Travis County only functions as it should when its workers are treated fairly and the broader labor market aligns with our values of dignity and equity. From frontline county employees to construction workers, service workers, and tradespeople across the county, Amanda Marzullo will fight to create a community where working people have stability, a voice, and a real stake in the future.
Standing with county employees
County employees deliver essential services under increasing pressure, yet too often they lack basic protections, meaningful input, and compensation that keeps up with the cost of living. Amanda believes that if Travis County expects professionalism and dedication from its workforce, it must offer fairness and respect in return.
That starts with real civil service protections. County workers should not be subject to political favoritism, retaliation, or arbitrary discipline. Amanda will work toward a uniform civil service framework across departments, with clear personnel rules, due-process protections, independent review of discipline and terminations, and safeguards against political interference. These reforms will reduce turnover, improve morale, and strengthen public trust in county government.
County employees also deserve a real voice in decisions that shape their working conditions. Frontline workers know where staffing shortages, unsafe conditions, and wage compression exist—but they are largely shut out of the budget process. Amanda will push to include rank-and-file AFSCME members on the Compensation Committee and ensure earlier access to budget data, so worker input happens while the budget is still being written, not after decisions are effectively locked in.
On pay, Amanda will fight to lift wages from the bottom up. That means flat-dollar cost-of-living increases that prioritize the lowest-paid workers, caps on increases for top earners, and modernizing longevity pay so experience is rewarded through base pay rather than outdated bonus structures. These changes help working families stay in public service and make county employment sustainable over the long term.
Finally, Amanda will work to fix health care that is failing workers. Too many county employees face denied claims, delayed approvals, and out-of-pocket costs that force people to skip care. She will push for a full review of employee health benefits, lower cost-sharing for preventive care, stronger transparency around denials and appeals, and the creation of a medical hardship fund—because health coverage should support workers, not push them into crisis.
Protecting Labor Countywide
Amanda’s commitment to workers doesn’t stop at county payroll. Travis County’s contracting, incentive, and enforcement policies shape job quality across the entire local economy, and those tools should be used to raise standards.
She will work to expand and strengthen the County’s Better Builder Program, applying it to all county construction projects and adjusting procurement formulas to reward contractors who pay living wages, hire from apprenticeship programs, retain workers, and maintain strong safety records. County dollars should build high-quality buildings and high-quality jobs.
Amanda also sees labor policy as climate policy. She supports using county projects—like solar installations on public buildings—as opportunities to build a green future with union-quality jobs, fair wages, and strong safety standards, while reducing long-term energy costs and increasing resilience.
Transparency is central to accountability. Amanda will oppose corporate tax giveaways that undermine labor standards and drain public resources. She will also hold companies accountable when they violate the law—and maintain a true moratorium on corporate tax breaks until Travis County has a fair, transparent incentive policy that puts people before profits.
Finally, Amanda will work to protect workers’ rights and safety across the county by denying contracts to companies with proven records of wage theft or chronic safety violations—while ensuring small businesses are treated fairly—and by supporting stronger enforcement against wage theft so vulnerable workers are not left without recourse.
