Marc Duchen

Environment / Energy Support periodic targeted bonds for parkland and green space acquisition to make up for lost parkland dedication fees and expand our tree canopy. Protect our neighborhood parks like Reed Park. Environment / Energy Protect air quality by opposing a gas plant in East Austin and supporting the NEPA lawsuit to hold TxDOT accountable for air quality on major roads. Environment / Energy Continue to improve upon the Wildland Urban Interface (WUI) code so that new homes and buildings are ignition resistant and hardened. Environment / Energy Enhance water conservation efforts and ensure future water supplies by implementing the Water Forward Task Force Recommendations like extending "purple pipes" and Aquifer Storage & Recovery. Environment / Energy Ensure that the AFD Wildfire Division has the resources, technology, personnel, and stations to help mitigate wildfire risks. Taxes / Budget Advocate for a "sunset" commission that operates at the city level to help review and sunset programs no longer needed or useful. Taxes / Budget Championing Financial Accountability and Audits: I am the only candidate that has run a business, served as the Treasurer on boards, and has an MBA. Your tax dollars are a trust. I pledge to uphold this trust by advocating for routine financial audits. This will ensure that every dollar contributes to public welfare and the betterment of our community. Taxes / Budget Help ensure that the 1.4 Billion in unexpended approved bonds are spent timely, responsibly, and with maximum impact and transparency. Infrastructure / Transportation Help manage congestion on larger roads through mass transit options, like Bus Rapid Transit, On-Demand Mass Transit, or even Congestion Pricing or Managed Lanes. Infrastructure / Transportation Ensure that we are properly quantifying the social and environmental costs for infrastructure and development as we plan for growth. Infrastructure / Transportation Use a mix of road calming, street design, and safety tools like speed readers to better manage road safety in neighborhoods. Infrastructure / Transportation Implement a more responsive and transparent reporting system for fixing and repairing potholes, like houstonpotholes.org. Criminal Justice / Public Safety Enable medical professionals like paramedics to authorize a mental health emergency detention when someone is a threat to themselves or others. Criminal Justice / Public Safety Create a civilian response unit, instead of police, for minor vehicle collisions, using the TxDOT Highway Emergency Response Operators (HERO) as a model. Criminal Justice / Public Safety Give our first responders the funding and staff levels they need to be effective and timely - from dispatch to services. That includes ensuring their pensions are solvent and bringing EMS retirement plans more in line with fellow public safety officers. Criminal Justice / Public Safety Improve gun safety efforts, combat domestic violence, and increase staffing at APD to fully investigate property crimes and facilitate a contract that balances accountability with predictability for APD. Government Reform Advocacy for Public Votes on Major Projects: I believe in the power of democratic decision-making. Major projects that shape our city should be subject to public votes, ensuring open, meaningful debates on issues impacting us all. Government Reform We need to change the culture at City Hall so that we listen to people – not just donors or special interests. That also means listening to their concerns: about safety, mobility, fire and flood mitigation, and other issues that fail to get the full attention of Council. Social Services Ensure the chronically homeless with comorbidities (mental illness, substance abuse, etc.) can access Permanent Supportive Housing and case management. Housing Restore public trust by embracing other models that have worked in other big cities (such as New Hope Housing in Houston) and tie spending to specific outcomes. Housing Facilitate neighbors and developers negotiating together on land use issues to find common ground and build for our community. Housing Provide a healthy mix of shelter beds, permanent supportive housing, rapid rehousing, and case management; homelessness is not a one-size-fits-all problem, and neither is the solution. Housing Work to improve the permitting and fee process, which will save time, money and bring down housing costs. Implement a streamlined process that has clear expectations and no subjectivity. Housing Ensure density is responsibly zoned: near similar density and transit corridors and not in the middle of neighborhoods, and that it has appropriate infrastructure (transit, parking, water/flood, emergency vehicle access, fire safety, etc.).