[4][5][6] Martinez was a member of the Judicial Committee, Public Health and Human Services Subcommittee and was on the CapMetro Board of Directors.

[1][4][5] In 1993, he served as a Drill and Ceremony team member of the Austin Fire Department's Honor Guard.

[4] In January 2007, Martinez sponsored an ordinance to create a Homestead Preservation District that aimed to reduce the effects of rising values by using a portion of increased property taxes to fund affordable housing in East Austin.

[10] Martinez advanced to a run-off by placing second in the November 4, 2014 general election after the leading voter getter, Steve Adler, failed to achieve a majority of the vote.

Mike Martinez lives in a newly built East Austin home with his wife, Lara Wendler and his two children.

[12][13][14][15] In February 2011 it was reported that Martinez had referred to City Manager Marc Ott and an assistant council member as "jokes" in an email exchange with Austin Mayor Lee Leffingwell.

[17] One day later, the Austin chapter of The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People filed ethics complaints against Martinez and Leffingwell.

Martinez in his role as Council Member was under criminal investigation for sending e-mails in violation of the Open Meetings Act.