Earlier this week, City Council Member Ellen Troxclair allocated $30,000 from her personal office budget to the Parks Department for improvements to Dick Nichols Park, which is located in the heart of Troxclair’s District 8. The money, which Troxclair says represents approximately 10 percent of her total office budget, will be used to replace the 152-acre park’s fitness stations and improve the condition of its trails, equipment and amenities. In a press release sent out yesterday announcing the allocation, Troxclair wrote, “I have worked since my inauguration to not only be fiscally responsible with taxpayer dollars in our city wide spending, but also in running my own council office in order to accrue this savings. This money represents about 10% of my total office budget, and donating these unused dollars to the park is one way for me to provide a return on investment to my constituents.”
Mike Kanin is the Publisher of the Austin Monitor. As such, he doesn't report on much--aside from the workings of the Monitor--any more. In his previous life as a freelance journalist, Kanin has written... More by Michael Kanin