Richard Moya

Biography

Richard Moya served as Travis County Commissioner of Precinct 4 for 16 years, from 1970 until 1986. He was the first Mexican American elected to the Travis County Commissioners Court. He was born in Austin, Texas, in 1932 and graduated from Austin High School in 1950. A former printer by profession, he served in the National Guard and was a Sergeant First Class in the U.S. Army in Korea. Moya was a founder and active member of the Mexican American Democrats (MAD). He served as the Texas state chairman of the organization from 1981 until 1983. Moya was an advocate for the Chicano population in Travis County and was a supporter of John Trevino, the first Chicano elected to the Austin City Council, and Gonzalo Barrientos, a former Chicano Texas Senate and House of Representatives member. As a county commissioner, Moya supported the expansion of human service programs to Travis County residents. He was active in the creation of the Capital Industrial Development Corporation, an effort to provide jobs for unemployed and under-employed Travis County residents. He voted to fund rural health services in Precinct 4, which provided medical services and human services such as Senior Luncheon Program, Transportation, Legal Assistance, Meals on Wheels, and Information and Referral. Commissioner Moya was also an advocate for better representation of minorities in county government and was implemental in the adoption of an affirmative action plan in the Travis County government. He helped bring about the addition of new parks, a little league facility, and three softball fields in Precinct 4. Commissioner Moya was vocal in his opposition to certain county projects including the relocation of the airport to Bergstrom and Montopolis and the construction of the Goodyear Pipeline through the Edwards Aquifer. Moya served as Chairman of the Capital Area Rural Transportation Systems, as a member of the Texas Criminal Justice Advisory Board, on the Board of Directors of the National Association of Counties, and as Chairman of the Capital Area Planning Council. After serving as Travis County Commissioner, Moya became the director of Field Operations for Texas Agricultural Commissioner Jim Hightower. He later served as Deputy Chief of Staff under Governor Ann Richards from 1991 to 1995.

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