Austin Mayor Steve Adler and the mayors of nine other large Texas cities came together Monday to declare their intention to fight any proposal to diminish local government control, especially cities’ authority to set tax rates. The idea of a state-imposed revenue cap on their collections is of greatest concern to cities. “We want to […]
Jo Clifton
Jo Clifton is the Politics Editor for the Austin Monitor.
Posted inWhispers
Adler puts the brakes on foundation contract
After hearing complaints about the late addition to today’s City Council agenda of his proposal to use private foundation money to hire additional staff, Mayor Steve Adler has decided to slow down. There were certainly rumblings around City Hall about insufficient time and consideration of the item, which authorizes the city manager to enter into […]
Posted inWhispers
Homestead exemption talks to continue
When City Council Member Delia Garza proposed an amendment to the resolution seeking information on the impact of a 20 percent homestead exemption, she noted that more than half of Austin residents are renters, and she wants to know how that might affect people in each district. Housing Works Austin has crunched the numbers, and […]
Posted inCity Council, Housing
Zimmerman struggles to stop subsidized housing
There are only two subsidized housing developments in City Council Member Don Zimmerman’s District 6, as compared to 47 in Council Member Ora Houston’s District 1 and 46 in Council Member Pio Renteria’s District 3, according to data compiled by the group Housing Works Austin. But Zimmerman would like to make sure there is not […]
Posted inWhispers
Party planned to retire Leffingwell campaign debt
Friends and supporters of newly retired Mayor Lee Leffingwell will have an opportunity to help him recoup $90,000 he loaned his 2009 and 2012 campaigns. Leffingwell borrowed the money from his retirement fund but could not raise any money after winning the mayor’s race in 2012, under city campaign finance regulations. Attorney Jim Cousar, an […]
Posted inCity Council, Fire
Council OKs restart of firefighter negotiations
As its first major action, the Austin City Council on Thursday approved a resolution directing city management to go back to the bargaining table with the Austin Firefighters Association. But it did not, as initially proposed, direct staff to stop the RFP process for finding a vendor to design a procedure for recruiting a racially […]
Posted inWhispers
Garza expecting the best
Congratulations to District 2 City Council Member Delia Garza and her husband, Ramiro Martinez Jr. Garza confirmed Thursday that she is indeed pregnant. Garza, still looking very svelte, said the baby is due in mid-May. Garza said she still has plenty of energy, which she will need in the coming months. She is hosting a […]
Posted inLocal Politics, Public Safety
Not all firefighters support pulling RFP
The president of the Austin African-American Firefighters Association told the Austin Monitor that the city would be making a mistake if it stops the RFP process for a plan to recruit new firefighters and returns to the negotiating table, as set forth in a resolution from City Council Member Greg Casar. The item is on today’s […]
Posted inWhispers
Adler signs first resolution
Mayor Steve Adler signed the first ordinance presented to him in his official capacity on Tuesday. It will become old hat soon, but he was pretty excited to take the pen and inscribe his name on an ordinance approved by Council last week that made clear that ethics complaints about rank and file city employees […]
Posted inWhispers
Hartley joins Adler’s staff
Sara Hartley, who has been the public information officer, marketing director and chief of staff at the Public Works Department until recently, has joined the staff of Mayor Steve Adler. However, she is apparently still on the payroll of her former department. (The public information office did not know the answer.) And like some other […]
Posted inResources
Robbins working to fix AE assistance program
Consumer advocate Paul Robbins is visiting City Council members this week in an attempt to explain to them the problems with the Austin Energy Customer Assistance Program, known as CAP. The program, which was designed to help economically disadvantaged electric customers with their bills, is currently helping the disadvantaged, but also perhaps as many as […]
Posted inWhispers
Casar offers item on firefighter recruiting
The four minority members of the Austin City Council, with District 4 Council Member Greg Casar in the lead, have placed a resolution on next Thursday’s special called meeting agenda directing the city manager to stop the current request for proposal for a process to hire new firefighters and negotiate with the Austin Firefighters Association. […]