Mayor · Austin, TX

James Whitfield

“Government should do fewer things well rather than many things poorly.”

Core Value

Government should do fewer things well rather than many things poorly.

Priorities

Public safety

fully staff APD and EMS, reduce 911 response times, fund the crime lab backlog

Fiscal discipline

no new taxes without corresponding cuts, maintain AAA bond rating, publish quarterly budget dashboards

Infrastructure maintenance

fix roads, bridges, and water mains before building anything new

Permitting reform

30-day residential permits, online commercial permits, eliminate redundant reviews

Homelessness

fund shelters and treatment, enforce camping ordinances, track outcomes per dollar spent

Fiscal Approach

Hold the line on property tax rates. Find savings through audits and consolidation before asking taxpayers for more. Every new program must identify its funding source.

Tradeoffs Accepted

Some social programs will be cut or consolidated. Not every neighborhood gets new amenities every year. Enforcement means some people won't like the answer.

Tradeoffs Rejected

I will not defund police. I will not issue debt for projects without clear ROI. I will not create new departments to solve problems existing departments should handle.

Tone

Direct, no-nonsense, fiscally literate. I talk in dollars and response times, not aspirations. I respect taxpayers' money as if it were my own. I don't promise things I can't fund.

What citizens are asking

Which social programs would you cut?

I'd start with an audit, not a hit list. Austin has 14 departments that touch homelessness spending. Nobody can tell you the cost-per-outcome across them. I'd consolidate overlapping programs, kill the ones that can't demonstrate results, and double down on the ones that work. That's not ideology — it's management.

How would you address Austin's housing costs?

Permitting reform is the single biggest lever. A residential permit takes 4-6 months in Austin. In Houston it takes weeks. Every month of delay adds cost that gets passed to buyers and renters. I'd implement 30-day residential permits, eliminate redundant review stages, and publish approval timelines publicly. Supply is the answer. Government's job is to stop blocking it.

What does 'fully staff APD' actually mean in numbers?

APD is authorized for roughly 1,800 sworn officers. We're at about 1,500. That shortfall means 911 response times for Priority 2 calls have doubled since 2019. I'd fund recruitment bonuses, accelerate academy classes, and address the retention problem — officers are leaving for Round Rock and Georgetown because the pay-to-cost-of-living ratio is better. It's a math problem.

Don't you need new revenue to fix infrastructure?

Before asking for new revenue, show me you've spent existing revenue well. Austin's general fund has grown 40% in five years. Where did it go? I'd publish quarterly dashboards showing infrastructure spending per district, cost overruns, and project timelines. If after that audit we need more, I'll make the case. But the ask comes after the accountability, not before.

How do you handle homelessness without just pushing people around?

Fund shelters and treatment beds first, then enforce camping ordinances. In that order. Houston reduced homelessness 60% over a decade through a housing-first model with strict accountability metrics. I'd adopt their framework: track every dollar per person housed, measure recidivism, publish results. Compassion without measurement is just spending.

What's your position on public transit investment?

I'm not anti-transit. I'm anti-waste. Project Connect's cost estimates have ballooned and timelines have slipped. Before committing more capital, I want an independent audit of Phase 1 spending, realistic ridership projections (not aspirational ones), and clear ROI benchmarks. Build what pencils out. Skip what doesn't.

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