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Once on the council, GarcĂa closed his CPA business and focused himself on his council work, beginning with youth and housing programs. For example, he successfully helped start an anti-graffiti program that also provides family counseling to counter poverty and patterns of alienation. His efforts
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In 1975 GarcĂa won a second term to the board and fellow board members chose him as president of the board. At the end of his second term in 1978 he left office. He ran for the State Board of
Education in 1978 and 1982, losing both times to Will Davis. After his attempts to win statewide office,
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overturned SOS and the city council was evenly divided over whether to appeal the decision. Mayor Bruce Todd, Ronnie
Reynolds and Charles Urdy, opposed the appeal. Max Nofziger, Jackie Goodman and Brigid Shea were in favor. GarcĂa's vote was the deciding factor. He voted in favor and the city
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The commission's work included housing and employment discrimination, as well as education, police-community relations, ambulance service, and the
Economy Furniture strike. Garcia investigated and helped expose discrimination at the Austin Housing Authority.
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GarcĂa first ran for Austin City
Council in 1991. On May 4, he won a majority of the votes and advanced to a run-off. On May 18, 1991 he beat Gilbert Martinez to secure a seat on the council. He was reelected in 1994 to Place 5 and again in 1997, to Place 2.
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GarcĂa faced many challenges, including tough budget conditions and a development agreement with
Stratus Properties. He overcame opposition to institute Austin's smoking ban. GarcĂa served nine years as a city council member and 19 months as mayor.
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Building upon this work he helped write a Fair
Housing Ordinance, which was passed in 1968 by the City Council, however the Austin Board of Realtors (ABOR) soon lead a petition drive and the ordinance was repealed in a citywide vote.
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GarcĂa, who had three children enrolled in Austin schools, supported court-ordered busing. However a majority of the board fought the busing decree in court, including
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was completed during his tenure on the council. When deregulation proponents proposed the city sell its public electric utility, GarcĂa was key in keeping what is now
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GarcĂa earned a bachelor's degree in business administration in 1959. GarcĂa opened his own company, and for years, GarcĂa was the only
Hispanic accountant in town.
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had begun, but the Austin school district resisted, fighting a federal discrimination order in court. The school district had been found in violation of the 1964.
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GarcĂa married Marina González in 1957, and they remained married until his death. The couple had three sons and five grandchildren. GarcĂa died in
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After leaving the commission, GarcĂa continued to be involved in politics and the ongoing civil rights struggle. He turned his attention to the
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in 1954. When GarcĂa returned to Laredo, he married Marina
Gonzalez in 1957. Shortly thereafter, they moved to Austin, where he enrolled at the
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In 1967 Garcia was selected as the only
Hispanic for the 21-member Human Relations Commission, (later renamed Human Rights Commission).
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had stepped down to run for state office and GarcĂa ran in a special election. He won 59% of the vote in a field of eight candidates.
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235:, who was the school board president. GarcĂa consistently voted against the school district's appeals of the discrimination lawsuit.
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in the public's hands. GarcĂa supported the successful acquisition of significant acreage for nature preserves and parks.
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221:, led a failed effort to appoint GarcĂa to the board to fill an unexpired term. He ran for an open seat in 1972 and won.
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143:(January 23, 1934 – December 17, 2018) was an American politician who served as the second Hispanic mayor of
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yielded numerous East Austin facilities, like the Cepeda Branch
Library, the Zavala recreation center,
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373:"The Life and Times of Gus Garcia - Council Member Retires After 30 Years of Public Service"
541:"From the archives: Departing mayor GarcĂa reflects on his years in politics, mayor's role"
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After being put on the ballot by a petition, Austin voters overwhelmingly passed the SOS (
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Garcia served two years on the Commission and left when his term expired in 1969.
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appealed and won. The court reinstated the SOS ordinance in 1996.
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329:"Gus GarcĂa, Austin's first elected Hispanic mayor, dies at 84"
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with his mother and siblings, where he enrolled in 7th grade.
488:"Gus and the Others - Gus GarcĂa takes the mayoral election"
271:) ordinance on August 8, 1992. In December 1994, a jury in
566:"Spectrum News: Former Austin Mayor Gus Garcia Dead at 84"
217:. In 1971 the first African-American school board member,
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GarcĂa was elected mayor of Austin on November 6, 2001.
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GarcĂa turned his focus to his accounting business.
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592:"Former Austin Mayor Gus Garcia dies at 84"
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397:Greenberger, Scott S. (April 6, 1997).
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697:21st-century mayors of places in Texas
258:Austin–Bergstrom International Airport
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539:Scheibal, Stephen (June 15, 2003).
486:King, Michael (November 9, 2001).
295:He did not seek reelection in the
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742:People from Zapata County, Texas
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590:Austin, C. B. S. (2018-12-17).
437:Gee, Robert W. (July 8, 2018).
371:Slusher, Daryl (June 2, 2000).
21:Gustavo GarcĂa (disambiguation)
692:20th-century Texas politicians
327:Wear, Ben (17 December 2018).
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124:University of Texas at Austin
297:2003 Austin mayoral election
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702:Austin City Council members
335:. Austin American-Statesman
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494:. Austin
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149:Texas
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