Austin Monitor

Like their colleagues, Council Members Bill Spelman and Sheryl Cole were both pleased with the news Budget Officer Ed Van Eenoo brought them Wednesday on the 2009 city budget.  But they did not necessarily agree about the next step.   Van Eenoo reported that new information would mean a reduction in the tax rate after […]

Anyone who regularly attends City Council meetings knows that, fairly often, zoning hearings can drag on into the evening, and sometimes past midnight. There are a number of variables that can keep Council members past their bedtime, including staff briefings, executive session items, and a large, angry crowd at a hearing.   On the agenda […]

The Austin City Council heard better-than-expected budget numbers at a briefing this morning, allowing the city to roll back the proposed tax rate by almost a penny and promising some relief for city employees worried about being placed on furlough to help balance the budget. Budget Officer Ed Van Eenoo had proposed a tax rate […]

Council Member Sheryl Cole said Monday she believes the city can afford and should pay employees the longevity pay the city’s management team has proposed to cut in an effort to help balance the upcoming budget.   City Manager Marc Ott proposed to save $1.7 million from the General Fund by eliminating this year’s service […]

Not quite two months into their new terms – and multiple Council hearings with 50+ hearings behind them —Mayor Lee Leffingwell and Mayor Pro Tem Mike Martinez have proposed new rules to improve the pacing of Council meetings. The most noticeable change will be limiting public participation during citizen communications to once a month. Citizen […]

Waterloo Park dominated discussion at last night’s Waller Creek Citizens Advisory Committee meeting, and not always in the most positive of ways. The Waller Creek Citizens Advisory Committee is at the intersection of several major city efforts. Waller Creek is a significant part of the downtown master plan effort, which is ongoing and includes the […]

Austin counted its 54th day in a row of temperatures at or above 100 degrees on Thursday. It’s hot and dry, but you’re going to have to ask for a glass of water in restaurants in order to get one beginning August 24 under new city water rules.   Drought conditions in Central and South […]

There’s good news and there’s bad news.   The good news is that the city is reporting a sales tax payment of $13.5 million this month compared to $14.5 million for the same month last year, a decrease of 6.8 percent, not nearly as much as in recent months. According to Chief Financial Officer Leslie […]

Following news of tougher mandatory water restrictions from the Lower Colorado River Authority, the City of Austin plans to ramp up its own water restrictions as of August 24. Austin will move from Stage 1 to Stage 2 water restrictions on August 24, Austin Water Utility spokesman Kevin Buchman confirmed Thursday. This will be the […]

Citing budgetary constraints, the Capital Metro Board of Directors began taking public input Monday on a series of fare increases across the entire transit system. The board also heard from staff and citizens regarding the possible elimination or suspension of the downtown Dillo service. Although they took no action, the two items will need to […]

City Council heard an earful from residents and privacy rights advocates over a proposed “fusion center” which would use federal money to gather and share information about citizens with the aim of crime prevention. Although Council ended up voting unanimously for a resolution which would allow $200,000 of grant money to secure a physical facility […]

In their first major test as a group, and Lee Leffingwell’s first test as their leader, the Austin City Council voted 6-1 late last night to award the construction manager at risk contract for preconstruction services for Water Treatment Plant 4 to MWH Constructors, Inc. Council Member Laura Morrison was the lone vote against awarding […]