Residents in District 7 will head back to the polls this month to decide who will represent them on the Austin City Council.
There were initially six candidates in the race, but because no candidate earned a majority of the vote, or at least 50% plus one, on Nov. 5 the two top finishers head to a runoff on Dec. 14.
Mike Siegel, who has raised more than $140,000 throughout his campaign, will attempt to stave off Gary Bledsoe, who has raised nearly $69,000 since June. Siegel finished with about 40% of the vote on Nov. 5, while Bledsoe finished with about 19%.
Siegel, who is a former city attorney, said he is running for City Council to stand up for Austin values. He told KUT some of his top priorities are addressing affordability and climate change, and improving public transportation and access to basic city services.
He said his experience as a former city attorney and as the co-founder of the political nonprofit Ground Game Texas suit him best for the job. He has lived in the district since 2013.
“I’m an effective organizer in the community and someone who knows how City Hall works,” he said.
District 7 is really a tale of two districts, he said. There are portions south of U.S. 183 that are established neighborhoods, like Allendale and Brentwood, that have historically had the most say in how the district is governed. But north of U.S. 183 there are older neighborhoods and newer areas near Q2 Stadium and the Domain, that don't have access to basic city services — like a public swimming pool or a library.
Siegel said if he’s elected he will ensure that city services are equitable across the district.
Around housing, he supports the changes to the land development code, or the HOME initiative, but said that is not enough to address the affordability crisis. He said City Council has made it easier to build more housing, but the next step is how that gets implemented, and making sure that everyone can live in the city. That could mean looking at subdivision fees and permitting processes that help incentivize building affordable housing, he said.
“The devil is really in the details,” Siegel said. “I'm really clear that we need more housing… But from a worker fairness standpoint, we need to make room for people who make our city the great place it is to live.”
Bledsoe, a civil rights attorney, said he is running for City Council because he wants to be a "watch dog" and ensure there are common-sense solutions to the city’s issues, including housing and affordability. He also said he wants to increase transparency and improve public safety.
He said the city’s efforts around the HOME initiative is helping people on the “higher-end” of the income scale and not providing housing to working people, such as firefighters, musicians and teachers, and those who earn a lower income. But he said the focus should really be on stopping displacement.
"No one wants to talk about the displacement crisis," Bledsoe said. "Why is it that people, who have been here for many years and may be retired and on fixed incomes, are being displaced for their homes? What can we do to stop that?”
He said leaning on public and private partners to build more housing and make it walkable and within distance of public transportation is going to be important. The city could also do more to explore programs that provide down payment assistance or forgivable loans to some people, he said.
Bledsoe, who has lived in the district for 41 years, also said the city should also focus on supporting small businesses and musicians — some of the people and places that make Austin special.
"I want everyone to believe that in city issues, we are all Austin," Bledsoe said. "I hope I can get a real movement started to keep Austin special because that is what we want to do."
Early voting runs through Dec. 10. Voters can also cast a ballot on Election Day, Dec. 14.
