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Fri Jun 29, 2012 at 04:03 PM CDT
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How Austin City Council Members Voted
on Competing SMD Proposals |
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| Council Member |
10-1 Plan |
8-2-1 Plan |
| Lee Leffingwell |
No |
Yes |
| Sheryl Cole |
Yes |
No |
| Chris Riley |
Yes |
Yes |
| Mike Martinez |
Yes |
No |
| Kathie Tovo |
Yes |
Yes |
| Laura Morrison |
Yes |
Yes |
| Bill Spelman |
No |
No |
| Vote Total |
5-2 |
4-3 |
At last night's city council meeting, the Austin City Council took a major step towards putting both the 10-1 and 8-2-1 city council districting plans on the November ballot. On a 5-2 vote, the Council approved putting the 10-1 proposal from Council Members Martinez and Cole onto the ballot. There was a 4-3 vote to put the 8-2-1 plan from Mayor Leffingwell on the ballot, as well. A second vote must be taken on this latter proposal when the council meets again in August, because a threshold of five votes was not reached. Check out our chart showing how they voted at the right.
Leffingwell's votes seemed to indicate that he's firmly on the 8-2-1 side while Martinez's and Cole's votes place them firmly on the 10-1 side. Everyone else appeared less fervently for one or the other. Spelman, however, voted against each item rather than for them.
(Read below the fold to see why!) |
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KUT's report on some of last night's shenanigans probably gives an explanation.
After Young finished speaking and the applause died down, council member Bill Spelman posed a question. Positing that AGR's 10-1 proposal and the hybrid scenario were both on the ballot, how would Young steer the campaign?
"You're gonna put us in a position where you're gonna have the people's plan versus the politicians' plan, and it ain't gonna be pretty," Young replied.
"You said exactly what I expected you to say," Spelman countered. "But more importantly, you said what I expect would actually happen if the council did put an 8-2-1 plan on the ballot, and AGR did make the ballot as well."
As the council is considering ballot language stating that if both measures earn over 50 percent the top voter-getter wins, Spelman argued a rising tide lifted all boats.
"A very large plurality of the Austin public would be happy with either of these two," he said, "but the only way that any of these two will get more than 50 percent if they're both on the ballot, is if most of those people decide to vote for both of them. And what you're going to talk about doing, is going to make it much more difficult for those people who vote for both of them."
David Butts, arguing for 8-2-1, had a one-sided strategy just like Peck Young and AGR. "I'll be happy to sell our product," Butts said, "and well see who comes out on top."
But one side coming out on top only makes a difference if that side has over 50%. For that to happen, however, it is likely that Council Member Spelman is right. Many voters must vote for each proposal. Will a group arise to campaign to "Vote for Both," too? |
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