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R E S O L U T I O N
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WHEREAS, An exemplary life dedicated to serving the people of |
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Austin and Travis County drew to a close with the death of former |
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Austin mayor and Travis County commissioner Bruce Todd on |
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December 25, 2021, at the age of 72; and |
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WHEREAS, Bruce Todd was born on December 17, 1949, and raised |
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in Breckenridge by his mother, Mary Katherine Holland Todd, in a |
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close-knit family that included his five siblings, Howard, Kathy, |
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Elizabeth, Knox, and Holly; as a member of the Breckenridge Boys |
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Choir, he was inspired to a life of public service after performing |
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at the White House for President John F. Kennedy in 1962; he was |
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possessed of a strong work ethic, and he worked full-time while |
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attending The University of Texas, rising to the position of clerk |
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of the Austin Municipal Court; he was serving as director of |
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information services at the Texas Civil Council when he completed |
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his bachelor's degree in business administration in 1972; and |
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WHEREAS, From 1974 to 1986, Mr. Todd worked as an accountant |
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at three local firms, including the practice of future Austin mayor |
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Gus Garcia; in 1986, he was elected to the Travis County |
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Commissioners Court for Precinct 2, and during his tenure on the |
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court from 1987 to 1991, he led the effort to consolidate several |
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road and bridge operations into one department, encouraged |
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cooperation between social service agencies in the county, and |
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helped lay the groundwork for the creation of the Balcones |
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Canyonlands Preserve; and |
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WHEREAS, Mr. Todd was elected mayor of Austin in 1991 and |
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served two terms until retiring in 1997; in the course of his |
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tenure, he helped establish the city as a mecca for tech companies, |
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attracting such employers to Austin as Samsung, AMD, and Applied |
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Materials; he also spearheaded the effort to convert Bergstrom Air |
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Force Base into a new commercial airport, known today as |
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Austin-Bergstrom International Airport, and he oversaw the |
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transfer of the city's Brackenridge Hospital to the nonprofit |
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Ascension Seton; and |
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WHEREAS, Returning to the private sector, Mr. Todd |
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established his own consulting firm, Bruce Todd Public Affairs, and |
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through the years, he played a leading role in the creation of the |
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Long Center for the Performing Arts and in the promotion of commuter |
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railways in Central Texas; he was the founding chair of the Austin |
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Community College Center for Public Policy and Political Studies, |
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and from 2013 to 2014, he returned to public service to complete an |
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unfinished term as Travis County commissioner for Precinct 2; and |
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WHEREAS, Mr. Todd and his first wife, Betsy, were blessed |
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with a son, Jeremy; he later shared 27 years of marriage with |
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Elizabeth Christian and became a loving stepfather to her daughter, |
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Alex Rose; and |
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WHEREAS, A devoted family man and an inspiring public |
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servant, Bruce Todd leaves behind a record of good works that will |
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long resonate in the Austin community and beyond; now, therefore, |
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be it |
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RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 88th Texas |
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Legislature hereby pay tribute to the memory of Bruce Todd and |
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extend heartfelt sympathy to the members of his family: to his wife, |
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Elizabeth Christian; to his son, Jeremy Palmer Todd; to his |
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stepdaughter, Elizabeth Alexandra Rose; to his first wife, Betsy |
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Palmer Martin; to his siblings, Howard Todd and his wife, Jann, |
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Kathy Gray and her husband, Tim, Elizabeth Todd, Knox Todd and his |
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wife, Courtenay, and Holly Stephens and her husband, Jas; to his |
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in-laws, Susan Goulding and her husband, Mike, George Christian and |
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his wife, Betsy, Robert Christian, John Christian and his wife, |
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Adina, and Brian Christian and his wife, Erin; and to his other |
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relatives and many friends; and, be it further |
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RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be |
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prepared for his family and that when the Texas House of |
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Representatives adjourns this day, it do so in memory of Bruce Todd. |