New Day Austin
Downtown Austin from the Congress Avenue Bridge

New Day Austin / November 3, 2026

A change
of direction.

Lower taxes. An efficient City Hall. Core services that work. Here's who we're backing on November 3.

Meet Our CandidatesWhy we're calling for change

Our City Council endorsements

Let's make a
course correction.

Put the household budget ahead of the City budget with these five candidates. In their own words, from their campaign sites.

Steven Brown

Candidate, District 1

“Keeping Austin fair and affordable for the people who build District 1.”

Neha Shah

Candidate, District 3

“No more city spending that can't be tracked by the public in real time.”

David Weinberg

Candidate, District 5

“Restoring public trust and putting residents first.”

Jeffery Bowen

Candidate, District 8

“Audit the city, demand accountability and respect the taxpayers of District 8.”

Katie Kam

Candidate, District 9

“Accountability, transparency and fiscal responsibility.”

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Find your district. Plan your vote.

Districts 1, 3, 5, 8 and 9 elect a council member this November. Select your district on the map to see who represents it now, or look up your address on the City's map.

Look up my address
Early voting
October 19 to 30
Election Day
Tuesday, November 3

Sample ballot · City of Austin · November 3, 2026

Proposition I

Shall the City Charter be amended to require an Independent Affordability and Efficiency Initiative on a regular basis and before any tax rate increase election and requiring the independent contractor to identify annual and multi-year savings that exceed the cost of the contractor's service?

FOR
AGAINST
Proposition I appears on every Austin ballot.

An “Aye” for Prop I

Vote YES on Prop I.

Audit first. Then ask taxpayers for more.

Ensure efficiency and accountability with your vote for Proposition I. Require a performance audit before seeking voter approval for a tax increase, to see what savings the City might realize first.

Read the official ballot language
Why put it in the City Charter?

The City Council's own audit was created by ordinance, which the Council can amend or repeal on its own. Proposition I would put an audit before any tax rate increase election into the City Charter, so the rules could only be changed by another vote of the people.

Supporters of Proposition I

  • Margaret Gómez

    Margaret Gómez

    Former Travis County Commissioner, Precinct 4

    Longest-serving commissioner

    “Prop I is necessary in order for taxpayers to understand where our money goes. Two or three minutes once a week is not sufficient.”

    “All contracts must be monitored to assure that all deliverables are met.”

    In endorsing Proposition I, Gómez emphasizes the need for taxpayers to understand public spending and for contracts to receive ongoing oversight.

  • Fred Lewis

    Fred Lewis

    Public Interest Attorney

    “Audits are good government. They are not partisan. They simply ensure programs are efficient and serve their goals. They are a win-win for everyone.”

  • Betsy Greenberg

    Betsy Greenberg

    Member of the 2024 Charter Review Commission

    Member of the Zoning and Platting Commission

    “City Council passed an ordinance for an audit AFTER they learned that a petition was circulating for a charter amendment that would require regular city audits to eliminate wasteful spending and fraud. Council can easily repeal their ordinance, whereas the charter (Austin’s constitution) cannot be changed without voter approval. Vote FOR Prop I to ensure that the audit requirement is permanent.”

More New Day Austin Supporters

  • Gonzalo BarrientosFormer State Senator
  • Barbara Cilley
  • Kelly Garemko
  • Susan Spataro
  • Cleo Petricek
  • Lisa Hugman
  • Rick Fine

Three strikes.

The five candidates we oppose whiffed on all three pro-taxpayer voter propositions. They unanimously stand:

Where they stand

  1. 20%

    tax increase they backed

    Strike 1

    Proposition Q

    For the 20% city property tax increase that Austin voters rejected last November.

    Official ballot languageCertified election results

  2. $200M

    wasted every year

    Strike 2

    Project Connect

    For continuing the Project Connect 20% tax increase, wasting some $200 million a year.

  3. NO

    their position on Prop I

    Strike 3

    Proposition I

    Against an independent efficiency audit before any tax rate increase election, in favor of continued unchecked spending.

    Proposition I ballot language

Austin simply cannot afford these incumbents and their status quo surrogates.

Hold them accountable.

About us

Who is New Day Austin?

  • 01Oppose unnecessary tax increases
  • 02Make City Hall more efficient
  • 03Demand better delivery of core services

New Day Austin is a grassroots coalition of like-minded Democrats, Republicans, independents, environmentalists, neighborhood association leaders, East Austin activists — you name it — who organically came together to rally around the fundamental issues above and the candidates who share the same concerns.

We place the public interest above the special interests. We stand for affordability, transparency and accountability.

We represent a big tent.

It's a new day in Austin.

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