New council member, LISD board member elected
By CASSIE MCKEE
Four Points News
After one of the most dramatic election nights in history and the election of Donald Trump as our nation’s 45th President, the country remains sharply divided. Four Points-area voters reflected that divide on Election Day, with voters evenly split between support for Trump and Hillary Clinton.
In Steiner Ranch’s Pct. 232 and River Place’s Pct. 234, Trump was the winner, earning 52 percent and 50 percent of the votes, respectively. In Steiner Ranch’s Pct. 244 and Grandview Hill’s Pct. 245, however, Clinton was the winner, earning 50 percent and 48 percent of the votes, respectively.
Travis County as a whole was overwhelmingly pro-Clinton; she earned 66.25 percent of votes.
New District 6 council member elected
Further down the ballot, Four Points’ voters chose some new faces to represent them in local government. In the race for city council district 6, incumbent Don Zimmerman was defeated by Jimmy Flannigan. It was the second time the two had ran against each other – Zimmerman beat Flannigan by a narrow margin in 2014. This time around, Flannigan received 56 percent of the vote.
“We worked so hard for years to organize the community – holding meetings, going door to door to listen to folks who have felt ignored, and discussing solutions to our problems,” Flannigan said. “The overwhelming victory covering nearly every part of District 6 is a mandate that we’re ready for leadership that gets results and I am ready to fight to achieve them.”
Flannigan, whose parents used to live in River Place, now lives off of McNeil Road near the Hunters Chase neighborhood. He said one of his top priorities once he takes office will be to begin implementing the $720 million mobility bond that was approved by voters.
“We need to be vigilant that the monies for 620/2222, safe paths to schools, and Anderson Mill Road get spent well and are spent in a timely manner,” Flannigan said. “We have waited long enough for improvements in Northwest Austin, and now that we have a way forward, we should not delay.”
He credited his victory to the many volunteers who helped make phone calls and talk to their neighbors.
“Many folks told me they had never worked for a candidate before,” Flannigan said. “It’s an incredible foundation of support we can build upon to make real change at City Hall. I’d also like to reach out to those who didn’t vote for me or didn’t vote at all. There is a lot we can do to improve our community, but we have to work together to do it.”
He encouraged residents to sign up for updates at his website http://www.jimmyflannigan.com/next.
In a statement released through the Travis County Republican Party, Zimmerman said that while the rest of the nation and Texas embraced restrained government and transparency, the majority of Austin voters, instead, aligned with New York City-style politics.
“I will continue fighting for our values as a Texan-American,” Zimmerman said.
New LISD Board member elected
Voters also elected a new face to the Leander ISD Board of Trustees. Longtime volunteer Jim MacKay defeated incumbent Russell Bundy, who has served on the board for nine years. MacKay has a son who graduated from Vista Ridge High School in 2016 and a daughter who is currently a sophomore there.
“What an enormous, humbling honor it is to have received such overwhelming support,” said MacKay, who received 66.5 percent of the vote. “The community has placed their faith in me and I will work hard to be worthy of their trust. My role is to listen to the community, carry their concerns, ideas, suggestions and feedback to the board and then, working with the board of Trustees, move our District in the direction the community has chosen.”
MacKay said one of his first priorities is to restore open and honest communication between the board of trustees and district residents.
“I want to look at how we support our teachers, address the long-standing issues between the District and parents of children with special needs, look for ways to improve how we execute our budget and work with the board to truly lead by example,” MacKay said. “I am now one of seven and it will take a collective effort to be most effective. This is an exciting time for our community and I vow to be a part of the solution. The community will be watching. They deserve nothing less than our best.”
In Place 3 of the Leander ISD Board of Trustees, incumbent Pam Waggoner held onto her seat, defeating challenger Chris Remy and earning 56.6 percent of the vote. She said there was a lot of uncertainty in this election since it was moved from May to November and the national elections took all the attention away.
“I really tried to establish my ground campaign in all areas of the district and I am thrilled to have won both Williamson and Travis County,” Waggoner said. “I am deeply touched by the messages from teachers and administrators wishing me well. It was also fun having many of our past LISD students vote absentee ballot while at school for me. They would send me their screenshot of their ballot marking my name. I am Leander ISDs biggest advocate and I am so happy to continue in the role of Leander Board of Trustee.”
She said her first priority is going through the district-wide curriculum audit.
“That has begun and will consume a vast amount of time and energy,” she said. “It is so important that we get this right and make necessary changes to our curriculum and methods of teachings as appropriate.”
In Place 4, incumbent Grace Barber-Jordan also held onto her seat. She received 52 percent of the vote against challenger Scott Rowe.