The 52nd Mayor of Austin, serving from 2015 to 2023, Mayor Adler was among the most progressive mayors in the United States. He focused on issues of equity and access. Among city achievements during his two terms in office:
• Launched the Mayor's Task Force on Institutional Racism and Systemic Inequities in 2017 and implemented most of its recommendations over the following five years, including creating an Equity Office, Equity Tool, Civil Rights Office, and getting thousands of city leaders to attend twoday race training workshops
• Led Austin through COVID with a mortality rate half that of the United States and of Texas
• Launched mobility projects of more than $20 Billion (mass public transit/urban rail, initiated doubling of international airport, active transportation (including one of the largest protected bike lane/trail networks in the country)
• Greatly accelerated climate mitigation goals including Net Zero Carbon Footprint by 2040
• When he left office, Austin was building more housing per capita than any major US city
• Quadrupled the amount of Austin permanent supportive housing
• Reimagined public safety and, while total budgets for police, fire and EMS were at all-time highs, their cumulative percentage of the general fund budget was reduced from nearly 70% to about 62%, allowing for greater social service spending (also contributing to public safety)
• Adopted one of the most progressive police oversight systems in the country
• Raised the city government minimum living wage to $20/hr. Implemented city-wide required second chance hiring guarantees and universal earned sick leave
• Led the city through multiple extreme weather events, city-wide water boils, an anonymous serial bomber who overtime was randomly killing innocent people (caught)
• Won re-election in 2018 with a forty percent margin in a field of seven candidates