab bag of Kitchen criticism:
“She got off to a bad start by backing Adler’s proposal to raise private funds to pay for his staff. Anybody who doesn’t recognize that this is an invitation for special interests to gain more influence over the formulation of public policy is beyond hopeless.”
“I am disappointed with many of the votes taken. Specifically on items relating to [Circuit of the Americas], Taxis, Granny flats, Short Term Rentals and many others. I have also seen absolutely zero outreach efforts to me and my neighbors.”
Council Member Don Zimmerman during a break in an August 2015 meeting.
District 6: Don Zimmerman
Many people applauded Zimmerman’s attention to spending issues:
“He is one of the few on council who are trying to hold the line on spending.”
“He always has the interests of his district to avoid unnecessary spending of tax money and will question the outrageous rates we pay for city services including water and electricity.”
“Councilman Zimmerman does not go along with the status quo. He represents the concerns of his district by striving to utilize our tax dollars wisely.”
From the Zimmerman fan club:
“Great listener and responsive. He is the only member who actually walks the talk on affordability.”
“He has held MANY town hall mtgs in the district on the weekends at various places in the district so that citizens can attend and voice their thoughts…He has opened a district office which allows us to easily get in contact with him and/or his staff in person without having to go downtown.”
“He realizes people in my district are tired of paying for boondoggles.”
“I’m just happy someone is standing up to city staff and downtown.”
“He has made an effort to learn about the issues. He doesn’t blindly vote with the council on all issues like other District representatives.”
“He has gotten the City to address flooding issues in our neighborhood that are very severe.”
A random grab-bag of Zimmerman criticism:
“He seems to have his own ideological agenda and while he does seem responsive to concerns over traffic/road issues in District 6, his approach is always confrontational and divisive. Do NOT like the fact that he has already sued the city over campaign finance rules. There seems to be general agreement that these rules are dysfunctional and need to be revised but instead of working with other council members to do that, he sets up an ideological court battle that will cost taxpayers money to defend.”
“Zimmerman does not use rational, science or other data based policymaking but seems more ideologically driven. His denial and inaction on climate change is destructive and speaks volumes.”
“Obviously offensive, but more importantly, a complete distraction to the long list of items needed to be addressed by council.”
“Don Zimmerman is a complete joke to our district. From the hiring of his wife and paying her with campaign funds to his endless lawsuits, he should have never been elected.”
“Does not play well with others. Does not match my goals and values.”
Council Member Leslie Pool listens to a question from a constituent during an April meeting.
District 7: Leslie Pool
There were a lot of comments about the density vs. neighborhoods dynamic in her North Austin district:
“She stands up to urbanist bullying. Goes to bat for those who actually live here. Prioritizes constituents over growth for growth’s sake.”
“Leslie Pool doesn’t care about the renter majority in her district. She is focused solely on the desires of wealthy homeowners who rule the neighborhood associations of lower District 7. Leslie has been an opponent of new housing and of renters.”
“She has been too eager to side with [Austin Neighborhoods Council] style “neighborhood character” preservationists at the expense of affordability and density.”
“Member has voted in favor of measures that help to preserve families and neighborhoods.”
“CM Pool’s voting generally falls in line with NIMBY and legacy neighborhood association (ANC-aligned) interests. I disagree with most if not all of of the ANC-leaning policies. I don’t know if NIMBY/ANC-leaning policies represent the interests of the majority of people in District 7; I suspect that they are simply the vocal minority.”
From the Pool fan club:
“Leslie has done a great job representing the concerns of my neighborhood, but it’s been a huge challenge. It feels like the council as a whole is less receptive to citizen concerns outside their districts, and are highly responsive to city groups that want more commerce and development without regard to impact on quality of living … just so long as it’s in another district.”
“Extremely knowledgeable, responds to her constituents quickly.”
“She was outstanding in leading the City Council to pass a model lobby reform law. Also, she led on finally getting electronic campaign finance disclosure. Walks the talk. Great job.”
“CM Pool (and her staff) reach out to residents on a regular basis and are available and responsive to our inquiries and input.”
“CM Pool works diligently to ascertain the interests and wishes of her constituents unlike some of the other CMs who often vote their own personal interests or whose votes reflect the moneyed lobby in Austin.”
“Leslie seems to have better understanding on the issues than her peers with the exception of [Kathie] Tovo. She has brought up points on issues in other CM districts because that CM wasn’t raising the issues because they were clueless.”
“She has been great on the environment.”
A random grab-bag of Pool criticism:
“Poor leadership regarding flood plane changes, failure to listen to owners of short term rental properties. In her district the voices are overwhelming pro-STR, yet she has continued to vote against them and against her district’s interests.”
“She ran on fixing property taxes and she hasn’t done a thing about it. When I email her, her office doesn’t email me back. I definitely feel like she doesn’t care about my opinions as a voter in her district. It’s very disappointing.”
“My council member has never directly responded to concerns expressed by myself and neighbors about a troubled halfway house in the neighborhood, as well as increasing crime.”
