Stories by Jo Clifton
Bazan, Alter set for runoff in District 5
Six candidates lined up this year to take the seat held by retiring City Council Member Ann Kitchen, who has served District 5 since 2015. When the votes were counted on Tuesday, the two candidates whose campaigns emphasize streamlining development…
Elections • By Jo Clifton • Nov 8, 2022
Reports show wide disparities in fundraising among candidates
Last week, candidates running for City Council submitted their final campaign finance reports before Tuesday’s election, revealing a wide array of funds across campaigns and districts. DISTRICT 9 With Council Member Kathie Tovo stepping down, numerous people are vying to…
Elections • By Jo Clifton • Nov 7, 2022
Reports show Watson spending far ahead of the pack
Mayoral candidate Kirk Watson, who wishes to claim the center seat again, has raised and spent far more money than any other candidate in his race – or any of the others up for election next week. Watson, a former…
Elections • By Jo Clifton • Nov 3, 2022
Changes likely for City Council speaker rules
City Council has been operating under rules designed for a city living with a pandemic. Now that Covid rates have declined significantly, some Council members are thinking about how the rules for speakers addressing Council might be changed to allow…
City Council • By Jo Clifton • Nov 2, 2022
Council adopts new stormwater rules
After considerable delay and discussion, City Council finally approved new environmental regulations related to drainage, landscaping and green stormwater infrastructure on Thursday. Mackenzie Kelly was the only Council member to vote no, and Natasha Harper-Madison was off the dais. Last…
Land Development Code • By Jo Clifton • Nov 1, 2022
Chief says city working hard to get more 911 employees
Reporting to City Council Tuesday, Police Chief Joseph Chacon stressed the department’s commitment to returning the number of 911 call takers and police dispatcher staff to normal levels as soon as possible. The city has attempted to address the vacancies,…
Police • By Jo Clifton • Oct 26, 2022
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Audit criticizes city’s services for older adults
The team from the Austin city auditor’s office scrutinizing services for aging adults found numerous problems with how the city communicates about its programs and lacks a plan for measuring the performance of those programs. Auditor-in-charge Kelsey Thompson reported on…
City Hall • By Jo Clifton • Oct 20, 2022
Council OKs zoning change to house survivors of domestic abuse
Council approved a zoning change Thursday in the University Hills/Windsor Park neighborhood that will allow not only multifamily units for domestic violence survivors but also office space for the engineering firm Civilitude. According to the developer, the SAFE Alliance will…
Zoning • By Jo Clifton • Oct 19, 2022
Campaign finance reports show who’s got the money
With less than a month to go before Election Day, the latest campaign finance reports show that in the mayor’s race, former senator and mayor Kirk Watson continues to outraise his opponents by large margins. According to records filed Tuesday,…
Elections • By Jo Clifton • Oct 17, 2022
Council puts off making environmental code changes
City Council opted Thursday to postpone a decision on changes to the city’s environmental regulations related to drainage, landscape and site plan requirements. Staff and environmentalists argue the changes are important updates to regulations related to stormwater drainage, wastewater infrastructure,…
Land Development Code • By Jo Clifton • Oct 14, 2022
Report raises questions about campaign loan for District 9 candidate
Kym Olson has received little media attention since late August, when she designated a treasurer for her campaign for the District 9 seat on Austin City Council. Olson, who serves in the Texas State Guard as a protocol officer and…
Elections • By Jo Clifton • Oct 13, 2022
Council facing tough decisions on Austin Energy charges
Facing an increasing deficit in its collections for fuel costs to run Austin Energy, City Council must quickly make a decision about increasing the power supply adjustment that all customers pay. The matter is on this week’s Council agenda. While…
