Texas 2023 - 88th Regular

Texas House Bill HR15 Compare Versions

Version 1 (Old)

Version 2 (New)

Old	New	Differences
1	1	H.R. No. 15
2	2
3	3
4	4	R E S O L U T I O N
5	5	WHEREAS, An exemplary life dedicated to serving the people of
6	6	Austin and Travis County drew to a close with the death of former
7	7	Austin mayor and Travis County commissioner Bruce Todd on
8	8	December 25, 2021, at the age of 72; and
9	9	WHEREAS, Bruce Todd was born on December 17, 1949, and raised
10	10	in Breckenridge by his mother, Mary Katherine Holland Todd, in a
11	11	close-knit family that included his five siblings, Howard, Kathy,
12	12	Elizabeth, Knox, and Holly; as a member of the Breckenridge Boys
13	13	Choir, he was inspired to a life of public service after performing
14	14	at the White House for President John F. Kennedy in 1962; he was
15	15	possessed of a strong work ethic, and he worked full-time while
16	16	attending The University of Texas, rising to the position of clerk
17	17	of the Austin Municipal Court; he was serving as director of
18	18	information services at the Texas Civil Council when he completed
19	19	his bachelor's degree in business administration in 1972; and
20	20	WHEREAS, From 1974 to 1986, Mr. Todd worked as an accountant
21	21	at three local firms, including the practice of future Austin mayor
22	22	Gus Garcia; in 1986, he was elected to the Travis County
23	23	Commissioners Court for Precinct 2, and during his tenure on the
24	24	court from 1987 to 1991, he led the effort to consolidate several
25	25	road and bridge operations into one department, encouraged
26	26	cooperation between social service agencies in the county, and
27	27	helped lay the groundwork for the creation of the Balcones
28	28	Canyonlands Preserve; and
29	29	WHEREAS, Mr. Todd was elected mayor of Austin in 1991 and
30	30	served two terms until retiring in 1997; in the course of his
31	31	tenure, he helped establish the city as a mecca for tech companies,
32	32	attracting such employers to Austin as Samsung, AMD, and Applied
33	33	Materials; he also spearheaded the effort to convert Bergstrom Air
34	34	Force Base into a new commercial airport, known today as
35	35	Austin-Bergstrom International Airport, and he oversaw the
36	36	transfer of the city's Brackenridge Hospital to the nonprofit
37	37	Ascension Seton; and
38	38	WHEREAS, Returning to the private sector, Mr. Todd
39	39	established his own consulting firm, Bruce Todd Public Affairs, and
40	40	through the years, he played a leading role in the creation of the
41	41	Long Center for the Performing Arts and in the promotion of commuter
42	42	railways in Central Texas; he was the founding chair of the Austin
43	43	Community College Center for Public Policy and Political Studies,
44	44	and from 2013 to 2014, he returned to public service to complete an
45	45	unfinished term as Travis County commissioner for Precinct 2; and
46	46	WHEREAS, Mr. Todd and his first wife, Betsy, were blessed
47	47	with a son, Jeremy; he later shared 27 years of marriage with
48	48	Elizabeth Christian and became a loving stepfather to her daughter,
49	49	Alex Rose; and
50	50	WHEREAS, A devoted family man and an inspiring public
51	51	servant, Bruce Todd leaves behind a record of good works that will
52	52	long resonate in the Austin community and beyond; now, therefore,
53	53	be it
54	54	RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 88th Texas
55	55	Legislature hereby pay tribute to the memory of Bruce Todd and
56	56	extend heartfelt sympathy to the members of his family: to his wife,
57	57	Elizabeth Christian; to his son, Jeremy Palmer Todd; to his
58	58	stepdaughter, Elizabeth Alexandra Rose; to his first wife, Betsy
59	59	Palmer Martin; to his siblings, Howard Todd and his wife, Jann,
60	60	Kathy Gray and her husband, Tim, Elizabeth Todd, Knox Todd and his
61	61	wife, Courtenay, and Holly Stephens and her husband, Jas; to his
62	62	in-laws, Susan Goulding and her husband, Mike, George Christian and
63	63	his wife, Betsy, Robert Christian, John Christian and his wife,
64	64	Adina, and Brian Christian and his wife, Erin; and to his other
65	65	relatives and many friends; and, be it further
66	66	RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be
67	67	prepared for his family and that when the Texas House of
68	68	Representatives adjourns this day, it do so in memory of Bruce Todd.
69	69	Cole
70	70	______________________________
71	71	Speaker of the House
72	72	I certify that H.R. No. 15 was unanimously adopted by a rising
73	73	vote of the House on March 8, 2023.
74	74	______________________________
75	75	Chief Clerk of the House