Mike Martinez
Born (1969-08-01) August 1, 1969
OccupationPolitician
Known forAustin City Council Member
SpouseLara 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 Transit Authority, 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 Cap Metro 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

Martinez grew up in Rockdale, Texas, a city 65 miles northeast of Austin, Texas.[5]

Career

Austin Fire Department

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

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

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%).

Business

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

2014 Austin Mayoral Run-Off Election
Party Candidate Votes %
Nonpartisan Steve Adler 52,125 67
Nonpartisan Mike Martinez 25,610 33
2012 Austin City Council Place 2
Party Candidate Votes %
Nonpartisan Mike Martinez 26,462 55.5
Nonpartisan Laura Pressley 21,196 44.5
2006 Austin City Council Place 2
Party Candidate Votes %
Nonpartisan Mike Martinez 26,028 56.6
Nonpartisan Eliza May 12,071 26.3
Nonpartisan Wes Benedict 7,882 17.1
2009 Austin City Council Place 2
Party Candidate Votes %
Nonpartisan Mike Martinez 43,725 85
Nonpartisan Jose Quintero 7,746 15

Personal life

Mike Martinez lives in a newly built East Austin home with his wife, Lara Wendler and his two children.[1][4][5]

Awards

The Austin Chronicle named Mike Martinez the "Best Council Member" in 2008, 2009, 2010 and 2012.[12][13][14][15]

Controversy

Council emails

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

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

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 "Council Member Mike Martinez". Retrieved September 21, 2014.
  2. ↑ W. Gardner Selby (September 4, 2014). "Do renters comprise majority in Austin?". {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  3. ↑ Brandon Watson (May 6, 2014). "Mike Martinez and the Name Game". Retrieved September 21, 2014.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 "Current Board Members". Retrieved September 21, 2014.
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 "Background Investigation: Mike Martinez". February 25, 2012. Retrieved September 21, 2014.
  6. 1 2 3 4 Haley Cihock (March 19, 2014). "Mayor's job could change, Martinez announces planned bid". Retrieved September 21, 2014.
  7. ↑ Sarah Coppola (October 22, 2009). "Council passes texting ban". Retrieved September 21, 2014.
  8. ↑ "Austin City Council to consider solar energy resolution". Energy Monitor Worldwide. August 29, 2014. {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  9. ↑ Lilly Rockwell (August 27, 2014). "Austin Energy warning against renewable plan". Austin American-Statesman.
  10. ↑ "Tovo's exemption small, but significant". Austin American-Statesman. September 5, 2014.
  11. ↑ "Kasita • One Size. Fits All". Kasita. Retrieved May 10, 2017.
  12. ↑ "Best of Austin 2009 - Best Council Member: Mike Martinez". The Austin Chronicle. 2009. Retrieved April 18, 2012.
  13. ↑ "Best of Austin 2010 - Best Council Member: Mike Martinez". The Austin Chronicle. 2010. Retrieved April 18, 2012.
  14. ↑ "Best of Austin 2008". Retrieved September 11, 2014.
  15. ↑ "Best Council Member: Mike Martinez". Retrieved September 21, 2014.
  16. ↑ Plohetski, Tony (February 25, 2011). "Council e-mails obtained by Statesman". Austin American-Statesman. Retrieved March 23, 2012.
  17. ↑ Plohetski, Tony; Coppola, Sarah (February 26, 2011). "Mayor, council members apologize for e-mailed remarks". Austin American-Statesman. Retrieved March 23, 2012.
  18. ↑ Salazar, John A. (February 28, 2012). "NAACP files ethics complaint against Leffingwell, Martinez". Your News Now. Time Warner Cable. Retrieved April 18, 2012.
  19. ↑ City of Austin Ethics Review Commission Minutes. April 12, 2011 http://www.austintexas.gov/edims/document.cfm?id=161998
  20. ↑ Coppola, Sarah; Plohetski, Tony (March 1, 2011). "Martinez says he'll hand over hundreds more e-mails". Austin American-Statesman. Retrieved March 23, 2012.
  21. ↑ Ben Wear (April 9, 2011). "Cap Metro releases nearly 3,000 e-mails".
  22. ↑ "City leaders signing deals to avoid charges in open meetings saga". Austin American Statesman. Retrieved October 5, 2014.
  23. ↑ "City Spent $157,636 to Defend Council Violations". Austin Bulldog. Retrieved October 5, 2014.
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