Austin 2024 mayoral election: A look at three of the candidates

AUSTIN, Texas – Five candidates are vying for the position of Austin City Mayor.

FOX 7 Austin sat down with everyone interested and we split their messages to voters in two parts so we can dig into the issues they want to address as they make their final argument before the election.

In the first part we introduce three of the candidates. Incumbent Kirk Watson has four challengers for the 2024 Austin City mayoral election, all of whom believe it’s time for a change.

MORE ON THE 2024 ELECTION

First up is Jeffery Bowen. He is a retired United States Air Force veteran and owner of a small construction business.

“Council is becoming less and less concerned and unwilling to listen to those of us who are residents and taxpayers here,” Jeffery Bowen said.

Bowen believes his knowledge of development gives him an advantage over the competition in creating more affordable housing.

“I’m the only one in the race who has ever received a building permit,” Bowen said. “Even if you look at any of the current council members, none of them have ever sought planning permission and understand how difficult it is.”

Then Doug Greco, the longtime grassroots organizer and former executive director of Central Texas Interfaith.

“I am running for mayor because our city needs a leader who will stand up for all Austinites; no big money, no big donors and certainly not Governor Abbott,” said Doug Greco.

Greco is proud of his career as an organizer. He also has five years of training as an AISD teacher at Johnston High School, now Eastside Early College High.

“I’m running to be the first openly gay mayor in Austin history,” Greco said.

Another candidate with educational credentials is Kathie Tovo. She received her doctorate from the University of Texas at Austin, where she lectured as a graduate student. Tovo feels her experience on the city council gives her the upper hand.

“I’m the one with the most experience on the City Council, the most experience here at City Hall,” Kathie Tovo said. “Even the incumbent mayor hasn’t served in city hall as long as I have. And so, in addition to my three terms in office, including four years as deputy mayor, I have a long history of success.”

Tovo said she is running because she believes there is a lack of collaboration with the community.

“I have seen a mayor who appears not to be working with the community silence the voice of the public here at the podium, and people have had to go to court and sue for their time back and successfully sue the council for public meeting violations sue.” Tovo said.

She’s not the only candidate who wants to do things differently.

“We need a mayor who will fight for the working class and preserve our middle class in Austin,” Greco said. “We need to address the cost of living, which has skyrocketed.”

Most candidates in this election agree that there is a high demand for subsidized housing in Austin.

“Everyone has all these great ideas about affordability, but honestly, even from a construction perspective, it’s about affordable housing,” Bowen said. “The city cannot control the cost of materials and labor costs.”

Bowen has his own thoughts on reducing the cost of living, but he said it all starts with an audit.

“We can think about capping some of the service fees for seniors; this is a way to maybe help a little bit,” Bowen said. “Let’s be honest: Our taxes won’t go down if we don’t understand how everything is being spent.”

Tovo said she plans to work with the private sector to find new affordable housing while preserving existing properties. Additionally, Tovo wants to reduce childcare costs.

“Every family should have access to safe child care that they can afford, and that’s why I’m really excited about the work we’ve done as a council member to make child care more affordable and really support that system.” Tovo said.

Greco said he is committed to protecting progressive values.

“Our working class has been driven out of the city,” Greco said. “We have become the fastest growing city for millionaires. Our income inequality continues to increase and our share of Black and Latino residents continues to decline.”

That outlook touched on the homelessness crisis and the city’s relationship with police.

“They spend most of their time dealing with mental health issues and I think that really needs to be addressed,” Bowen said.

Bowen’s approach is to increase the number of cadet classes and address mental health within the department and among those experiencing homelessness.

“What we need to do better is overnight stays in transitional housing because those are the entry points through which people can find their way to permanent housing,” Greco said.

Greco and Tovo both mentioned the need for a contract.

“We need to make sure we have a well-staffed police force, and that depends on whether we have a contract,” Tovo said.

Each of the five candidates has a list of items on their agenda, but they must be elected first.