A report just released by the Office of the City Auditor says city management ignored a violation of city code by an employee serving on a city commission that covers subject matter related to her department – despite a warning from the city auditor. City code currently prohibits employees from serving on commissions that cover […]
Jo Clifton
Jo Clifton is the Politics Editor for the Austin Monitor.
Posted inUncategorized
Sparks fly over proposed changes to camping laws
Representatives of the Ending Community Homelessness Coalition and the Downtown Austin Alliance continue to stress that they are working together to end homelessness in Austin. But their conflicting messages to City Council on Thursday about proposed changes to ordinances that target the homeless population were definitely not on the same page. Council Member Greg Casar […]
Posted inCity Hall
Maintenance needs could prompt future elections
“You don’t have to step very far away from City Hall to find some facilities that are badly in need of maintenance,” Deputy Chief Financial Officer Ed Van Eenoo told the Council Audit & Finance Committee on Wednesday. But funding maintenance needs represents a significant challenge to budget writers, especially under the newly enacted 3.5 […]
Posted inTexas State Legislature
‘Death of mobile voting’ bill to complicate elections
Travis County Clerk Dana DeBeauvoir calls House Bill 1888, which won legislative approval with little fanfare, “the death of mobile voting.” The legislation requires that each early voting location be open for voters on each and every day that voting is conducted at the main early polling place, and that each location remain open for […]
Posted inCourts
Landowners, pipeline company meet in court today
Attorneys for Hill Country landowners along with the city of Kyle and Hays County have prepared for a fight this morning with lawyers for Kinder Morgan Texas Pipeline and the Texas Railroad Commission over the route of the proposed natural gas pipeline and whether the commission has lived up to its constitutional responsibility in overseeing […]
Posted inCity Council
Council OKs Palm School, convention center ideas
In a stunning victory for Mayor Steve Adler and Council Member Kathie Tovo, the Austin City Council on Thursday unanimously approved a 27-page resolution directing city staff to gather all the information necessary to move forward with an extensive renovation and expansion of the convention center as well as preservation of an important part of […]
Posted inWhispers
Van Eenoo outlines losses under pending bills
The city of Austin – and other cities that collect telecommunications and cable franchise fees – can expect a hit to its budget in 2020 in addition to the lowered revenue caps proposed in Senate Bill 2, according to Deputy Chief Financial Officer Ed Van Eenoo. Van Eenoo explained that SB 1152 mandates that cities […]
Posted inWhispers
Tax appraisal battle continues
Watch for some fireworks today at the Travis Appraisal Review Board meeting. Attorney Bill Aleshire tells the Austin Monitor that he plans to testify, not just as an attorney for ProTax tax advisers, but as an outraged citizen. And the war of words continues via email between tax protest companies and the agency assigned to […]
Posted inPlanning
City eyes Palm School, bigger convention center
City Council Member Kathie Tovo, with assistance from Mayor Steve Adler, has produced a 23-page resolution outlining Council’s desire to create a plan for the southeast part of downtown, including use of the Palm School for cultural programming and expansion of the city’s convention center. The resolution is set for consideration on Council’s May 23 […]
Posted inWhispers
Chief appraiser missing deadline?
After a particularly bad year for Travis County taxpayers seeking to protest the appraised value of their homes, it looks like this year may be just as difficult, even though the Travis Appraisal Review Board has apparently hired more people to sit on its appraisal panels. According to Bill Aleshire, one of the attorneys working […]
Posted inUncategorized
Dougherty move OK’d but questions remain
Council voted Thursday to instruct the Parks and Recreation Department to move forward with preparing a design for a new site for the Dougherty Arts Center at Butler Shores Park. However, the instructions were not an all-out endorsement of the park site and left open the possibility that Dougherty might end up somewhere else. The […]
Posted inUncategorized
Tax wranglers may once again sue appraisers
Once again a battle is brewing between firms seeking to help property owners lower the appraised value on their property and the Travis Appraisal Review Board. The issue boils down to scheduling of hearings with no regard for the fact that an individual tax consultant can only attend one hearing at a time. On Thursday, […]