The political action committee that funded an attack ad against consultant David Butts has filed a campaign finance report showing contributions from former Texas Monthly publisher Mike Levy and Bryan Hardeman, owner of Continental Automotive Group. Levy and Hardeman contributed $4,800 and $5,000 respectively to the Coalition of Austin Neighborhoods, according to a report the […]
Jo Clifton
Jo Clifton is the Politics Editor for the Austin Monitor.
Posted inAustin, Elections, Local Politics
Adler wants group to study campaign finance rules
New Austin Mayor Steve Adler wants a group of reform-minded citizens to consider whether Austin needs to tweak its campaign finance rules. He has already talked to attorney Fred Lewis about helping with the project. Lewis, with a background in campaign finance reform, is the leader of Texans Together, which works to foster grass-roots activism. […]
Posted inAustin, City Council, Local Politics
Leffingwell says new Council will face challenges
Lee Leffingwell has now retired after serving for four years on the Austin City Council and nearly six years as mayor. The Austin Monitor recently asked him to talk about his favorite part of the job. “I tell people all the time the best part of the job is representing the city of Austin,” he […]
Posted inAustin, City Hall, Local Politics
Tovo talks about 2014 and takes a look ahead
As the only incumbent returning to join the new 10-1 City Council, Mayor Pro Tem Kathie Tovo could play a pivotal role this year, convincing others to share her point of view. Then again, she could continue as a minority voice as she often has in the last couple of years, particularly in land use and […]
Posted inAustin, City Council, Local Politics
Sheryl Cole talks about life on the Council
When we sat down with Mayor Pro Tem Sheryl Cole, the first African-American woman elected to the Austin City Council, we asked her what advice she would give to the new Council members. She said, “Respect your colleagues. Value their opinions. Try to understand their position before you attack it. Look for compromise and seek […]
Posted inAustin, Local Politics
Spelman remembers the high points
After three terms on the Austin City Council, first from 1997 to 2000 and then from 2009 to present, Council Member Bill Spelman is retiring from his nonpaying city gig. Professor Spelman, who also teaches courses in applied math and statistics, urban policy and public management at the LBJ School of Public Affairs at the […]
Posted inAustin, City Council, Local Politics
Adler talks about his agenda for new Council
Mayor-elect Steve Adler has proclaimed that his administration will give Austin “a new way forward.” He has talked of the 10-1 system as a restart for city government. Now Adler has to put forth some concrete ideas and get his new City Council colleagues on board with a plan that he believes will be more […]
Posted inCity Hall, Courts, Local Politics
Zimmerman drops lawsuit, but case goes forward
On Thursday, after hearing from attorneys for District 6 City Council Member-elect Don Zimmerman and the Austin Bulldog about Zimmerman’s lawsuit against the website and its publisher, Ken Martin, Judge Amy Clark Meachum ruled in favor of the Bulldog on the question of whether the court has jurisdiction to hear the journalist’s motion for award […]
Posted inAustin, City Council, Courts, Local Politics
Zimmerman v. Bulldog case going to court today
Attorneys for District 6 Council Member-elect Don Zimmerman and Austin Bulldog publisher Ken Martin will face off in a Travis County district court this morning over a lawsuit Zimmerman filed related to a Bulldog story that outlined court proceedings in which Zimmerman relinquished managing conservatorship of his daughter. Zimmerman claims in the lawsuit that Martin […]
Posted inAustin, City Council, Elections
Mayor-elect Adler wins by huge margin
Austin has a lot of new faces getting ready to sit on a brand new form of City Council. The future mayor, attorney Steve Adler, who beat opponent Council member Mike Martinez with 67 percent of the vote, celebrated with supporters Tuesday night, with his eye clearly focused on the work ahead. Adler said: “I’m […]
Posted inAustin, City Council, Development, Local Politics
Chapter 380 won’t stop firms from tax protests
City Council Member Kathie Tovo’s attempt to prevent companies that enter into Chapter 380 economic development agreements with the city from appealing their property tax appraisals ended with something considerably less than that Thursday, after Council members heard from a Samsung representative about how such an effort might backfire. Catherine Morse, general counsel and director […]
Posted inAustin, Elections, Local Politics
Austin politics joins world of shadowy PAC action
Even though some political action committees have made a bigger splash in terms of negative messaging during this City Council election season, the Austin Firefighters Association, which has two political committees helping candidates, has spent the most money. Bob Nicks, president of the association, confirmed Wednesday that his two committees have spent close to $250,000 […]