Mike Martinez
Mike Martinez | |
|---|---|
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| Born | August 1, 1969 |
| Occupation | Politician |
| Known for | Austin City Council Member |
| Spouse | Lara Wendler |
Michael W. Martinez (August 1, 1969) is a former Austin City Council member and former mayoral candidate in Austin, Texas.[1][2][3] He served as the Board Chair of the Capital Metropolitan Transportation Authority (CapMetro), the Minority-Owned and Women-Owned Business Enterprise and Small Business Council Subcommittee.[4][5][6] Martinez was a member of the Judicial Committee, Public Health and Human Services Subcommittee and was on the CapMetro Board of Directors.[4][6] He has served on the Board of Directors of Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Texas and worked as a diversity trainer with the National Coalition Building Institute.[4]
Martinez previously worked for the Austin Fire Department and was head of the firefighter's union.[1] He graduated from Leadership Austin and completed the LBJ School of Public Affairs West Point Military Leadership Program, however he has never served in the military. Martinez has never received a college degree.[5][4]
Early life
[edit]Martinez grew up in Rockdale, Texas, a city 65 miles northeast of Austin, Texas.[5]
Career
[edit]Austin Fire Department
[edit]Martinez began working for the Austin Fire Department in October 1992.[1][4][5] In 1993, he served as a Drill and Ceremony team member of the Austin Fire Department's Honor Guard.[1][4] He was Chair of the Austin Firefighters Association Political Action Committee from 2001 to 2004.[1][4] Martinez was elected president of the Austin Firefighters Association in 2003.[1][4][5] During his term as president, he helped secure collective bargaining rights for firefighters and a pay raise that made Austin firefighters among the highest paid in Texas.[5]
Capital Metropolitan Transportation Authority
[edit]In June 2007, he joined the Capital Metropolitan Transportation Authority's board of directors.[5] Martinez became the board chairman in February 2010.[5]
Political
[edit]Martinez became an Austin City Council member in June 2006.[1][6] That December, he sponsored a resolution to preserve Oak Springs in East Austin from development.[4] In January 2007, Martinez sponsored an ordinance to create a Homestead Preservation District that aimed to reduce the effects of rising values by using a portion of increased property taxes to fund affordable housing in East Austin.[4] In 2009, Mike Martinez was the lead sponsor on a city ordinance that banned the use of mobile devices while driving.[7]
In April 2014, Martinez launched his campaign for the 2014 Austin mayoral election.[6] In August, he supported an Austin City Council resolution that would help create more solar energy for Austin Energy consumers.[8][9] That September, Martinez supported Austin City Council member Kathie Tovo's proposal to give Austin homeowners a $5,000 cut through a general homestead exemption.[10]
Martinez advanced to a run-off by placing second in the November 4, 2014 general election after the leading voter getter, Steve Adler, failed to achieve a majority of the vote. In the run-off election held on December 16, 2014, Martinez was defeated by Adler by a total of 52,125 (67%) to 25,610 (33%).[1]
Business
[edit]In 2015, Martinez joined the affordable housing startup Kasita[11] as head of Government and Community Affairs. Martinez also serves as Diversity Advocate at Kasita.
Electoral history
[edit]| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nonpartisan | Steve Adler | 52,125 | 67 | |
| Nonpartisan | Mike Martinez | 25,610 | 33 | |
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nonpartisan | Mike Martinez | 26,462 | 55.5 | |
| Nonpartisan | Laura Pressley | 21,196 | 44.5 | |
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nonpartisan | Mike Martinez | 26,028 | 56.6 | |
| Nonpartisan | Eliza May | 12,071 | 26.3 | |
| Nonpartisan | Wes Benedict | 7,882 | 17.1 | |
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nonpartisan | Mike Martinez | 43,725 | 85 | |
| Nonpartisan | Jose Quintero | 7,746 | 15 | |
Personal life
[edit]Mike Martinez lives in a newly built East Austin home with his wife, Lara Wendler and his two children.[1][4][5]
Awards
[edit]The Austin Chronicle named Mike Martinez the "Best Council Member" in 2008, 2009, 2010 and 2012.[12][13][14][15]
Controversy
[edit]Council emails
[edit]In February 2011 it was reported that Martinez had referred to City Manager Marc Ott and an assistant council member as "jokes" in an email exchange with Austin Mayor Lee Leffingwell.[16] Martinez apologized for his comments the following day.[17] One day later, the Austin chapter of The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People filed ethics complaints against Martinez and Leffingwell.[18] The City of Austin Ethics Review Commission dismissed the NAACP complaints in April 2011.[19]
In an initial response to an early 2011 public information request for email exchanges between Austin City Council members, Mike Martinez's office released fewer than a dozen emails. Later, Martinez acknowledged that his office did not release all emails pursuant to the request and accepted for responsibility for the "oversight."[20]
Open meetings
[edit]In April 2011, Capital Metro released 3,000 emails pursuant to a request by the Travis County attorney to determine whether or not the Capital Metro board was meeting in small groups to avoid a quorum.[21]
According to the Austin American Statesman, there was "scant" evidence of this.
