Interview Takeaways: Mayor Craig Morgan of Round Rock

We had the distinct pleasure of holding a 45-minute conversation with Mayor Craig Morgan of the city of Round Rock. In this interview, we were able to ask questions about the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, his job as mayor, and the direction that Round Rock is going. Rather than publishing the video, here are some key takeaways from what Mayor Morgan said in the interview:

• Regarding the plan to open Texas up, the state has overall authority on what restrictions are eased, and what are not. Currently, certain industries like libraries, recreation centers, and restaurants will be reopened to 25% occupancy across the state. If the state sees no spike in cases, occupancy restrictions will be incrementally increased to 50%, and then 75%.

• Sole proprietorships such as barbershops and private trainers are currently in a gray area due to some ongoing discussions with the state.

• He believes it is important to look at hospitalizations and who is dying when analyzing the effects of COVID-19. 76% of all deaths are from people 65 and older, and many of the cases are coming from nursing homes, which are a hotbed for cases. Currently, there are very few hospitalizations in Round Rock.

• The mayor believes Round Rock is growing quickly due to heavy investments in education, investments in sports tourism and Round Rock being the sports capital of Texas. Additionally, Round Rock has quite low taxes compared to other areas, which makes it an attractive place to live. Lastly, families see Round Rock as a great place to live because the city is one of the safest in America, there are good, high-paying jobs in the city, and Round Rock as a whole has a strong sense of place.

• The city of Round Rock plans to open a 60,000 square foot indoor athletic complex and build additions to the Round Rock Multipurpose Complex.

• The Mayor’s personal greatest achievements in office includes how, although the city is growing rapidly, the government still administers a low property tax. Additionally, many new, high-paying jobs have flocked to Round Rock, due to tax benefits and the great education system in the city.

• In our interview, we asked Mayor Morgan what his normal schedule looks like. He explained to us that the mayor of Round Rock is not a full-time job. Outside of being mayor, he is also an attorney. His duties as mayor fluctuate, so balancing his duties is something that is very important to him.

• The mayor stated that he believes Governor Abbot’s plan to reopen Texas is reasonable as a whole. However, he believes there are some elements to the plan that can be improved.

• Mayor Morgan states that local politics usually affects us more than politics at a national level. For example, he stated that if you saw him around his neighborhood, you could easily air complaints to him regarding our city. This cannot happen with national politics.

• The mayor believes the most important duty American citizens have is to register to vote at the age of 18, as people have died for our right to vote.

• Round Rock has 50 to 60 thousand registered voters. However, the recent elections only yielded 3 to 4 thousand voters. Although national politics may dominate the headlines of the news, what is going on in city halls ultimately affects us more.

• As young people, we are the future leaders of Round Rock. It is extremely important to get involved early to have an active hand in what directly affects your life.

• The local economy, obviously, will feel the serious consequences of Coronavirus. Although Round Rock was in one of the fastest growing counties in America, COVID-19 has forced many small businesses to incur losses or even shut down. Additionally, the downtown of Round Rock has turned into a "ghost town" negatively affecting business people who have invested their livelihoods into their companies.

• Mayor Morgan is quite concerned about the long-term effects of this pandemic. The economy and health complications could ultimately be fixed, but due to the elongated uncertainty regarding this situation, we could see spikes in crime, depression, and suicides as a country.

• As the mayor, he tries to focus more on policy than party. The issues he is in charge of, such as transportation, potholes, and the schools are not Republican or Democratic issues. They are people issues. This is why it is important to focus less on partisanship, and more on common issues.

• “For example, if someone broke into your house and you call the cops, you wouldn’t care if they were a Democrat or a Republican. You would just want them to get there quickly”- Mayor Morgan.

• Although this crisis has obviously caused negative effects for our community, such as unemployment and death, we can see examples of how we have come together as a city, and remain united to fight this pandemic. It is extremely important to help your neighbors and fellow citizens, and beat this virus together.

We deeply appreciate the opportunity that the Mayor has given us to take a deeper look into local politics as a whole. Austin Teen Coalition commends him for the great job he has done as the leader of our city, and we look forward to working with him in the future to increase political engagement among the young adults of Round Rock.

“They were more prepared to interview me than some people who interview me and do it for a living”- Mayor Morgan to the Austin American Statesman on the interview.