While I may originally be from Houston, I’ve spent the majority of my adult life in Austin’s District 3, living right off Oltorf. My love for Austin started when I drove here to drop off a friend at UT in 1992. After spending just one day in Austin, and seeing how amazing it was, I decided that this was the city I was going to grow old in.
Austin has grown since then and, like any growing city, is struggling to meet the needs of an ever-growing population while successfully managing the developments necessitated by an equally expansive economy. I remember my childhood in Houston, when it was adjusting to the challenges of suddenly becoming a large metropolitan area, much like the challenges Austin faces now. I saw what was not successfully managed in Houston’s explosive growth and intend to use those observations as a template for our current problems, to preemptively resolve issues we’ll run into in the future.
I’ve been a public servant on and off for 24 years, working to help Austinites as a former EMT and currently as a VA employee. I believe that my experiences continuously working in public service during emergency situations has given me a unique perspective which I can use to benefit the entire city. I have no hesitation about being the first to jump in and doing what needs to be done to help resolve an issue, as you can see from the 2014 SXSW crash image of me below. I don’t waste time when something critical needs to be addressed. This no-nonsense, hands-on approach is what makes me the best person for the job.
The longer we wait to resolve these issues, the harder they will be to manage. Austinites need effective solutions to address our municipal growing pains, and we need them now. As the council member for District 3, I promise to strive for results that address the needs of my constituency and the city as a whole.
Source AP/Austin American Statesman – Jay Janner