4 key takeaways from the Austin mayoral debate

AUSTIN (KXAN) — The race for Austin's next mayor is in the final stretch, and all five candidates joined KXAN News to discuss their stances on major policy issues, including affordability, public safety, transportation and homelessness. Here's a recap of candidates' perspectives on aspects of those topics.

Affordability: How to help lower-income and middle-income residents struggling to pay their bills

Llanes Pulido said affordability is a concern that is "probably affecting 80% of Austinites," including both lower-income and middle-income residents struggling to pay their bills. She noted that many public sector workers are receiving five-figure salaries as opposed to those $100,000 and greater. She said all the developments underway in the city right now are active under the existing code, and not changes recently made in the city's land development code.

Tovo noted Austin has created more housing over the past few years than most major cities nationally. She said many are still expressing concerns about not being able to stay in their neighborhoods and homes, and said affordable housing supply is essential along with scrutinizing overall bills impacting families' budgets — ranging from utilities to transportation and childcare-related costs.

When asked about his housing and affordability track record, Watson said the city was stagnant in making development changes when he first assumed office. He said affordability was the top priority of the city and pointed to land development code changes — the first major changes in decades. Regarding transit, he flagged updates to the development services department's operations to ease getting permits through.

Bowen discussed his involvement in the CodeNext lawsuit, which he said he joined after feeling his rights had been violated under state law. He said he's fighting for Austinites' rights and that residents need to know what's guaranteed to them and that silencing residents whose properties or lives are impacted.

After a question regarding Greco's affordability plan, he said the city's become the fastest-growing city for millionaires while income inequality levels have grown and non-white community percentages have decreased. He blamed these changes on Watson's tenure, alleging these issues first began in the late 1990s during his inaugural term and have continued since. He called for investments in affordable housing, rental and mortgage assistance, housing for unhoused community members and cracking down on private equity investors and LLCs buying up local properties.

Transportation: Delivering Project Connect amid legal challenges and scaled scope

All candidates received the same viewer-prompted question related to Project Connect: "With the legal challenges and financial hardships Project Connect is experiencing, how will you ensure that the project moves forward and is able to be built as close to the plan outlined when Prop A was initially passed?"

Bowen noted he served on the Project Connect ambassadors network and said that, as someone who works in construction, he would see what was proposed and cautioned it couldn't be built for the prices flagged. He said it won't return to the initial scale proposed but said efforts need to be made to advance the Metro Pickup program as well as on-demand services. He also advocated for more bus routes running with existing buses, while criticizing investments made in electric buses that have faced technical issues.

Greco said he supports Project Connect and its impacts on quality of life, the environment and working-class residents seeking more public transit options. He noted concerns on the budget size for professional services, while also sharing hesitations on bus access and advocated for the need to service existing bus routes and improve bus operators' salary levels.

Llanes Pulido said she has frequently worked with transit-dependent residents and added a citywide transit system is needed — not the plan currently presented. She said the current management overseeing Project Connect, the Austin Transit Partnership, is illegal and the city ought to go back to the voters with more transparency on rail operations. Instead, she called for expansions for on-demand transit in the interim.

Tovo said she's always supported Project Connect but did note disappointments with the plan being scaled back due to costs. She said she'd make sure the city is getting as much value as possible and find opportunities via federal dollars to expand it while investing in bus lines at the local level. Pay equity is also a key consideration for bus operators.

Watson defended the city's process of gathering community engagement for Project Connect, protecting the program in the Texas Legislature and fighting for it against lawsuits. He also flagged his administration's close work with the federal government on the airport expansion and the light rail line, convening federal leaders to discuss financing options to build a light rail connection with the airport.

Public Safety: How to combat police officer vacancies

With a new police contract set for consideration later this month, Watson said he inherited a "badly understaffed police department" and was seeking a long-term, five-year contract to offer greater stability. He said this contract offers more incentives to attract and retain officers, and said this year marks the first in five years where more officers started than were leaving the department.

Alongside staffing levels, Bowen said mental health crises on calls are a critical concern for officers. He said there needs to be more mental health-trained officers available to help resolve some of those issues, and said he wants to relieve some of the "toxic environment" that seems to be in between officers and some community members.

Greco said his public safety plan focuses on competitive wages for officers, continue investments into community policing and race equity training, a contract in place and fully implement the Austin Police Oversight Act (APOA). He criticized Watson for rushing this latest contract and condemned him for welcoming the Texas Department of Public Safety into neighborhoods to assist. Watson, in a rebuttal, said this contract has been under negotiations for an extended period of time and the city's legal counsel certified it meets all of the requirements of the APOA.

Llanes Pulido said her public safety plan is broader in reach and that securing the police department isn't just about funding, but training, retention, culture and morale all play roles. She said that by guaranteeing this massive staff increase, current city leaders aren't taking into consideration what EMS, fire and other basic services will need and whose jobs can help alleviate officers' work. She also shared disappointment in the city's latest budget not funding 24/7 social workers to help with 9-1-1 calls.

When asked about her support for halting the police cadet class, Tovo defended that move, saying multiple cadets came to council and highlighted systemic issues with the curriculum. She served on the police retirement board and Sobering Center board during her council tenure, and these criminal diversion opportunities are critical. She said her time on council included supporting salary increases for 9-1-1 operators.

Homelessness: Solutions for continuous homelessness-related issues

For Greco, he said more investments are needed in overnight shelters and transitional housing since those are the "points of entry for folks into permanent housing." Permanent housing needs to follow a community-based approach, he said, pointing to the success of endeavors like Community First! Village.

Llanes Pulido said listening to front-line organizations serving the unhoused community is critical. She said the Marshalling Yard was largely recommended against, due to undesirable outcomes that can happen via congregate yards. She said the current council has made incremental changes, but more is needed to keep people off the streets. She said the current mayoral administration is guilty of demolishing the city's most affordable units, citing planning commission meetings and testimonies from tenants. Watson, in rebuttal, said folks are saying that's not happening today. He said those working in the homeless services department came and pleaded with city officials to not close the Marshalling Yard.

Llanes Pulido, in an additional clarifying response, said she didn't advocate for getting rid of the Marshalling Yard but rather the planning of it as a congregate shelter in the first place. She said the homelessness budget is much larger than what goes into the Marshalling Yard.

On the enforcement of the camping ban approved by city voters, Tovo said she didn't support lifting the camping ban and said she's worked closely with those experiencing homelessness and social service and housing providers. She said there needs to be support for programs beginning with investments in bridge and emergency shelters along with permanent supportive housing.

For Watson, he said the system was broken when he assumed office two years ago and he wanted to invest in the entire continuum: prevention, rapid rehousing and emergency shelters. He said the city is still behind on the number of emergency shelter beds but they're getting people into the system, off the streets and into services more rapidly. Tovo responded and said it isn't a broken system but an underfunded one. She said the action plan to end homelessness passed by her council outlined key investments to be made across the system, including private sector participation.