Scandal encourages candidate to file for Lakeway mayoral run

AUSTIN, Texas - Last year, Tiffany McMillan, who was running for city council at the time, outed the mayor for using a fake name to campaign against her online. 
                
The mayor admitted to doing so, but McMillan lost the election. 
                
Now, McMillan said she is running for mayor to restore trust in the Lakeway government. 

“I want to fix traffic, manage our growth and restore trust in city hall where all of our leadership values all of our citizens,” said McMillan. 
                
Last year, McMillan spoke out about Lakeway Mayor Joe Bain's use of fake account "John Smart" on Nextdoor to campaign for the council members running against her. 
                
Bain said he did so to communicate facts as a citizen instead of as the mayor, but McMillan isn’t convinced. 

“How much can we believe somebody who pretended to be somebody else? So there's not a lot that Mayor Bain says that I put much faith in,” McMillan said.  

That's part of the reason she’s running for his seat. 

“Yes, of course that inspired me, because last year, when that occurred, it revealed some of the challenges we have in Lakeway and some of the things that we need to change. I know I'm the person to make those changes and so now I'm inspired to run,” said McMillan.  

After the Nextdoor scandal was publicized, McMillan and other community members even started a petition asking Bain to step down, but that never happened. 

“I meant what I said. He has to go. He refuses to resign and I refuse to let him stay in office,” said McMillan.  

In October, the Texas Ethics Commission fined Mayor Bain $500 for using that pseudonym on Nextdoor to campaign for and against city council candidates. 

Sandy Cox has also filed to run for the mayor’s office. Her campaign treasurer told FOX 7 she is unavailable to speak about McMillan filing, but confirmed this statement: "Sandy has filed and is excited to serve the community again." 

Meanwhile, Mayor Bain said he is out of the country this week. He said he did not want to provide a statement and has not made a final decision about whether he will seek re-election. 

McMillan said there's only one way to restore faith in the Lakeway city government at this point. 

“I think the most important thing that we can do in Lakeway is let the citizens have a voice,” McMillan said.  
                                
Candidates have until February 16 to file for the election. Election Day is May 5. 
                
If either Tiffany or Sandy win the election, it will be the first time Lakeway will have a woman as mayor.