Brewster McCracken for Austin Mayor

ACCOMPLISHMENTS

McCracken initiated the Pecan Street Project – Austin’s clean energy research and job initiative. The project just announced a team of public partners, major technology companies and the Environmental Defense Fund.
Made Austin Energy the first utility in the nation to open its grid for clean energy companies to test their technologies.

Sponsored charter election amendment that repealed ban on domestic partner benefits.
Worked with affordable housing advocates, developers and neighborhood leaders to create a citywide affordable housing program in VMU ordinance. He personally held 28 neighborhood meetings to inform the public of the plan.

Helped lead the city through the budget downturn after 9/11. He supported tough budget cuts and expansion of the city’s rainy day fund reserves, which actually improved the city’s bond rating.
Was the first city leader to say publicly that the growth in public safety union contracts was fiscally unsustainable. He negotiated an audit that concluded that Austin police salaries were increasing several times faster than those in other cities. This audit was instrumental in the city and police union reaching an agreement that the Austin American-Statesman praised as a model of fiscal restraint.

Made job recruitment trips and appeared before economic leaders in Silicon Valley to promote investment in Austin.
When HelioVolt’s economic investment application with local governments threatened to fall apart, he brought together city officials and company leaders for negotiations that kept this home-grown success story in Austin.
When Austin Studios’ development was sidetracked due to the federal government re-directing funds after Hurricane Katrina, Brewster brought together film industry leaders to craft a studio upgrade proposal. He then persuaded his colleagues to include the upgrades in the 2006 bond election.