Austin City Council Election 1985

Months before the city council election of 1985 would be conducted, the city conducted a City Charter and bond election in January that featured 19 propositions. Of these:

Proposition 5 would have increased the council from seven members to nine, eight of which would be elected from districts. Only the mayor would be elected at-large. This was the third attempt to achieve geographic representation on the council and it, too, failed, netting just 43 percent of the votes. Coincidentally, the mayor and four council members who were elected in 1985 came from West Austin, two council members came from East Austin, and none came from south of the Colorado River—not the first time that had happened, and not the last, either.

Proposition 6 increased council terms from two years to three years, and made them staggered instead of all council members being elected at once. That was approved by 51 percent of voters and took effect in the April 1985 mayoral and council election.

The 1985 council election was notable for the defeat of Mayor Ron Mullen by challenger Frank Cooksey, who drew a three-year term.

Incumbents Charles Urdy and John Trevino Jr. won reelection for three-year terms, while incumbents Mark Rose and Sally Shipman won reelection for two-year terms.

Newcomer George Humphrey won a two-year term, while newcomer Smoot Carl-Mitchell won a three-year term.

Those who won two-year terms would be up for election again in 1987, while those who won three-year terms would be up in 1988.

The staggered terms also established new election cycles that would three council seats up for election in 1987 and every three years thereafter, the mayor and three council seats up for election in 1988 and every three years thereafter, and an intervening year starting in 1989 and every three years thereafter when there would be no council elections.