ATA issued a candidate questionnaire to all candidates running in the November 2022 general election. All questions were the same for Mayor, City Council, County Clerk and County Judge. Responses have not been edited. View all responses here.
Bill Welch – Candidate for City Council District 5
As we head into the 4th year of Covid-19, what learnings have you taken from the
pandemic and how will you apply those to your policies and community outreach moving
forward?
During the recent pandemic there was significant overreach and confusion from the various government entities. I’d like to see better coordination between City, County, State, and Federal experts. Policy implementation should rely solely on science and not politics.
How will you work with City leadership to provide a housing plan for unhoused
residents?
I’m going to work diligently to assure that our startup tech community can afford to get started, have a place to live, and an affordable option for startup office. We can do this through incentives to property owners who support our emerging tech industries.
How will you work with City leadership to support marginalized communities in Austin?
Austin needs to be welcoming to all our citizens and visitors. Accountability to this standard will be a hallmark of my tenure at City Council.
Homeowners and renters experienced enormous increases in Travis County Property Taxes in 2022. How will you address Austin’s ongoing housing shortage and displacement issues?
I will fight to reduce the burden of taxes and fees for all citizens and assure that there is always an affordable option for entrepreneurs and tech startups.
As our community continues to rely on virtual spaces, how should the City address the digital divide? What steps would you take to bridge that divide?
I’ll assure that every library has computers and fast and reliable internet.
What are your thoughts on the City of Austin using cryptocurrency (AustinCoin)?
I have a high degree of interest in Blockchain technology. I can visualize many areas where such technology will be useful to municipal governance and management. However, I DO NOT support creation of a crypto currency for Austin. In my mind crypto currency must have some intrinsic value to be useful and trustworthy. Speculation on crypto which relied solely on scarcity has proven to be a folly for too many.
How can the City better work with Austin’s tech community to bring innovative approaches to civic challenges?
You can visit my campaign web site https://billwelch.org. Or simply google me. I am a tech startup founder and have been heavily involved with the tech community since 2015. Visit my most recent tech startup started in 2016 (now a major enterprise) www.Apptronik.com I am tech! I will always be a conduit to engagement between key civic challenges and opportunities for the tech community to engage.