Although Austin has fewer overall automobile crashes than other major Texas cities, the percentage of crashes involving serious injury or death of a pedestrian is still at the same rate — 27.9 percent– as other large Texas cities. That is one conclusion of the special report from the Austin City Auditor’s Office. Council members Zo […]
Jo Clifton
Jo Clifton is the Politics Editor for the Austin Monitor.
Posted inFire
Brown, Watson sign wildfire disaster declarations
Travis County Judge Andy Brown and Mayor Kirk Watson held a joint news conference Monday to announce that each had signed disaster declarations related to wildfire risk. “On Friday I signed a disaster declaration,” Brown said. “It will allow Travis County to proactively access resources, streamline emergency coordination (and) reinforce wildfire prevention efforts.” According to […]
Posted inCity Hall
City auditors see number of ethics complaints increasing
The number of complaints of fraud, misuse of resources and abuse by city employees continues to increase each year, according to Brian Molloy, chief of investigations for the Austin City Auditor’s Office. Molloy told the Council Audit and Finance Committee Wednesday that auditors received 404 complaints during fiscal year 2025, compared to 380 complaints in […]
Posted inPolice
Commission calls for full audit of police training academy
Members of Austin’s Public Safety Commission approved a resolution on Monday calling for a full audit of the progress made on police training academy reforms. In November, 2020, the city hired Kroll Associates to review and evaluate the Austin Police Department (APD) on the extent to which discrimination, racism and bigotry are present in […]
Posted inEMS
Public safety agencies team up to help those in crisis
The city of Austin will begin a pilot program next month that will deploy a multi – disciplinary team to deal with mental health related problems within the downtown area. The team will include professionals from Austin, Travis County EMS, the Austin Police Department (APD) and Integral Care. As Chief Medical Officer Dr. Mark Escott […]
Posted inCity Council
City Council adopts changes for Austin Animal Center and Austin Pets Alive!
Austin City Council has adopted changes to the city ordinance related to spaying cats and dogs at the Austin Animal Shelter, including an amendment that proved controversial. Under the changed ordinance, the city will notify Austin Pets Alive! (APA) about animals that are lactating so that APA can pick up lactating animals within three hours […]
Posted inCity Hall
Firefighters, city at loggerheads over contract
Negotiators for the Austin Firefighters Association (AFA) and city management appear to have reached an impasse. AFA President Bob Nicks called the city’s current offer “disrespectful to those who risk their lives daily.” Nicks noted that he told the city manager and City Council in January that firefighters want a work week reduction and the […]
Posted inCity Hall
Austin Resource Recovery not meeting Zero Waste goals, audit says
In 2009, Austin became the first city in Texas to adopt a Zero Waste Strategic Plan. The plan set a goal of diverting 90 percent of waste away from landfills and incinerators by 2040. But Austin is not on track to meet that goal, according to an audit conducted by the Office of the City […]
Posted inBudget
City fees will be higher for almost everything this year
Like so many other costs, city rates and fees are going up in the upcoming fiscal year, which starts in October. Overall, the projected yearly impact of all the fee increases will be $417 for the average homeowner in Austin. Those increases include fees for water, trash service, drainage, the Clean Community Fee and the […]
Posted inCourts
Former candidate sues City Council over tax election ballot language
A former 2024 candidate for Austin mayor has filed suit against City Council over the November ballot language proposed to increase the city’s property tax rate. Last week, Council approved a $6.3 million budget for the upcoming fiscal year, which starts on October 1. That budget includes a tax rate five cents higher than the […]
Posted inBudget
Duchen tries (but fails) to raise Austin Energy bills
Council Member Marc Duchen opposed or abstained on the majority of his colleagues’ amendments to next year’s city budget and voted against the overall budget. However, did try to raise Austin Energy’s income by proposing to increase its rates and fees. His proposal would have added up to $63 million in revenues. Neither the Mayor […]
Posted inEnergy
Commission rejects resolution opposing Austin Energy’s revenue plan
Under Austin Energy’s proposed budget for the 2025-2026 year, utility customers will, on average, see a drop in their monthly bill of $4.89. Low income customers on the Customer Assistance Program, also known as CAP, will see a $7 decrease on average. After hearing a briefing on the utility’s plan for increasing revenue while lowering customers’ […]