Issues

Constituent Service

  • I believe constituent service is the most important responsibility of a Council office. My office will respond promptly to phone calls and emails, and I will work diligently to help residents resolve both small and complex quality-of-life issues that affect their daily lives.

  • I will maintain an open-door policy at City Hall, ensuring that residents can walk in and meet with me or my staff during business hours. I do not believe access to elected officials should require unnecessary barriers like mandatory appointments. Austin should be as accessible as the Texas State Capitol, where openness is the standard.

Listening to the District

  • I support Austin’s single-member district system because it allows Council Members to stay closely connected to the people they represent. I will make it a priority to actively listen to residents through town halls, coffees, neighborhood meetings, and other events throughout the district.

  • I believe constituents are the most important voices when it comes to issues like affordability, transportation, parks, schools, and public safety. I will always take those voices seriously and work toward practical consensus whenever possible.

  • I believe trust in local government is earned, not assumed. I will be transparent about my decision-making process and ensure that my office is driven by residents’ input rather than special interests or my own personal views.

Affordability

  • Austin has become an expensive place to live, and many longtime residents are struggling to keep up with rising housing costs, property taxes, and everyday expenses. The city must be extremely mindful of how its decisions affect affordability.

  • I will engage closely with District 5 residents on major financial decisions, including tax-rate elections, bond packages, and major budget priorities. Residents should have a meaningful voice before the city takes actions that affect their cost of living.

  • I will carefully evaluate large-scale spending decisions, including projects like the Interstate 35 Cap and Stitch initiative. While such projects may have merit, they must be weighed against rising property tax bills and other pressing needs like roads, parks, schools, and basic infrastructure that directly impact residents every day.

Public Safety and Criminal Justice

  • I believe the Austin Police Department must be adequately staffed and deployed in a way that ensures consistent public safety across all neighborhoods, so every resident receives reliable coverage. I believe improving police response times in Austin is essential to ensuring residents can rely on timely help when they call for service. This will require data-driven strategies so that emergency and urgent calls are handled quickly and consistently across all parts of the city.

  • I support criminal justice reforms that reduce incarceration for low-level offenses, expand diversion and reentry programs, and improve accountability within law enforcement. At the same time, I believe public safety must also address root causes like poverty, housing instability, and lack of opportunity.

  • I believe gun violence is one of the most serious public safety and public health challenges we face. I support prevention-focused, evidence-based strategies and collaboration with organizations like Texas Gun Sense to reduce firearm-related tragedies while respecting constitutional rights.

Homelessness

  • I believe homelessness requires a multi-layered response because people have very different needs and circumstances. Austin must continue using a mix of emergency shelters, transitional options, and permanent supportive housing to address the full spectrum of need.

  • I believe addressing homelessness in Austin requires a coordinated system that includes immediate shelter and services through facilities like ARCH (the Austin Resource Center for the Homeless), lower-barrier options with on-site services and workforce training such as the Esperanza Community, and long-term housing solutions through programs like Caritas of Austin and Mobile Loaves & Fishes’ Community First! Village. No single program can solve homelessness on its own, which is why a full continuum of care—from crisis response to permanent supportive housing—is essential.

  • At the same time, I believe the city must address quality-of-life impacts in neighborhoods, including sanitation, public safety concerns, and the management of public spaces. A balanced approach is necessary to maintain both compassion and public trust.

Education

  • I oppose school closures and believe public schools should be strengthened rather than reduced. In Austin, schools are not just educational institutions—they are neighborhood anchors that bring communities together and support long-term stability.

  • I also have concerns about voucher programs that redirect public funds away from public schools. I believe taxpayer dollars should primarily support public education and not be diverted in ways that weaken the system.

  • I support policies that strengthen public education and ensure equitable access for all students, including addressing funding challenges and the impact of the state’s recapture system on local districts.

Parks and the Environment

  • I believe parks like Zilker Park should primarily function as accessible, everyday green space for all Austinites. While festivals and major events are part of the city’s identity, they should not dictate long-term design decisions or restrict regular community access to these public spaces. I was strong opposed to the Zilker Park Vision Plan and will strongly oppose future efforts to over-develop and commercialize Zilker and other parks in Austin. 

  • I support ecological restoration and preservation efforts that protect natural areas, maintain native habitats, and strengthen the overall environmental health of our park system. I also believe in investing in key community assets like Garrison Park Pool, which provides important recreation and relief during Austin’s increasingly hot summers, and in preserving historic infrastructure such as the Barton Springs Bridge through repair and rehabilitation rather than demolition.

  • More broadly, I support expanding and improving green space across Austin, with a focus on underserved areas like East Austin where access has historically been more limited. At the same time, I support efforts to improve climate and wildfire resilience, increase tree canopy coverage, and continue transitioning toward cleaner energy sources, including reducing reliance on the Fayette Power Project.

Public Transportation

  • I believe Austin must significantly improve its public transportation system, particularly by making CapMetro buses more reliable, safe, and user-friendly. I also support exploring microtransit options, such as curb-to-curb service models used in places like the DFW Metroplex.

  • While I strongly support public transit in principle, I have concerns about the current light rail portion of Project Connect. The plan delivers only a portion of what voters originally approved and will not provide broad city coverage at an extremely high cost per mile. Another huge shortcoming of the project is that that the current light rail plan does not connect to the airport. The city is making another steep investment in the construction of a new downtown convention center — the failure of a new light rail line to connect the airport with downtown and that facility does not make dollars and sense.

  • I believe Austin needs a more integrated and practical transit network that better connects key destinations like the airport, downtown, and major employment centers in a way that actually serves daily needs.

Development and Land Use

  • I support increasing Austin’s housing supply to address affordability and growth pressures, but I do not define myself as either YIMBY or NIMBY.   Both perspectives make legitimate arguments and points. To me, the right approach is balancing the need for more housing with respect for existing neighborhoods and ensuring that residents have meaningful input into how their communities evolve.

  • I do not support unchecked development or blanket upzoning in established single-family neighborhoods. While I recognize the need for more housing options, I also believe people who have invested their lives in these communities deserve a real voice in decisions that affect the character, livability, and long-term stability of their neighborhoods.  The City should not grant density bonuses to projects that would destroy existing affordable housing and displace working class Austinites; the Council seriously erred when granting such a rezoning at Acacia Cliffs. 

  • I understand that Austin must expand housing opportunities across a range of income levels to remain accessible. The challenge is doing so in a way that is thoughtful and responsible, accounting for environmental constraints like flooding risk and impervious cover, as well as infrastructure capacity, while ensuring growth is aligned with transportation planning and long-term sustainability goals.

Ethics

  • I am committed to holding myself and my office to the highest ethical standards and ensuring that taxpayer dollars are used responsibly and transparently. Public trust depends on consistent integrity in decision-making. The incumbent in District 5 has misused taxpayer dollars and lost the public’s trust in this area. 

  • I believe city government must not be driven by the undue influence by special interests. Decisions should be based on what serves the public good, not on donors or political pressure. Too many decisions at Council are made at the behest of corporations, not residents. 

  • I support stronger accountability and transparency in all aspects of city governance, including appointments to boards and commissions. Restoring and maintaining public trust is essential to effective leadership.