Candidates aggressive in mayoral debate

AUSTIN (KXAN) - Mayor Lee Leffingwell credited his steady stewardship at City Hall for the past three years, saying he's helped position Austin as a fast-growing city that is adding jobs with minimal taxes.

"It didn't happen by accident. It won't continue by chance," Leffingwell said in a Monday midday debate co-sponsored by KXAN., in references to Austin's ranking as the nation's fastest-growing cities and one of the best in job growth.

But challengers Brigid Shea and Clay Dafoe struck back, any saying gains were fueled by overly generous incentive packages and have done little to relieve Austin's traffic congestion.

Shea said the city is facing a water crisis, and took a jab at the mayor for what she said were too high rates for water service, which she said have increased 100 percent in the past decade.

"And we're looking at another increase in water rates in the next four years," said Shea, a former City Council member and a longtime activist.

Dafoe, a newcomer, hammered the mayor on what he called "corporate welfare" deals for such projects as the Formula One track in southeast Travis County and Apple Inc. for its proposed expansion in Northwest Austin.

"The corporate welfare that's gone on at City Hall is certainly unfathomable," he said. "We need to end the corporate welfare, and I will do that as mayor."

Leffingwell, running for a second three-year term in the May 12 elections, fended off the criticism, but did not directly go after the policies of either opponent, except to say that people who say incentive packages don't help the local economy "doesn't know what they're talking about."

He said the water increases were structured to encourage conservation and that the enhanced tax base brought on by incentives more than pay back the incentives.

The debate was held at the Lyndon B. Johnson School of Public Affairs and also was sponsored by the school's Center for Politics and Governance, the Austin American-Statesman and Community Impact Newspaper.

In addition to stating his opposition to incentive packages of businesses of all sizes, Dafoe also came out against the push for light rail at the expense of Capital Metro bus service and was the only candidate to oppose pushing for a medical school at the University of Texas at Austin. He said the project would be too expensive.

Shea said she would fight any effort to turn portions of Mopac Boulevard into a toll road, saying taxpayers have already paid for it once and should be required to pay more to drive on the freeway the runs west of downtown.

All three candidates said they support revamping the City Council to provide district representation. Austin is the largest Texas city where all council members are elected citywide.

The candidates will debate Monday night at the Homebuilders Association facility, located at 8140 Exchange Dr. The event runs from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m., and includes candidates for Place 2, Place 5 and Place 6. The evening debate is sponsored by Austinites for Action, Inc., Community Associations Institute Austin, Associated Builders and Contractors Associations-Central Texas Chapter, Austin Chapter of the Associated General Contractors, and the Austin Contractors and Engineers Association.