Watson Wire: Public Service

My father, Don Watson, was a lifetime public servant who worked as a government employee. He taught me in a deep and personal way the value of serving and working for those around you. He believed in the good of the whole and viewed public service as the ultimate opportunity for individuals to be better by doing better.

Over the years, I’ve had the honor of working with countless talented and committed public employees who exemplified the Don Watson spirit. People who believe a career in public service isn’t just a job or a means to an end but a part of who they are.

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Interim City Manager?Jesús Garza is celebrating the contributions of our city employees during Public Service Recognition Week, honoring some of the folks who go above and beyond for the people of Austin.

We ask a lot of our city employees. They work through difficult and dangerous weather to provide us with basic services. They reach out and listen to residents throughout our community to get feedback on public programs and projects. They provide their expertise and experience to City Council, navigating the dense City Code and bringing us public policy solutions for problems big and small. They keep us safe and respond in times of distress. It can be challenging and thankless work at times, but there’s a certain sense of satisfaction knowing you’re doing something meaningful for the community.

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Amie Acosta-Gonzales, a library assistant at Austin Public Library’s Terrazas Branch, exemplifies a person with the heart of a public servant. In nominating Amie for special recognition from the City Manager, her supervisor noted that she treats every person who walks through the door as a part of her own family, from organizing staff birthday parties (and making some of the best queso in town) to taking care of folks experiencing homelessness and mental illness.

During Winter Storm Mara, she helped operate Terrazas as a warming center for our unhoused neighbors and even when the library is closed, Amie is there making sure the public is cared for.

I think Don Watson would’ve appreciated her spirit, warmth, and generosity.

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No one makes our city better and no one more greatly enhances our quality of life than those public employees who serve us so well.

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Every day, City of Austin employees are doing great things just like Amie. And to all of them, I want to say thank you.