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Jo Clifton is the Politics Editor for the Austin Monitor.
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Stories by Jo Clifton
Community weighs in on governance of ATP, Cap Metro
At least 165 community members participated Tuesday night in the first of two virtual meetings designed to gather feedback about the future of Austin’s Project Connect, which is currently in the design stage. In addition to specific questions about where…
Transit • By Jo Clifton • Feb 10, 2022
Vela sworn in as District 4 Council member
José “Chito” Vela, who won the election to become the second City Council member for District 4 on Jan. 25, was sworn in Monday morning and took his seat on the dais. Vela joined Council before a large group of…
Elections • By Jo Clifton • Feb 8, 2022
Council takes first vote to declare warehouse historic
On a vote of 7-2-2, City Council on Thursday approved on first reading a request for historic zoning for the property at 301 San Jacinto St. downtown. Council members Pio Renteria and Paige Ellis voted no and Greg Casar and…
Preservation • By Jo Clifton • Feb 4, 2022
Council still has many questions about waterfront tax zone
Anyone expecting definitive answers about how the city will pay for improvements for the South Central Waterfront zone after a lengthy discussion at Tuesday’s City Council work session was likely disappointed. At the end of reports from the city’s financial…
Planning • By Jo Clifton • Feb 2, 2022
Loop 360/Davenport fire station lease raises questions
After serious questions about whether staff members had provided City Council with sufficient information before moving forward on construction of a new Loop 360/Davenport fire/EMS station, Council on Thursday approved a 40-year lease for the property at 4601 Westlake Drive.…
Public Safety • By Jo Clifton • Feb 1, 2022
Council moves to put a stop to wage theft
Austin is taking a step toward joining El Paso and Houston in punishing employers that engage in wage theft, with a resolution City Council approved unanimously on Thursday. A dozen people signed up to tell Council members to approve the…
City Council • By Jo Clifton • Jan 28, 2022
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Vela easily wins District 4 race
A look at the election results Tuesday night showed that José “Chito” Vela would handily defeat his six opponents in the special election to replace outgoing Council Member Greg Casar. Vela won 2,137 votes for 59.23 percent. His closest rival,…
Elections • By Jo Clifton • Jan 26, 2022
Austin Water outlines actions for dealing with the next crisis
Since last February’s winter storm, Austin Water has taken numerous steps, both big and small, to prepare for the impact of another such emergency. Director Greg Meszaros told City Council’s Austin Water Oversight Committee last week that, with the help…
Water • By Jo Clifton • Jan 24, 2022
City races to prepare for the next emergency
City Council’s Audit & Finance Committee received an updated report Wednesday on the city’s efforts to prepare for what Assistant City Manager Rey Arellano has described as “complex, cascading disasters,” like the city faced last February during Winter Storm Uri.…
Public Safety • By Jo Clifton • Jan 20, 2022
New job for Briseño as city announces promotions
City Manager Spencer Cronk has announced the appointment of Veronica Briseño as assistant city manager for the “Government That Works for All” strategic area, starting this week. Briseño has worked for the city for more than 20 years, including an…
City Hall • By Jo Clifton • Jan 20, 2022
Clerk calls out voter suppression under new law
While the authors of Texas Senate Bill 1 call it “an act relating to election integrity and security, including by preventing fraud in the conduct of elections in this state,” Texas Democrats call it voter suppression. At a press conference…
Elections • By Jo Clifton • Jan 19, 2022
Eckhardt cleared of judicial conduct sanction
Austin state Sen. Sarah Eckhardt, a lifelong Democrat, has won her battle with the Texas State Commission on Judicial Conduct. In December 2020, the commission issued an admonition against Eckhardt for comments she made as Travis County Judge in 2017…