“She prioritizes environmental and park issues over affordable housing and uses the former to block the latter.”
Ellen Troxclair, shown after a campaign forum in November 2014.
District 8: Ellen Troxclair
Her fellow fiscal conservatives applauded her efforts to rein in city spending:
“Councilwoman Troxclair is fiscally responsible. We need 10 more just like her to make our city affordable again.”
“She’s one of the few voices on the council for limited government and fiscal restraint.”
“She consistently votes and works toward making the City of Austin a more affordable place to live.”
This person’s comment could also be Troxclair’s next campaign slogan:
“Attentive. Responsive. Reasonable.”
From the Troxclair fan club:
“She is a courageous, principled leader who is capable of working with the opposition without being uncooperative.”
“I actually live outside the city limits but, own property is several districts. Even though I can’t vote in city elections, EVERYTHING the council does effects me in one way or another. Only Ellen Troxclair has sent me emails/updates on what’s going on at City Hall.”
“She understands her constituency and our priorities and she works to ensure that, even if we don’t get the result we want, our voices are certainly heard and considered. Overall a solid A-/A letter grade in her first year!”
“She and Zimmerman at least tried to stop using our money to pay for a lobbyist for Planned Parenthood, after the videos.”
“She has challenged the status quo and the big spenders who have dominated Austin politics for years. She also has a very balanced approach to all constituents, both homeowners and business interests.”
“Ellen Troxclair has been focused on the real world challenges facing her district without becoming distracting by ideological crusades. Her voice on council has been one of common sense and fiscal discipline, and she continually impresses me with her command of the issues and her presence in council meetings. For the first time I feel like I have a voice on City Council.”
“After 30 plus years I finally have representation at city hall!!”
A random grab-bag of Troxclair criticism (which included a heavy emphasis on the LifeAustin amphitheater issue):
“Pro development and not representing best interests of neighborhoods.”
“I don’t like the way she voted on the Garza tract, her stance on SH45, her lack of support on the issue of noise abatement LifeAustin Amphitheater (i.e., Christian music venue)- totally discarding neighbors’/residents’ opinions. I did like her stance on saving wages in city government, however.”
“CM Troxclair’s personal beliefs – as characterized in her campaign and voting record – appear to align with CM Zimmerman, a man who rejects Austin values. However, she maintains a very quiet presence on the dais, likely because of her very small margin of victory. This suggests that she is both a political opportunist and out of step with a majority of her constituents’ values.”
“She often votes against spending for very narrow reasons without taking a bigger picture view. She has not been as involved in local neighborhood affairs as she could be. She could have gotten involved in the LifeAustin Church controversy and possibly mediated a fair solution for both sides.”
“She has her own agenda of dismantling City of Austin programs that make this such a great city.”
Council Member Kathie Tovo, shown at a June 2015 meeting.
District 9: Kathie Tovo
Many people commented on the density vs. neighborhoods dynamic in her district:
“Represents positions established by neighborhoods as developed through neighborhood plans.”
“Kathie Tovo fights against adding more housing, increasing affordability, encouraging density and sustainable development.”
“The council member is not doing enough to address affordability issues in the neighborhood. She is also not doing enough to improve bicycle infrastructure and public transportation. We need increased housing supply.”
“She tries to take a holistic approach to her decision making; however, I know that her heart will support neighborhood and single family interests in the best way possible- that which is fair and just.”
“Mayor Pro Tem Tovo seems to be primarily focused on the quality-of-life concerns of the affluent, older, white homeowners of Hyde Park, Bouldin and other established neighborhoods.”
“CM Tovo represents a very narrow but loud and politically entrenched constituency with a point of view that is frankly out of step with the future of cities generally and the direction Austin is headed in specifically. Her district is the most urban and she is the most openly hostile to urbanism. The result is District 9 is increasingly an enclave of the rich and the lucky.”
“Eliminating STR Type 2 units from residential areas is the best for the fabric of neighborhoods.”
Some respondents were ambivalent:
“Kathie Tovo is a smart, strong leader, but we don’t agree with her on most issues.”
“I’m not a homeowner, so I feel like Tovo doesn’t really represent me. I appreciate her keeping the new council members in line though.”
“Personally I’m conflicted. While on one hand, I’m opposed to much of the ANC, I feel that CM Tovo has moderated somewhat from her prior reputation. While I feel that the election was heavily skewed because it wasn’t a presidential year, I do appreciate what I perceive to be her efforts to be more representative of all of us, even if I disagree with much of what she says.”
From the Tovo fan club:
“She does her homework and is a voice against special interests.”
“CM/Mayor Pro Tem Tovo is taking head-on the controversial issues of [short-term rentals, accessory dwelling units such as garage apartments] and affordability and, in doing so, is pushing back against the powerful real estate and developer lobbies. She is a remarkable leader.”
“Kathie Tovo is a dedicated and knowledgeable representative, and we love her! She listens, responds, and follows up on requests and concerns. We wish the council had 10 of her on it!”
