By Bill Oakey – July 22, 2014

If you walk through District 9 and you happen upon someone sitting on the fence, help the person down off that uncomfortable perch, and over to Kathie’s side.  There is simply no comparison between the candidates. Kathie Tovo is far and away the best choice!

The current City Council does not elicit much excitement these days, but Kathie stands out as the strongest voice for grassroots Austinites.  The special interests would love to see her defeated, but we are not going to let that happen!  While the other incumbants should be running away from their records, Kathie and her supporters have plenty of reasons to be proud of hers.  Here are just a few examples:

1. Increase to the Over-65 Homestead Exemption – Kathie and her staff did not back down in the face of initial resistance to this City Hall victory.  We won because she listened to the facts and fought to convince a majority of the Council to stand up for Austin seniors.

2. Not spending the $14 million budget surplus – While other Council members looked for ways to spend the surplus, Kathie applied her diligence to the issue and avoided any new spending.  The taxpayers scored another victory when her vote helped preserve the entire surplus.

3. A Resolution to End Costly Fee Waivers – Kathie sponsored a resolution to explore alternative funding for special event fee waivers for profitable event promoters.  The funds would come from ticket surcharges or the Hotel Occupancy Tax.  This reform would save taxpayers millions of dollars.

4. A Resolution to Consider a General Homestead Exemption – The City staff has been directed to evaluate the impact of setting up a general homestead exemption.  We are hopeful that this can happen, perhaps by phasing in the exemption over a few years.  Once again, Kathie is our champion for taking the first step in this important effort!

5. Standing Up for Neighborhoods Time After Time – Kathie understands the importance of preserving our neighborhoods and not letting them become gentrified or hobbled by inappropriate development that destroys their character.  Ask any neighborhood leader this: Who among the entire seven members of the City Council can you trust the most?  They’ll tell you it’s Kathie Tovo!

6. A Council Member and Staff That Listens to the People – As a veteran City Hall watchdog for over 30 years, I have never encountered a better working relationship with anyone on the City Council or their staff.  All of Kathie’s staff do a great job, but my special thanks go to one policy aide, Shannon Halley.  When you vote for Kathie in November, just know that you are getting not just one person, but a whole team who will do the research, listen to your concerns, and do what’s best for those of us who really care about Austin!

You can visit Kathie’s website here, and click here to make a donation.  And go here to visit her Facebook page.  Make sure that you send this blog link to all of your friends and neighbors in District 9.  When it comes to affordability, we just can’t afford to pass up the opportunity to keep Kathie Tovo.

See below for the award that Kathie earned from this blog earlier this year.  Click to enlarge it.