Two employees of Austin Water misused their positions to generate business for a plumbing business owned by one of the employees, according to an investigative report issued Thursday by the Office of the City Auditor. That business owner/city employee, Rodney King Jr., asked his co-workers to refer business to him, even though such referrals are […]
Jo Clifton
Jo Clifton is the Politics Editor for the Austin Monitor.
Posted inBonds & Propositions, Elections
Two political action committees fight city Prop A
While any enthusiasm there might have been for the city ballot measure known as Proposition A has apparently dwindled, Anthony Precourt and his company are taking no chances. Austin TeamCo LLC, owner of Austin FC, gave the Austin United Political Action Committee $200,000 in the month ending Oct. 25 to campaign against the proposition, which […]
Posted inEnergy
Austin Energy seeks change in rebate approvals
City Council authorized Austin Energy to pay $4.45 million for multifamily and commercial customer rebates during the current fiscal year, which started Oct. 1. But the utility may not be able to provide all the rebates authorized because some property owners find the lengthy time frame for getting approval from two commissions and Council to […]
Posted inWhispers
APD suspends officer for inappropriate language
Police Chief Brian Manley has suspended Officer Jonathan Pax for making “inappropriate comments regarding various racial and cultural demographic areas of the city,” according to a memo from the chief to Joya Hayes in her role as director of civil service. According to the memo, Pax got into an argument with two female citizens and […]
Posted inFire
Wildfire audit update shows more work ahead
After hearing a new report from the Office of the City Auditor on Austin’s wildfire response efforts, Council Member Alison Alter said while the report lays out appropriate next steps for the city to take, those steps are probably not enough given the serious nature of the risk. Alter is chair of the Council Audit […]
Posted inWhispers
Lewis says he simply made a mistake
Fred Lewis, a leader of the group promoting passage of Proposition B, which would require a public vote on any expansion of the convention center, told the Austin Monitor Tuesday he simply made a mistake when he filled out the most recent report for the political action committee Unconventional Austin. Mark Littlefield, who opposes Prop […]
Posted inZoning
Cooper Lane condo zoning wins initial approval
After a long and contentious day dealing with questions of where the homeless may sit or lie down, and following the final vote on an equally contentious rezoning of property on East Riverside Dr., last Thursday Council gave first round approval to rezoning for an unplatted tract in far South Austin. The property at 7410 […]
Posted inCity Council
Blythe starts PAC to unseat City Council
Sharon Blythe, best known around City Hall for her activism related to cemeteries, is hoping to unseat every member of City Council not currently slated to be on the ballot in November 2020. Blythe filed a document appointing herself treasurer of a specific purpose committee called Our Town Austin, which seeks to recall Mayor Steve […]
Posted inWhispers
Complaint filed against Unconventional Austin
Unconventional Austin, the political action committee supporting passage of Prop B, filed a campaign finance report on Oct. 7 revealing that Vici Media spent $3,000 on Facebook ads to help pass the proposition. Although the expenditure was made on Sept. 12, the group did not file the special form required by Austin’s campaign finance regulations […]
Posted inCity Council
Pool asks whether city should sell Hilton property
More than 30 members of UNITE HERE Local #23 came to the Council meeting Thursday to show their support for an item on the agenda asking the board of Austin Convention Enterprises to rewrite its agreement with management of the downtown Hilton Hotel. The current agreement, which was signed in 2001, prohibits the hotel from […]
Posted inWhispers
Hilton labor organizing could get a boost
Although the city owns the land under the downtown Hilton Hotel next to the convention center, the nonprofit Austin Convention Enterprises manages the relationship with the hotel. In 2006, ACE signed an agreement with Hilton Management that prohibits the hotel from allowing a union to organize the hotel’s employees. That would change under a resolution […]
Posted inCity Council
Flannigan attacks, Tovo responds
On Tuesday, in the midst of a lengthy Council work session about how to construct a revised ordinance to prevent homeless people from camping on sidewalks and rights of way, Council Member Jimmy Flannigan launched into an anecdote about how his office had helped a homeless veteran and his partner get housing and other services. […]