⚪️
Quote of the Day
“The road to full recovery will be long, but with partners like the Central Texas Community Foundation, we can make this road a little easier for those who need the help.”
— Travis County Judge Andy Brown, from Travis County Establishes Flood Relief Fund, Volunteer Center
⚪️
City looks to cut some costs on police, fire budgets
From Jo Clifton:
City budget planners had to make some tough decisions in proposing a budget for the upcoming fiscal year and the following year. As part of the proposal laid out by City Manager T.C. Broadnax and Budget Officer Kerri Lang at Tuesday’s Council work session, staff is proposing a $9 million decrease in the Police Department overtime budget and an $8.3 million reduction in the overtime budget for the Fire Department.
In order to reduce the Fire Department budget, staff has proposed revising the existing requirement for four-person staffing on all firefighting equipment, so that some units would operate with only three firefighters. Austin Fire Association President Bob Nicks has already said his union is opposed to that idea, but Council members did not express disagreement with the idea at Tuesday’s meeting.
Travis County Establishes Flood Relief Fund, Volunteer Center
From Lina Fisher:
The fund, called Travis County Cares, is in collaboration with the Central Texas Community Foundation, which will process contributions and work with the County to identify where financial assistance is needed most, ensuring “timely, equitable distribution,” per the press release. The goal is to assist those living in northwest Travis County along Sandy Creek and Cow Creek, where as of Tuesday there were nine confirmed dead and three still missing, according to the Medical Examiner and Sheriff’s Office.
⚪️
A message from your Austin Monitor team:
📌 Like this newsletter? Check out our growing collection! The latest news briefs, roundups and stories can also be found in our newsletter archive
⚪️
Sunset review of commissions moves forward
As members of the Council Audit & Finance committee heard at Wednesday’s meeting, the committee will get recommendations in October on which commissions should be merged, and which may simply be archived. Part of the process that is currently underway is developing a sunset review process “that would allow regular and staggered consideration of each body’s current scope and duties,” according to a report from Assistant City Clerk Stephanie Hall and Jess Ferrari, an assistant to the city manager.
Mayor Kirk Watson and Council Member Ryan Alter have been through the sunset process on more than one occasion at the State of Texas. Staff had proposed simply presenting information to the Audit & Finance Committee and letting the Council members decide which commissions should be eliminated or merged. However, Alter and Watson indicated that they wanted recommendations on that issue, not simply pages of information.
Ferrari then agreed that staff would do that. Watson warned that the staff liaisons should not be perceived as pushing for the sunsetting of their commissions.
Council Member José Chito Vela, who served on the Planning Commission before being elected to Council, said he thought it was time to eliminate the Zoning and Platting Commission. Members of the ZAP, which was created to handle zoning cases outside of neighborhood plan areas, are unlikely to go quietly, and see their own panel as an playing an important role in city government. Former Mayor Pro Tem Jackie Goodman, who died recently, was instrumental in establishment of the commission.
— Jo Clifton
Airport art contracts move forward
City Council is set to vote July 24 on final artist contracts for the third phase of the Art in Public Places program at Austin-Bergstrom International Airport. The collaboration between the Office of Arts, Culture, Music and Entertainment and the Department of Aviation aims to enhance key public areas within the expanding airport terminal. All 13 artists selected for Phase III are based in Austin and were chosen through a competitive call earlier this year.
Phase III focuses on high-traffic, traveler-facing spaces such as the Sensory Lounge and Mobility Assistance Zone, with individual contract amounts not to exceed $546,000. Additional commissions include two child-friendly spaces and nine restroom entry installations, with the latter capped at $80,000 per artist. Selected artists have already begun orientation and planning, including preparation for long-term maintenance and potential relocation of works, in alignment with a March City Council resolution on public art stewardship.
The upcoming vote marks the final phase of a multi-stage public art rollout at the airport. Earlier phases, approved in June, involved a mix of local and nationally recognized artists whose installations will appear throughout the airport’s new and existing terminals. The projects are part of a broader strategy to position the airport as a cultural destination and showcase Austin’s creative identity.
— Chad Swiatecki
⚪️
Elsewhere in the News
City Journal takes a deep dive into Project Connect and finds it lacking.
KUT has some dispiriting news about tackling the low-water crossings in Austin.
In better news, the local NPR station also reports on how upstream dams protected Austin from flooding.
⚪️
Austin Monitor | Make a Donation | Privacy Policy | Contact Us
Copyright © 2025 Austin Monitor, All rights reserved.