Contact

Do you have a question or issue regarding a City service or department? You can report a concern using one of our quick and convenient reporting options.

For all scheduling inquiries, including attendance requests for neighborhood association meetings, please email the District 8 office. For media requests, please email Ben Levison. Subscribe to the District 8 Newsletter here.

Julie Montgomery
Chief of Staff

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Julie Montgomery serves as Chief of Staff to Council Member Paige Ellis. An Austin native and UT Austin alum, Julie has 15 years of experience working in state, regional, and local policy and planning, with expertise in mobility, housing, land use, and environmental issues. On the weekends, Julie frequently can be seen at one of Austin’s many beautiful outdoor destinations with her husband, Andrei, and their two young kiddos, Kepler and Evie.

Responsibilities:

• Planning / complete communities / sustainable growth
• Mobility (including citywide issues, Mobility Committee, CapMetro, CAMPO)
• Housing supply & affordability (including Housing & Planning Committee)
• Sustainability (including air quality, climate change, Clean Air Coalition)
• City Workforce issues

Guillermo "Willie" Balderrama
Executive Assistant

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Willie Balderrama is a proud El Pasoan and UTEP alum, where his studies mostly focused on Chicano History and Public Administration. He has prior experience working with the Mayor and City Council in El Paso, and more recently was a Senior Clerk at Travis County District Clerk’s Criminal Division. Willie loves spending his free time with his loved one Angela, their two dogs Canela and Lucian, watching sports or attending concerts around the city.

Responsibilities:

• Constituent Services
• Scheduling
• Fee Waiver Requests
• Public Information Requests
• Communications & Technology Management
• Public Safety

Ed Scruggs
Constituent Director & Policy Aide

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Ed Scruggs is a 20-year resident of Southwest Austin and District 8, with an extensive history of political organizing, issue advocacy and community engagement. After college at The University of Oklahoma, Ed moved to Austin in 1991 and worked as a reporter and clinical researcher while devoting substantial time to non-profits. His community involvement included serving as  a director and president of the Circle C Homeowner’s Association. Ed also served five years as an appointed member of the Austin Public Safety Commission. He spends most of his free time in the garden and supporting The Verde and Black (Austin FC).

Responsibilities:

• Constituent Services
• Austin Police Department
• Austin Fire Department
• Emergency Medical Services
• Parks and Recreation
• Health & Environment; Culture & Lifelong Learning
• Animal Services

Lauren Terrazas
Policy Advisor

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Lauren Terrazas made the pivot from journalism to policy in 2022. She brought her public media background in a communications and policy role, now with a focus on housing, energy, and economic development policy. A proud El Paso native, she received her bachelor’s from UTEP then later her Master’s of Public Administration from UTSA. During her free time, Lauren enjoys neighborhood bike rides, visiting state parks, and finding any excuse for a sweet treat.

Responsibilities:

• Austin Energy
• Austin Water
• Zoning and Land Use
• Affordable Housing
• Economic Development Department
• Austin Convention Center

Ben Levison
Communications Strategist

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Ben Levison joined the office in 2024 from the world of public affairs and political campaigns where he served in policy and communications roles at both the state and local levels. Prior, Ben worked as a litigation associate at a New York City law firm and spent time in Cairo, Egypt during the Arab Spring on a postgraduate fellowship. Originally from New England, Ben has fully embraced breakfast tacos and Longhorn football and only complains about the summer heat some of the time. He is a graduate of NYU School of Law and Amherst College.