City Council Proclamations
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Who was Kathy McHorse and why is the council honoring her today?
Good morning, everyone. I'm Councilwoman Vanessa Fuentes representing District 2. I'm joined here today by my colleagues, Council Members Mark Duchin, Mayor Pro Tem Vela, as well as Travis County Judge Andy Brown. But most importantly, we are here with friends, family, and loved ones, including Ed McHorse, who are all here to honor the life and legacy of Kathy McHorse. I've always believed that we stand on the shoulders of giants. Kathy is one of those giants. It's not often that we feel this big of loss in our city, but as a direct result of her work, her advocacy, and her belief in the idea that every child deserves an unshakable foundation, so many families across our city can now access the support that they need to start a strong, lay down their roots, and to build wealth that lasts for generations.
For years, I had the privilege to work alongside Kathy in our collective mission to care for our littlest community members. In fact, oftentimes we would meet over margaritas or wine and have conversations and strategize, you know, how we were going to move the initiative forward. And when I think about the very last conversation I had with Kathy, I was very pregnant at the time and it was at a park event in my district and I went up to her and hugged her and said, oh, it's so good to see you. And she shared with me how excited she was that she'd be welcoming her grandbaby around the same time that I was going to give birth. And so it's really special to see baby Cameron here with us today and to know really how beautiful it is that the last conversation I had with Kathy was about babies and children.
It's just so fitting because that was so important to her. I also want to thank everyone for joining us today, including Dr. Leah Mounier, Cindy Gammes with the Raising Travis County, as well as members of the Early Childhood Council. Thank you, Delphi, for being instrumental in helping organize today, as well as our awesome public health leaders who are with us as well. And, of course, Ed and Kathy's family and loved ones. We carry her legacy forward by not resting until every Austin and Travis County family has access to reliable, convenient, high-quality child care. With that, I'll now pass it over to Travis County Judge, Judge
Brown. Good morning. Today, we're here to honor and celebrate somebody who deserves to be remembered in Austin for the rest of time. A few years ago, Kathy McCourse wanted to find a way to expand access to child care in Travis County, the most unaffordable county in Texas to raise a child. She saw the need for more affordable, high-quality child care here, and she was well familiar with the struggles of accessing child care in Texas, having been a school teacher and licensed child care administrator herself. Kathy used her experience, her knowledge, and deep understanding of child care systems to help organize those around her. She knew the struggles working parents faced in balancing their familial commitments, work shifts, and budgets, and she also knew that it was critical for children to have supportive environments in which to learn, to thrive, and connect with others.
She stressed the value of high-quality child care. She advocated fiercely and lovingly for all of it, and today, Raising Travis County is up and running, helping children get the care that they need. Kathy was a driving force in making this happen. She was kind, considerate, and a determined force of compassion. She put her empathy into action, and we will honor her memory by putting that same spirit and humanity into all the work we do for children and families in Travis County. And I just have to say, I'm a graduate of McCallum High School. Most of the McCourse family, I believe, is also there around the same time. Kathy married into this dynasty of McCallumites. And I'm so glad that she did and just so happy to be part of the work that Kathy did.
So I'll pass it back to you for a proclamation.
And this truly is a treat because we are doing a joint city and county proclamation because Kathy's impact was felt countywide for us.
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Agenda
6 items
1
Who was Kathy McHorse and why is the council honoring her today?
0:19–6:20
2
What achievements did Kathy McHorse make in early‑childhood education and child‑care access?
6:20–18:01
3
How did the council formally proclaim Kathy McHorse Day and what language was used?
18:01–26:01
4
Why is Hispanic Heritage Month being proclaimed and what organizations were highlighted?
26:01–34:37
5
What concerns did Representative Lulu Flores raise about voting rights and Latino representation?
34:37–41:23
6
How is National Overdose Prevention Day being recognized and what public‑health actions were announced?
41:23–42:18
Speakers
5 identifiedOfficials recognised by voice; public commenters shown as “Speaker N” unless they state their name.