88R1972 JGH-D

By: Cole H.R. No. 15

R E S O L U T I O N

WHEREAS, An exemplary life dedicated to serving the people of Austin and Travis County drew to a close with the death of former Austin mayor and Travis County commissioner Bruce Todd on December 25, 2021, at the age of 72; and

WHEREAS, Bruce Todd was born on December 17, 1949, and raised in Breckenridge by his mother, Mary Katherine Holland Todd, in a close-knit family that included his five siblings, Howard, Kathy, Elizabeth, Knox, and Holly; as a member of the Breckenridge Boys Choir, he was inspired to a life of public service after performing at the White House for President John F. Kennedy in 1962; he was possessed of a strong work ethic, and he worked full-time while attending The University of Texas, rising to the position of clerk of the Austin Municipal Court; he was serving as director of information services at the Texas Civil Council when he completed his bachelor's degree in business administration in 1972; and

WHEREAS, From 1974 to 1986, Mr. Todd worked as an accountant at three local firms, including the practice of future Austin mayor Gus Garcia; in 1986, he was elected to the Travis County Commissioners Court for Precinct 2, and during his tenure on the court from 1987 to 1991, he led the effort to consolidate several road and bridge operations into one department, encouraged cooperation between social service agencies in the county, and helped lay the groundwork for the creation of the Balcones Canyonlands Preserve; and

WHEREAS, Mr. Todd was elected mayor of Austin in 1991 and served two terms until retiring in 1997; in the course of his tenure, he helped establish the city as a mecca for tech companies, attracting such employers to Austin as Samsung, AMD, and Applied Materials; he also spearheaded the effort to convert Bergstrom Air Force Base into a new commercial airport, known today as Austin-Bergstrom International Airport, and he oversaw the transfer of the city's Brackenridge Hospital to the nonprofit Ascension Seton; and

WHEREAS, Returning to the private sector, Mr. Todd established his own consulting firm, Bruce Todd Public Affairs, and through the years, he played a leading role in the creation of the Long Center for the Performing Arts and in the promotion of commuter railways in Central Texas; he was the founding chair of the Austin Community College Center for Public Policy and Political Studies, and from 2013 to 2014, he returned to public service to complete an unfinished term as Travis County commissioner for Precinct 2; and

WHEREAS, Mr. Todd and his first wife, Betsy, were blessed with a son, Jeremy; he later shared 27 years of marriage with Elizabeth Christian and became a loving stepfather to her daughter, Alex Rose; and

WHEREAS, A devoted family man and an inspiring public servant, Bruce Todd leaves behind a record of good works that will long resonate in the Austin community and beyond; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 88th Texas Legislature hereby pay tribute to the memory of Bruce Todd and extend heartfelt sympathy to the members of his family: to his wife, Elizabeth Christian; to his son, Jeremy Palmer Todd; to his stepdaughter, Elizabeth Alexandra Rose; to his first wife, Betsy Palmer Martin; to his siblings, Howard Todd and his wife, Jann, Kathy Gray and her husband, Tim, Elizabeth Todd, Knox Todd and his wife, Courtenay, and Holly Stephens and her husband, Jas; to his in-laws, Susan Goulding and her husband, Mike, George Christian and his wife, Betsy, Robert Christian, John Christian and his wife, Adina, and Brian Christian and his wife, Erin; and to his other relatives and many friends; and, be it further

RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be prepared for his family and that when the Texas House of Representatives adjourns this day, it do so in memory of Bruce Todd.