Unopposed candidates Austin, Anderson win

The Austin City Council is keeping its incumbents and adding a new member next year.

Council Member Judy Enright defeated Jon Boyer 987 to 536 votes Tuesday night to recapture her Ward 2 seat, while Dave Hagen beat Brian Staska 1,436 to 883 votes to fill outgoing member Roger Boughton’s seat.

“I’m excited that I will have four more years to work to accomplish some of the things that I’ve started,” Enright said Tuesday night.

She hopes to continue her first-term work on housing ordinances and enforcement during the next four years of her term, as well as play a role in upcoming discussions over the city’s place in Vision 2020’s community improvement initiative.

Hagen plans to do the same, but he also hopes to work with the Austin Port Authority and the Development Corporation of Austin, as he said he enjoys economic development work. Before he takes his seat in January, Hagen will be busy at work on another economic project: He hopes to organize efforts to keep the Austin Target open.

“I’m a big advocate of trying to save Target right now, that’s on the top of my list,” he said. “Supporting businesses here in town is very important. This Target situation might bring this to light even more.”

Target representatives announced Tuesday that the Austin, Minnesota, location is among 11 stores nationwide that will close at the end of January 2015.

Hagen said he realizes many people think it’s too late to save the store, but he hopes residents can come together to convince Target officials to change their minds.

“Maybe we are beating our heads against the wall, but nothing happens unless you try,” he said.

Jeff Austin kept his Ward 1 seat, and Janet Anderson kept her at-large seat. Both ran unopposed.