Austin Mayor Kirk Watson marked his 100th day in office on Sunday.
Watson, a former member of both chambers of the Texas Legislature and the inaugural dean of the Hobby School of Public Affairs at the University of Houston (UH), returned to the post he once held more than 20 years ago by way of victory in a runoff election late last year.
Austin NBC affiliate KXAN reported that Watson couldn’t believe his administration has ended its first quarter.
“Some days I think, ‘Wow, this is the fastest 100 days I’ve ever experienced,'” the mayor told the station.
Since he was administered the oath for the state capital’s highest office a second time to succeed the term-limited Steve Adler, the previous three to four months were nothing short of uneventful.
The Democrat, who said following his victory over party mate and ex-state representative Celia Israel he was grateful for another go-around as mayor, inherited a city that has experienced impressive growth in various areas in recent years and is now home to nearly one million people compared to approximately 700,000 during his first stint, per Austin Journal.
KXAN reported that Watson said he has focused on the city’s affordable housing problem. He told the station a consulting company is reviewing Austin’s permitting process.
According to KXAN, Watson has worked with the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) to mitigate the staffing shortages that have plagued the Austin Police Department (APD).
The station reported that response times have lessened and violent crime decreased since the DPS lent its assistance.
Last month, Austin Journal reported, Watson pushed back against Dallas Mayor Eric Johnson’s attempt to recruit police officers who are supposedly mulling retirement in the wake of an impasse in contract discussions, claiming veteran Austin officers made more than their counterparts in Dallas.
Other major events that occurred during the dawn of the Watson administration include the winter storm that rumbled through Austin and Central Texas in early February and the termination of Spencer Cronk as city manager, of which Cronk’s handling of the disturbance was a factor.