Longtime Travis County Commissioner Gerald Daugherty, who represents suburban Southwest Austin, says he does not plan to seek reelection when his term expires next year. He served for 14 years and is currently the only Republican on the five-member commissioners court.
In his announcement Thursday, Daugherty touted his accomplishments to bring more transportation infrastructure to Precinct 3 – in particular, the completion of State Highway 45 in Southwest Austin. Daugherty served on both the Capital Area Metropolitan Planning Organization and the Capital Area Metropolitan Planning Organization during his tenure on the court.
Daugherty said he would continue advocating for expanded transportation infrastructure after his term ends next November.
"When it comes to traffic, affordability, and other issues in this community, too many of the stakeholders are still yelling at each other from across the room instead of coming together to do what is best for the people of Travis County," Daugherty said. "I do not know what the future has in store for me, but as long as I am able, I plan to continue being engaged in this community, working to find positive solutions to the challenges we face."
Ann Howard, the former head of the homeless services agency ECHO, is running to replace Daugherty, as is former attorney Sheri Soltes and former Texas House Rep. Valinda Bolton.
Got a tip? Email Andrew at aweber@kut.org. Follow him on Twitter @England_Weber.
If you found the reporting above valuable, please consider making a donation to support it. Your gift pays for everything you find on KUT.org. Thanks for donating today.