Stories by Jack Craver
In Hyde Park, urbanists say they're the ones defending neighborhood character
In Austin’s ongoing battle over development, it’s generally the traditional neighborhood associations that talk about defending “neighborhood character” and developers and urbanist activists who argue that a growing city needs to accept change, whether that is taller buildings or reduced…
Land Development Code • By Jack Craver • Jan 23, 2018
City likely to exceed its budget for pools, again
While City Council members have decidedly mixed opinions about a proposed $124 million bond aimed at upgrading Austin’s aquatics system, everybody acknowledges that the city’s pools are in desperate need of repair. The problem, of course, is that right now…
Parks • By Jack Craver • Jan 17, 2018
Crowded field of candidates emerges to challenge Troxclair in Southwest Austin
In addition to Mayor Steve Adler, five City Council members are up for re-election this November. In three of those races – District 9, District 5 and District 3 – nobody has yet declared their intention of running against the…
Elections • By Jack Craver • Jan 16, 2018
Poll shows support for paid sick leave ordinance
Most Austinites like the idea of requiring businesses to provide their employees with paid sick days, according to a poll released Thursday. The survey of 600 Austin voters, which was conducted by Public Policy Polling, a respected national polling firm…
Austin • By Jack Craver • Jan 11, 2018
How big of a bond will Austin voters support?
This November, Austin voters going to the polls to vote for mayor, governor and a variety of other city, state and federal positions will likely be asked to approve a bond package worth hundreds of millions of dollars that will…
Bonds & Propositions • By Jack Craver • Jan 11, 2018
Austin's new 'speed cushions' spark outcry
Susanne Paul worries that Jester Estates, the affluent Northwest Austin neighborhood where she’s lived for nearly 20 years, may be broken beyond repair. What was once an “extremely friendly” community is now fraught with political divisions that many of her…
Roads • By Jack Craver • Jan 10, 2018
Subscribe to our newsletter
Most Austin police officers will soon have body cameras
It may not be long before every Austin police officer is wearing a body camera. Since October, the Austin Police Department has equipped officers at three of its four substations with body cameras, Assistant Police Chief Ely Reyes told the…
Police • By Jack Craver • Jan 9, 2018
After one year on Council, Flannigan having the time of his life
Council Member Jimmy Flannigan said his first year on the dais has been defined by “many, many, many little victories.” And that’s how city government is supposed to work, he insists. “Municipal issues are by and large about filling potholes…
City Council • By Jack Craver • Jan 3, 2018
Casar reflects on a 'hellish year'
2017 was a big year for Council Member Greg Casar. Nevertheless, in an interview for the Austin Monitor, he described it as “hellish.” On Nov. 9, 2016, the day after he was easily re-elected to Council, Casar was in no…
City Council • By Jack Craver • Jan 2, 2018
Child care, CodeNEXT, grocery stores: Garza focuses on economic justice
Before walking into an executive session where City Council members decided unanimously to select Spencer Cronk as Austin’s next city manager, Council Member Delia Garza spoke to the Austin Monitor about her thoughts on her third year on Council. Although…
City Council • By Jack Craver • Dec 28, 2017
Council plans to take up sick leave ordinance in February
Over the past month, the city of Austin has tried to gather community input on the issue of paid sick leave and whether the city should require employers to provide it. Unsurprisingly, many employers aren’t happy about the idea. In…
City Council • By Jack Craver • Dec 21, 2017
Advocates urge more assistance for sexual assault victims
A backlog of evidence going back to the 1990s is not the only major challenge the Austin Police Department has faced in prosecuting sex crimes and helping survivors of sexual assault heal. Advocates for survivors have also said the sex…