Martinez in his role as Council Member was under criminal investigation for sending e-mails in violation of the Open Meetings Act. In order to avoid criminal prosecution, Martinez had to enter into a compliance agreement with prosecutors.[22] While under criminal investigation, he was charged $24,657.50 in legal fees which was covered with taxpayer funds.[23]
Notes
[edit]- ^ a b c d e f g h "Council Member Mike Martinez". Retrieved September 21, 2014.
- ^ W. Gardner Selby (September 4, 2014). "Do renters comprise majority in Austin?".
{{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires|journal=(help) - ^ Brandon Watson (May 6, 2014). "Mike Martinez and the Name Game". Retrieved September 21, 2014.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k "Current Board Members". Retrieved September 21, 2014.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i "Background Investigation: Mike Martinez". February 25, 2012. Retrieved September 21, 2014.
- ^ a b c d Haley Cihock (March 19, 2014). "Mayor's job could change, Martinez announces planned bid". Retrieved September 21, 2014.
- ^ Sarah Coppola (October 22, 2009). "Council passes texting ban". Retrieved September 21, 2014.
- ^ "Austin City Council to consider solar energy resolution". Energy Monitor Worldwide. August 29, 2014.
{{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires|journal=(help) - ^ Lilly Rockwell (August 27, 2014). "Austin Energy warning against renewable plan". Austin American-Statesman.
- ^ "Tovo's exemption small, but significant". Austin American-Statesman. September 5, 2014.
- ^ "Kasita • One Size. Fits All". Kasita. Retrieved May 10, 2017.
- ^ "Best of Austin 2009 - Best Council Member: Mike Martinez". The Austin Chronicle. 2009. Retrieved April 18, 2012.
- ^ "Best of Austin 2010 - Best Council Member: Mike Martinez". The Austin Chronicle. 2010. Retrieved April 18, 2012.
- ^ "Best of Austin 2008". Retrieved September 11, 2014.
- ^ "Best Council Member: Mike Martinez". Retrieved September 21, 2014.
- ^ Plohetski, Tony (February 25, 2011). "Council e-mails obtained by Statesman". Austin American-Statesman. Retrieved March 23, 2012.
- ^ Plohetski, Tony; Coppola, Sarah (February 26, 2011). "Mayor, council members apologize for e-mailed remarks". Austin American-Statesman. Retrieved March 23, 2012.
- ^ Salazar, John A. (February 28, 2012). "NAACP files ethics complaint against Leffingwell, Martinez". Your News Now. Time Warner Cable. Retrieved April 18, 2012.
- ^ City of Austin Ethics Review Commission Minutes. April 12, 2011 http://www.austintexas.gov/edims/document.cfm?id=161998
- ^ Coppola, Sarah; Plohetski, Tony (March 1, 2011). "Martinez says he'll hand over hundreds more e-mails". Austin American-Statesman. Retrieved March 23, 2012.
- ^ Ben Wear (April 9, 2011). "Cap Metro releases nearly 3,000 e-mails".
- ^ "City leaders signing deals to avoid charges in open meetings saga". Austin American Statesman. Retrieved October 5, 2014.
- ^ "City Spent $157,636 to Defend Council Violations". Austin Bulldog. Retrieved October 5, 2014.