Candidate profile: Michael Jordal, for city council

Michael Jordal said his decision to run for Austin City Council came in response to recent tax hikes.

“I bought a house here in Austin a few years ago,” Jordal said. “The property taxes when I bought it seemed real reasonable.”

But according to Jordal, they didn’t stay that way. “I was kind of surprised by how much my property taxes increased over past few years,” he said.

Jordal filed June 5 for one of the council’s Ward 1 seats, which opens when Brian McAlister gives up his seat at the end of the term. He runs against three other newcomers to city government: Zeke Dahl, Aaron Jones and Malcolm McDonald.

“I wanted to get a little more active in the local government scene,” he said. By getting involved, Jordal said, he could see why taxes were rising, and could help make responsible decisions with taxpayers’ money.

When he filed, he said, no one else had signed up for the Ward 1 seat, which further encouraged him to do so.

“Overall, our city has been doing a pretty good job,” he said. “We just want to make sure that we’re responsible in all the decision-making processes,” he said.

Jordal has no previous experience in government work. He currently works as a graphic artist at Robert’s Specialty Company, a custom apparel store in Austin.

“I prepare all of the artwork that comes in,” he said, which includes screen printing, embroidery and digitizing. Jordal has worked with the company since 2004, when he graduated from Briar Cliff University in Sioux City, Iowa, with a bachelor’s in art and new media.

The job in Austin was one of several Jordal considered. He was looking at several jobs when he graduated, and he knew he wanted to work within a few hours of where he grew up.

“This seemed to be the best fit for me,” he said.

Jordal was born in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, and grew up in Forest City, Iowa. He has lived in Austin for eight years.

As a next step, Jordal hopes to start connecting with voters.

“I plan on getting out and doing some campaigning,” he said, adding he would accept a friend request from anybody in Ward 1 on Facebook.

“I definitely want to be very available to all the citizens from Ward 1 and hear their concerns and ideas,” he said. “I want to represent it as best I can.”