Carmen Llanes Pulido may be the youngest candidate in the five-way race for mayor, but the lifelong Austinite with activism in her DNA arguably has the most boots-on-the-ground experience in the city's grassroots arena. As the executive director of the nonprofit Go Austin/Vamos Austin, Llanes Pulido hopes to extend her future-focused leadership to City Hall.
While Watson is popular among voters in segments of the community, including business interests and once-skeptical density proponents, Llanes Pulido said she hears general dissatisfaction from voters impacted by rising costs and a lack of adequate city services in some areas. "And for those who pay attention to city policies, they are really upset about the lack of transparency and how community and technical experts, and even city staff, seem to be shut out," she said.
To be fair, she adds, there are a lot of people who don't even know there's a mayor's race - people who are just starting to hear the word. Voters who follow local issues are concerned about the number of times Travis County courts have found the City Council to be in violation of the Texas Open Meetings Act.
Additionally, there is apprehension about the tentative contract agreement reached between the city and the Austin Police Association. Council is scheduled to deliberate the proposed deal Oct. 10, although persistent questions from some Council members and the public could delay approval of a contract if conflicts aren't resolved.
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