“Although I don’t agree with her on every issue (ADUs), I know from long term involvement and observation that she is very engaged in issues affecting all of Austin. She sees the big picture. She has matured in office and exceeded my expectations.”
“I feel like Kathie Tovo’s experience has made her the most informed, prepared, and effective council member. I appreciated her vote against the homestead exemption increase as it showed her understanding of the impacts on the budget and on lower-income Austinites.”
“I trust her to almost always vote the way I would.”
“Kathie Tovo seems to have the neighborhood’s interest in mind. I also get the feeling she is a strong voice for those who don’t have the money or power to have stronger voices. I believe that the Austin City government is, like a lot of governments, most easily influenced by moneyed interests. Kathie fights against that bias that is inherent in the system.”
A random grab-bag of Tovo criticism:
“Instead of trying to create clear and enforceable rules for short-term rentals, Kathie just said basically it’s too hard so let’s just ban them. This means that all current and hopeful future owners of STRs are now going to be deprived of their income and visitors to Austin or Austinites needing a temporary home are now going to be left out in the cold.”
“Tovo has taken leadership of the right-of-center faction whose conservative principles largely favor wealthy property owners and the status quo of our outdated car-centric suburban land use. These stances almost always means she stands against pro-transit and pro-density issues that would best serve the urban core she represents.”
“I feel like Council Member Tovo, as the only returning council member, represents the old regime. I would like a quirky new council member like the other 9 districts.”
“Council member Tovo responds very quickly to every little thing–I’m sure that if I asked her about some tree in my neighborhood or some dispute between neighbors, she’d be fast to spring to action. But on THE BIG THING–the way that ordinary folks are getting priced out of the city because there’s not enough places to live in her district, she does all the wrong things. Maybe you could say she’s most responsive to homeowners worried that they won’t make EVEN MORE MONEY when they finally sell their house.”
Council Member Sheri Gallo speaks at a June 2015 press conference about short-term rentals.
District 10: Sheri Gallo
There was some negative feedback on how she handled the short-term rental reform issue:
“Gallo is cozy with the STR industry and does not appear to understand how STR Type 2 properties should not be located in Single Family residential neighborhoods.”
“Started the effort on STR shutdown, but she seems to have backed down recently. She is very involved in neighborhood meetings and is very inclusive.”
“I think that the majority of her constituents do not want short-term rental type 2s in residential zones, yet she supports the operation of these businesses in our neighborhoods.”
She was praised for her constituent engagement:
“Ms Gallo is responsive to her constituents. I wrote an email to her about an issue and she personally responded within 24 hours!”
“She communicates every Friday. I look forward to her emails.”
“CM Gallo has provided a consistent stream of information on our district. She is informed, engaged and doing a better job than I thought possible on the city council. Keep up the good work- we are in good hands!”
“CM Gallo has made every effort to reach out to her constituents and determine their issues. She follows through and tries to resolve those issues.”
From the Gallo fan club:
“She has been proactive with elementary schools looking for traffic safety improvements that need to be made.”
“It’s great to have someone in council who understands Austin from a NW Hills perspective and responds to our neighborhood concerns. Old councils were too progressive and downtown focused.”
“Providing improved balance to the council for the first time in many years.”
“Better response to citizen issues and more outreach. Still need more fiscal oversight and need to bring up SAVING money, not just ‘affordable’ issues w/o tightening the budget.”
“Gallo is courageous in her actions and initiatives and is willing to risk popularity with her peers in order to speak out on issues which matter and vote her conscience while remaining focused on the greater good.”
“Gallo is in office to improve the lives of citizens by harnessing ongoing efforts in a positive way rather than to use her seat as a roadblock.”
“She has really worked to know the neighborhood groups and issues and support us at Council on a wide range of topics from energy, zoning, neighborhood services and more.”
“So far, she has been responsive to our district’s needs, most specifically about the proposed Austin Oaks PUD and the opposition to the plan.”
A random grab-bag of Gallo criticism (with a heavy emphasis on the concerns over the Austin Oaks and Grove developments):
“Sheri is too much about image and not enough about substance. She’s too beholden to Real Estate interests, her profession. She has misjudged the STR issue by saying it’s just a “bad actor” problem.”
“Is afraid to take a stand. We need a council person like Zimmerman who cares and fights for what is right for the citizens he represents and Austin as a whole.”
“She ignores Austin’s main issues – infrastructure (water, electric, roads).”
“She and a couple of other council members are owned by the real estate industry.”
“Not keeping her campaign promise to help defeat the PUD rezoning for Austin Oaks…She is owned by the commercial real estate powers of Austin ([Real Estate Council of Austin] and [Austin Board of Realtors]).”
“I live across from the Grove development and my council member has not shown, by word or deed, to me and many of my neighbors that she is supportive and representing our concerns regarding this massive mixed use dense development. She has taken a stand against a development in her neighborhood (the Oaks) and been outspoken against the level of density proposed there and that is a project that fronts MoPac.”
“The outrageous water bills we got a couple of months ago should have been explained on Day One. I’m disappointed in everyone right up to Adler for not taking a leadership role in this.”
