The Ethics Review Commission, which was scheduled to consider a complaint against former interim City Manager Jesús Garza, adjourned without action Wednesday night. Although five members of the commission were present and ready to hear the complaint regarding alleged violations of the city’s standards of conduct rules, the commission’s rules require six members to convene […]
Jo Clifton
Jo Clifton is the Politics Editor for the Austin Monitor.
Posted inPlanning
New convention center design revealed at Council
Trisha Tatro, director of the Austin Convention Center, promised during Tuesday’s City Council work session a “world-class design” and the “first net-zero carbon convention center in the world.” Katy Zamesnik, assistant director of the convention center, told Council that Austin is the 11th-largest city in the United States but has the 61th-largest convention center. After […]
Posted inWhispers
Mackowiak resigns as chair of Travis County Republicans
Matt Mackowiak, who has served as chair of the Travis County Republican Party since 2017, has announced he is stepping down from that post immediately. In a news release, Mackowiak said, “There is a season for everything, and this past weekend my wife Amy and I decided that our most important goals are starting a […]
Posted inElections
January reports show who’s got the money to run again
On Jan. 15, months after votes from the November election were tallied, all City Council members and candidates filed reports showing how much they had in their campaign bank accounts as of Dec. 31. Mayor Kirk Watson is clearly the big spender from the November City Council ballot, having spent more than $1 million to […]
Posted inCourts
Save Austin Now to get rehearing on enforcement of Prop B
Save Austin Now, the group that pushed for and won an election to make the city enforce a ban on camping among homeless residents, has won a victory at the 3rd Court of Appeals. Save Austin Now filed suit in early 2023 alleging that the city was not enforcing the camping ban, which was reinstated […]
Posted inPreservation
Council OKs historic zoning for east side house on first reading
On Thursday, City Council approved on first reading only a historic designation for the Romo-Johnson House at 900 Spence St. in East Austin. However, three members of Council abstained from the vote, making it seem unlikely that it will finally gain historic zoning. When the item returns for second and third reading, it will require […]
Posted inWhispers
Council OKs study, contracts for wildfire study and vegetation management
Despite pleas from about two dozen people to reject the two items, City Council voted unanimously on Thursday to authorize an agreement with the U.S. Department of Agriculture, U.S. Forest Service Pacific Northwest Research Station to conduct a study of wildland fire fuels on properties managed by the Balcones Canyonlands Preserve. The agreement relates to […]
Posted inFire
Proposals to address wildfire dangers face opposition
Two items on today’s City Council agenda related to wildfire prevention have raised alarms among at least two community groups – the Save Our Springs Alliance and Community Not Commodity. The agenda indicates that the first item would allocate nearly $200,000 for a study of wildland fire fuels by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, U.S. […]
Posted inAustin
Austin scrambles to assess local impact of federal grant freeze
President Donald Trump issued a directive on Monday ordering a sweeping freeze on federal grants, including money to state and local governments. This action caused an immediate uproar, as well as lawsuits to put the order on hold. A federal judge stayed the order just before it was slated to take effect but legal wrangling […]
Posted inPlanning
Neighbors seek reversal of site plan approval for Bull Creek office building
It’s a case that never ends. The Champion sisters filed suit against the city in 1994 and again in 2004 over what they could and could not do with their property. At least one slice of that property is still the subject of argument. City Council is set on Thursday to hear an appeal from […]
Posted inWhispers
Changes planned for City Council committees
Although most members of City Council, including all the newly elected ones, had earlier indicated they wanted to be part of the Audit & Finance Committee, that has changed. As previously announced, Mayor Kirk Watson will lead the committee. Council Member Ryan Alter will serve as vice chair. Mayor Pro Tem Vanessa Fuentes and Council […]
Posted inTransit
Objections arise over Project Connect’s plan to use parkland
Now that the Austin Transit Partnership has released its huge draft environmental impact statement for Project Connect, parks advocates are raising concerns about the proposed expropriation of city parkland by the rail system without the permission of Austin voters. Larry Akers, president of Friends of the Parks of Austin, along with parks advocates Steve Gerson […]