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MY NAME IS JIMMY FLANNIGAN, AND I AM YOUR CURRENT DISTRICT SIX CITY COUNCIL MEMBER.
WHEN I EARNED THE COMMUNITY SUPPORT BACK IN 2016, I PROMISED THAT I WOULD ACCOMPLISH REAL CHANGE AND IMPROVEMENT FOR DISTRICT SIX.
AND TOGETHER WE DID JUST THAT WE HAVE HELD 60 DIFFERENT TOWN HALLS, MEETINGS, AND COMMUNITY EVENTS TO LISTEN AND ENGAGE ON EVERY TOPIC FACING OUR CITY.
WE'VE TURNED THAT INTO UNPARALLELED COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT INTO SOLUTIONS, DELIVERING ON THOSE PROMISES IN EVERY CORNER OF THE DISTRICT, WE'VE CREATED NEW ROAD IMPROVEMENTS, STREETLIGHTS SIDEWALKS, AND CROSSWALKS INVESTMENTS IN WILDFIRE MITIGATION, AND EVEN OPENED A NEW PARK AND IMPROVED A NEW FIRE STATION, THIS AND SO MUCH MORE ALL ACCOMPLISHED IN OUR FIRST FOUR YEARS.
BUT HOW DO WE IMAGINE THE NEXT FOR 2020 HAS BEEN A YEAR SO UNPREDICTABLE AND CHALLENGING THAT THERE ARE BARELY WORDS.
THE PANDEMIC HAS SHOWN US THAT OUR SYSTEMS WERE MORE FRAGILE OR SAFETY NET, LESS SECURE AND OUR COMMUNITY MORE IN NEED, BUT IT ALSO SHOWED US WHAT WE CAN DO WHEN WE WORK TOGETHER.
WE HAVE TAKEN ON THIS CHALLENGE AS A COMMUNITY, EXPANDING OUR INVESTMENTS IN PUBLIC HEALTH AND CREATING PROGRAMS THAT SUPPORT SMALL BUSINESSES, CHILDCARE PROVIDERS, NONPROFITS, AND INDIVIDUAL PEOPLE.
IT JUST TAKES THE WILL TO IMAGINE THAT WE CAN CONTINUE TO DO TOGETHER.
I HAVE WORKED HARD TO BUILD DEEP AND TRUSTING RELATIONSHIPS ACROSS THE DISTRICTS AND ACROSS OUR CITY AND THE REGION, THE RELATIONSHIPS THAT IT TAKES TO GET THINGS DONE.
AND NOW DISTRICT SIX IS NOT JUST FINALLY AT THE TABLE.
I PROUDLY SERVE AS THE CHAIR OF THE PUBLIC SAFETY COMMITTEE, THE CHAIR OF THE REGIONAL ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT BOARD AND THE CHAIR OF THE COMMUNITY ADVANCEMENT NETWORK AND REPRESENTING THE CITY ON REGIONAL BOARDS FOR CAMPO AND CAP COG COVERING A 10 COUNTY AREA.
OUR VOICE IN NORTHWEST AUSTIN IS NOW HEARD LOUDER AND CLEARER THAN EVER BEFORE.
AND NOW, AS I SEEK REELECTION, I HAVE ALSO EARNED THE SUPPORT AND ENDORSEMENT FROM A POLITICALLY DIVERSE SET OF PARTNERS, ESSENTIAL TO GETTING THE WORK DONE, PUBLIC SAFETY AND HEALTHCARE LEADERS, INCLUDING THE EMS ASSOCIATION, COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS, REPRESENTING LABOR ENVIRONMENT AND BUSINESS ARE FIVE OVERLAPPING DISTRICT, SIX STATE HOUSE MEMBERS.
AND I'M THE ONLY ENDORSED DEMOCRAT IN THE RACE.
AND IT'S ONLY WITH YOUR SUPPORT THAT I'M ABLE TO CONTINUE TO BE THE VOICE FOR PRAGMATIC AND DATA DRIVEN SOLUTIONS ON OUR CITY'S MOST CRITICAL ISSUES ON POLICE REFORM AND HOMELESSNESS.
WE HAVE MADE HISTORIC INVESTMENTS IN THE LAST YEAR, BUT LET'S BE FRANK THOSE SOLUTIONS, INCLUDING NEW HOUSING SHELTER, MENTAL HEALTH AND SUBSTANCE ABUSE PROGRAMS HAVE BEEN SLOW TO IMPLEMENT, BUT THEY'RE STILL ON THE WAY.
WE ARE ALSO SEEING AN OPPORTUNITY TO RETHINK PUBLIC SAFETY, HELP KEEP OUR OFFICERS FOCUSED ON THEIR CORE FUNCTIONS WITH BETTER TRAINING.
DISTRICT SIX HAS NOT BEEN GETTING THE SERVICE IT DESERVES DESPITE THE DEPARTMENT'S BUDGET, NEARLY DOUBLING IN THE LAST 10 YEARS.
SO WE HAVE TO IMAGINE A BETTER WAY ON AFFORDABILITY.
I'VE BEEN A PASSIONATE VOICE FOR FISCAL RESPONSIBILITY, SAVING TAXPAYERS, MILLIONS, AND REDUCE STAFF OVER TIME VOTING AGAINST TWO OF THE LAST FOUR CITY BUDGETS.
WHEN THE MATH DIDN'T JUST ADD UP AND ALWAYS SEEKING GOVERNMENT EFFICIENCIES, WE'VE ALSO SLOWED THE GROWTH IN UTILITY RATES AND FEES TO THE LOWEST IN RECENT MEMORY.
BUT WITH A POST PANDEMIC RECESSION LOOMING, WE CAN NOT RELY UPON A STATUS QUO FORGED IN DECADES OF ECONOMIC GROWTH.
WE HAVE TO IMAGINE A BETTER WAY ON TRAFFIC DISTRICT SIX KNOWS THE PAIN OF TRAFFIC BETTER THAN ANYONE.
AND WE KNOW THAT SOLELY EXPANDING ROADS DOESN'T SOLVE THE ISSUE.
WE LIVE THROUGH THE EXPANSION OF ONE 83 AND KNOW THAT TRAFFIC WAS WORSE AFTERWARDS THAN BEFORE.
WITH PROJECT CONNECT, WE CAN MAKE CRITICAL MULTIGENERATIONAL INVESTMENTS EXPAND COMMUTER SERVICE AND EVEN BUILD RAIL FROM DISTRICT SIX, ALL THE WAY TO THE AIRPORT WITH A LONGTERM SUSTAINABLE FUNDING SOURCE AND AN INDEPENDENT OVERSIGHT BODY THAT WILL LEAD THE NATION IN TRANSPORTATION INNOVATION, THE STATUS QUO WAS NOT WORKING.
THE LAST FOUR YEARS ON COUNCIL HAVE BEEN AN AMAZING EXPERIENCE, SERVING THE COMMUNITY SOLVING PROBLEMS AND LEADING ON ISSUES DURING THESE MOST CRITICAL AND UNPRECEDENTED TIMES WITH ALL THE HARD WORK WE'VE ALREADY ACCOMPLISHED TOGETHER.
IT IS NOT HARD TO IMAGINE A FUTURE AUSTIN THAT IS MORE AFFORDABLE, EFFICIENT, HUMANE, AND JUST WE CAN CREATE THE AUSTIN.
WE WANT, NOT JUST SOMETHING WE CAN IMAGINE, BUT SOMETHING WE CAN ACTUALLY ACCOMPLISH TOGETHER.
I ASK FOR YOUR SUPPORT AND YOUR VOTE TO CONTINUE TO GET THE WORK DONE.