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.
Cole
______________________________
Speaker of the House
I certify that H.R. No. 15 was unanimously adopted by a rising
vote of the House on March 8, 2023.
______________________________
Chief Clerk of the House