AUSTIN, Texas — This week, voters will get another chance to hear from the candidates vying to be Austin's next mayor.
Austin PBS and the LBJ School of Public Affairs' Urban Lab will host a mayoral forum Wednesday at the network's studio on the Austin Community College's Highland campus.
The forum will cover the most pressing issues in Austin, including affordable housing, public safety, land use and mass transit. Four of the five candidates running for mayor will participate along with four moderators.
You can catch the forum in Studio A at Austin PBS from 12:30 to 2 p.m. The event is free and open to the public as long as you RSVP using this link. If you can't make it, you can watch the livestream here.
Earlier this month, another forum featured four of the five candidates after incumbent Mayor Kirk Watson said he was unable to make it due to his work schedule. Jeffrey Bowen, Doug Greco, Carmen Llanes Pulido and Kathie Tovo are all running to unseat Watson, who is running for reelection to a second consecutive term and third overall.
"This Austin Mayoral Candidate Forum will offer a unique chance to hear from a diverse group of candidates about their vision for our city," Steven Pedigo, director of the LBJ Urban Lab, said. "As mayor of one of the fastest-growing cities in the U.S., Austin’s next leader will play a pivotal role in shaping our future, from housing and transportation to policing and climate change.”
More about the candidates
Tovo served as Mayor Pro Tem on the Austin City Council, serving three terms as a council member from 2012-2023. Tovo said she's running because of complaints she's heard about current leadership.
"I've heard from lots of folks throughout the community that they're very unhappy with ... really the level of openness and transparency at City Hall," Tovo said.
Llanes Pulido, the executive director of Go Austin/Vamos Austin, said she was inspired to run by community members from all sides and that the city is "at a crossroads" and becoming rapidly unaffordable to those who call it home.
Doug Greco, who served as the executive director of Central Texas Interfaith for 12 years and also worked as a high school teacher, said he's running for mayor because it's "time to turn the page" considering income inequality continues to increase.
"Austin needs a mayor that's willing to stand up to Greg Abbott and state leaders when our local decisions and civil rights are under attack," Greco said.
Bowen entered the race on the final day candidates could declare. He has expressed frustrations, saying Austin has become more unaffordable over the last 35 years that he's lived in the city with his wife. He also shared his issues with how Austin spends its money.
"They honestly seem to have no regards to spending," Bowen said. "Really when you talk about, it's not just police, it's the emergency - it's the complete emergency package ... It's making sure that there's proper staffing for not only police, but fire, for EMS, also for their equipment, the training that they need to have."
