Tis the season for campaign kickoffs. Candidates vying for seats on the Austin City Council glad-handed and talked it up with potential voters at campaign parties this week.
Three seats are up for grabs, meaning a possible significant makeover for a council that's already seen a lot of change.
The race for Place 3 is probably the most intense. Incumbent Jennifer Kim, having met with criticism over support of a business loan to Las Manitas restaurant and alleged preferential treatment at Austin-Bergstrom International Airport, saids what's she's done has merit. She vows to push on with a "can-do" attitude.
"I'm continuing to push forward initiatives for the citizens and affordable housing, and families and children and small business. There's a lot to do," Kim said.
But opponent Randi Shade said that's not enough.
"She's been inaccessible and consistently difficult to be able to count on regardless of what issue that you were raising with her," Shade said.
Shade plans to have an open door policy, if elected. Shade is an Internet entrepreneur and nonprofit executive who earned her MBA from Harvard.
 |  |
 | |  |
| | | | | | | |
Running for office
Candidates for Austin City Council announced their campaign for the May 10 elelction.
 
| | |
| | | | | |
|
Kim earned a master's in public affairs from Princeton.
Council member Lee Leffingwell, Place 1, is also running for re-election unopposed.
The only other seat up for grabs is Place 4. Betty Dunkerley was elected in 2002 and reached her term limit. Vying for her seat are former city council member aide, Robin Cravey, and neighborhood activist, Laura Morrison.
Morrison said she intends to make some big changes if elected. She plans a grassroots approach, steering away from special interest groups.
"I think that some of our community interests get forgotten in the decisions that get made, and we need to make sure that those community interests are integrated into the discussion," she said.
Cravey, too, intends to bring change, especially when it comes to rallying the troops.
"One of the things that I learned when I was working at city hall for Max Nofziger and Daryl Slusher is how to count votes and how to bring people together on what we agree on," he said.
These are just the candidates that have announced so far. There could be others.
There's also another change that's lurking around the corner. That's the issue of single-member districts. There is even talk of a hybrid approach--mixing single-member districts along with at-large seats.
City council elections are May 10, 2008.
