Commission application number 106 submitted by Mark Weiss on 06/09/2020

First Name Mark
Last Name Weiss
Voter Unique Identification number 1139518678
Ethnicity White
Gender Male
Age 65+
Education Level Post-Graduate Degree
Major Pursued Law
What is your occupation? Retired attorney and judge
Submitted Address
City Austin
State TX
Zip 78703
Verified Address
City Austin
State TX
Zip 78703
Do you have a spouse or domestic partner? Yes
Spouse/Domestic Partner First Name Janet
Spouse/Domestic Partner Last Name Bray
Are you applying to be the student member of the commission? No
Have you been continuously registered to vote in the City of Austin for the last five years? Yes
Have you voted in 3 of the last 5 City of Austin general elections (or corresponding runoff if applicable)? Yes
Been appointed to a state or city office? No
Been elected to a state or city office? No
Been a candidate for a state or city office? No
Served as an officer, employee, or paid consultant of a political party? No
Served as an officer, employee, or paid consultant of the campaign committee of a candidate for elective state, county, or city office? No
Been a registered state or local lobbyist? No
A paid employee of the City of Austin? No
A person performing paid services under a professional services contract with the City of Austin? No
A person performing paid services under a professional or personal services contract to the City Council of the City of Austin or to any individual member of the City Council of the City of Austin? No
A controlling person of a person performing paid services under a professional or personal services contract to any member of the City Council of the City of Austin? No
Contribute or bundle one thousand dollars ($1,000) or more in aggregate to candidates for City of Austin elective office? No
Please describe your relevant analytical skills. Spent more than forty years practicing state and local tax law, analyzing statutes, regulations, court cases, and relevant facts in an effort to find the correct answer.
Please describe your ability to be impartial. Spent 15 years as an administrative law judge in the State Comptroller's office, adjudicating disputes between taxpayers and state tax auditors. I approached every case with a determination to find the correct and proper result rather than advocating for one side or the other.
Please describe your appreciation for the City of Austin's diverse demographics and geography. I have loved the City of Austin since moving here to stay in 1972. While I have always lived in Central or West Austin, I have friends that live in virtually every part of the city. I like the vibrant, rich culture of the city, the music, the arts, and the diverse population, although I believe we would be better off if our population were even more diverse. I am white, my wife is African American, and our son is mixed race. We move somewhat fluidly between different racial and ethnic groups, and I believe that's good for us. As for the geography, I am always tickled when friends come far away and discover that Austin is not a flat desert with tumbleweed everywhere. I love the look of amazement on their faces when I drive them all over the area so they can see the rolling hills, the lakes, the hiking trails, and the urban farms.
Please provide your employment history. Since graduating from law school I worked for the Court of Criminal Appeals, the Texas Legislature, the State Comptroller, and Ryan, LLC (a tax consulting company). My skills include research, analysis of data and other forms of factual information, and always trying to see the big picture/end result rather than getting lost in the weeds.
How did you hear about redistricting/Applicant Review Panel? Newspaper, Social media, Austintexas.gov
Disclaimer Agreement Checked
Disclaimer Signature Mark Eugene Weiss
District District 10
Does this application qualify? Yes