Frank Ward endorsed as Troxclair's successor; warns high taxes stripping away Austin's 'weird' vibe

Frank Ward, with family

The sole Republican on the Austin City Council last week announced she would not seek re-election for a second, four year term.

Today, Council member Ellen Troxclair announced her endorsement for her successor in District 8, which encompasses the southwest portion of the city. See below for an email from the Troxclair campaign:

Today, I am proud and excited to announce my endorsement of Frank Ward to succeed me in representing District 8 on the Austin City Council. 

Frank Ward is a thoughtful and principled man of character who we can trust to carry on the work that we have started at City Hall to reduce property taxes, address traffic congestion, and fight for effective and efficient government. Through his service on the City’s Parks and Recreation board and extensive involvement in our community, he has shown a clear understanding of the needs in Southwest Austin and a deep commitment to the people who call it home.

With a Master’s degree in Government from Johns Hopkins University, experience working at the Export-Import Bank of the United States to create and sustain American jobs, and service in the White House, the U.S. Senate, and the Texas Capitol, Frank is well prepared to address the issues that our city and District face. Most importantly, he has helped to grow and sustain a small business in Austin, seeing first hand the challenges with which small businesses struggle.

Frank will be our voice of reason on the Council, someone who we can look to to ensure that growth pays for itself and that our tax dollars are spent wisely on basic city services like public safety, infrastructure, and parks. He has earned my unwavering support and I’m proud to endorse him for Austin City Council.

Frank Ward resides in Circle C with his wife, Marion, and their three children. He serves as a leader at their church, All Saints Presbyterian, as the Vice President and Director of Client Services for The Mach 1 Group, a successful public affairs firm, and as the District 8 representative on the City of Austin’s Parks and Recreation Board.
... WardforAustin.com.

 Announced candidates include Richard DePalma, vice chairman of the city's Parks and Rec department, Bobby Levinski, a Save Our Springs Alliance attorney, Page Ellis, marketeer for environmental consulting firm ACI Consulting, and Shane Sexton, a Concordia University security officer.

Learn more about Troxclair and District 8 here.

UPDATE: Ward wasted no time announcing his candidacy following Troxclair's endorsement. Below is his email:

My name is Frank Ward and I am running for Austin City Council. My wife, Marion, and I have proudly called this city home for nearly a decade now. Although neither one of us was born here, it didn’t take long for this town to start feeling like home.
We bought our first home here. We had our first child here. Then our second child. As they started growing up, we realized we needed a larger home and a bigger yard. But we weren’t finished yet. We decided our family was in need of yet another Texan. And God blessed us with our third child. 

The gift of Texas citizenship and an Austin upbringing is to be treasured.
Our story is the story of countless Austinites. We chose this town—or perhaps, we felt this town chose us. We have loved Austin ever since the first time we set foot here. Yet, as we’ve gotten older and taken on more responsibilities, we—like so many of you—have increasingly faced the challenges of living in the nation’s 11th largest city. 

While Austin is unlike any city in America, its grasp on what makes it “weird” and wonderful seems to be slowly slipping away. With the unsustainable rise in property taxes, stupefying traffic and mobility challenges, and a cumbersome regulatory regime that makes individuals want to pull out their hair and small businesses question whether they either want to stay in Austin or possibly relocate here, there must be a better way.   

Our extremely able and hard-driving City Council member, Ellen Troxclair, has served with distinction. There’s a reason why she was the youngest woman ever elected to City Council in Austin. She is a difference-maker. We have been fortunate to have our voices and interests represented by such a strong and reliable fighter for what I like to call “real Austin.” 

Ellen has been a fearless leader of the silent majority of everyday Austinites—not only in District 8—but also for those across the City who feel as though their city leadership regularly makes promises that it cannot keep. It is time to continue what Ellen so courageously started four years ago. 

We need meaningful property tax reform—without it, this city will become increasingly unaffordable and unlivable for families and individuals alike. We need to intelligently address our city’s growing mobility challenges and the near-crippling infrastructure hurdles we face. If you’ve ever been stuck in standstill traffic on MoPac you know what I’m talking about. 

And we need to figure out how to effectively reduce the expensive and unnecessary burdens we impose on individuals who may want to renovate their homes or businesses that may be ready to expand. 

More than ever before there is a battle being waged between the Austin you chose and the Austin that is imposed upon you. I’m going to work for you, the taxpayer, with a wide range of city leaders and other stakeholders to ensure that we are always moving forward on the priorities that matter most to us—whether you’ve been here two weeks, two years, or your entire life. 

Austin is where life is happening and people genuinely want to be. It’s our job to ensure that we don’t strip away all that makes Austin “weird” (i.e. authentic). You could have lived anywhere, but you wanted to be here. 

I will do everything I can to ensure your voice is heard at City Hall and that your ideas and potential solutions to the problems we face will be seriously considered.
Now is not the time to elect another “go-along-to-get along” creature of bureaucracy. Ellen has fought the good fight for you every day, serving as the torchlight for a City Council that at times has us puzzling in the dark with a simple though important question: “How did we get here? 

If you want an opportunity to see meaningful property tax relief, real money invested in real roads that you drive on every day, and a reduction in the red tape that prevents individuals and businesses from efficiently and affordably moving ahead with projects and growth needs, then please consider me as your candidate for City Council.
I will work hard to earn your vote. Thank you in advance for your time, consideration, and support.