Flannigan, Zimmerman differ in council job approach

Voters in District 6 may be feeling a sense of déjà vu when they look at their ballot for City Council on Nov. 8. The contest is a rematch from 2014, with incumbent Council Member Don Zimmerman facing businessman and neighborhood activist Jimmy Flannigan.

We posed questions to them about the issues facing them as they attempt to make the case that each is best suited to represent the Northwest Austindistrict. Here’s an edited version of their responses. The rest can be found online at mystatesman. com/s/opinion. 1) What is or what would be your philosophy in filling commission seats for the council?

Jimmy Flannigan: We need to ensure that the diversity of District 6 is fully represented in commission appointments. I will work to appoint qualified candidates when technical skill is required, balanced with geographic, racial, gender, age, and economic diversity. I will also make sure that our voice is at full strength, unlike my opponent’s 23 percent vacancy rate (more than double that of any other district), even if it requires temporarily appointing commissioners from elsewhere in the city until a District 6 resident can be identified.

Don Zimmerman: I look for District 6 residents with competency in those particular subject matters and ask the best-qualified persons to fill those spots. Several highly competent appointees have resigned — and some appointments been rejected by council majority — due to the command-and-control approach used by city staff over their commission’s work. Specifically, staff will often over-control the agenda and information, release limited information too late for effective review and only permit testimony which supports one side of an issue — all of which appears to drive commission decisions solely in the direction of staff ’s predetermined outcome. 2) What do you believe is or would be your most effective attribute as a council leader?

Flannigan: Similar to how my citizen-led corridor study resulted in Anderson Mill Road being included in the transportation bond, my ability to organize our community and fully leverage and create resources will be effective in finding the most fiscally responsible solutions to our problems. As a council member I will continue such citizen-led efforts as well as build expansive and transformative community engagement, similar to what we started with the Northwest Austin Coalition. In addition, having the patience to listen to citizens on all sides of an issue and then being able to work with my future colleagues, with whom I may disagree, is critical to collaborate creatively and find the six votes we need to get things done.

Zimmerman: Employing a rational, analytical approach to problem-solving is an effective attribute of mine. I owe this rational, analytical approach to my education as a mechanical engineer and decades of work in complex computer systems engineering and industrial controls — some of which had lifeor-death consequences if mistakes were made.

Furthermore, I insist on protecting my constituents using the Rule of Law, as opposed to the arbitrary and fluid rule of bureaucrats and politicians who justify anything through claims of “consensus” and “compromise” via manipulated “community and stakeholder input.” 3) Your district leans conservative in both social and fiscal politics. How can you best represent the desires of such a district and still work with in a council that will likely still lean left?

Flannigan: District 6 might be slightly more conservative than the rest of Austin (most places are!), but it is not a “conservative” district. It is a moderate district that requires an ability to listen, understand the needs and concerns of diverse voices and find solutions that consider all sides. In addition, municipal issues are not partisan issues and should not be treated in that manner. The best way to represent District 6 is what I’ve done with my Northwest Austin Coalition group: help educate the district on the realities of city issues, have respectful and intelligent conversation on those issues and come to policy conclusions that even those who don’t fully agree will understand as reasonable and in the best interests of Austin and District 6.

Zimmerman: One of the best ways to represent conservative constituents on a left-leaning City Council is to protect their “inalienable rights” via the justice system. The council majority is elected by voters of each particular district. If the overall consensus of those voters in other districts is to demand higher taxes and fees for “services,” then so be it — the majority has an obligation to not “compromise” with conservative positions. But on the other hand, I’m also under no obligation to compromise the conservative consensus of my District 6 constituents. 4) How important is it to work for compromise with others on the council to get the required six votes you need to do the business of your constituents?

Flannigan: It is essential to find ways to collaborate not just with the other council members but also with residents across the district. We cannot be satisfied with ideological purity if it means we’re the sole no vote and policy moves forward without our involvement and without solutions for our part of town. Being combative and condescending alienates other council members and community leaders from within the district, as well as constituents who just need help navigating City Hall.

Zimmerman: The best way to answer that is by example. Let’s say I was demanding a 6 percent cut in the city budget for 201718. If the council majority was willing to cut 3 percent instead of 6 percent, and the alternative would be a 6 percent increase in spending, I would “compromise” to that 3 percent cut to get six or more votes because that’s consistent with my commitment to cut city spending. Ronald Reagan called that the “half a loaf ” principle.