John Davidson

Hays County Commissioners, under pressure from constituents to keep taxes down during the current economic recession, decided against an increase in the property tax rate in the county’s 2011 budget and voted unanimously to keep the rate at 2010 levels.   At a special budget session Tuesday, commissioners waded through the 2011 budget, slashing more […]

Negotiations between the Barton Springs Edwards Aquifer Conservation District and the city of Kyle over a lawsuit the city filed against the district in July hit a snag last week when the city rejected a proposal from aquifer district staff.   The lawsuit stems from a dispute over the city of Kyle’s permit application to […]

With an Oct. 1 deadline looming, Hays County Commissioners have yet to pass a 2011 budget after being forced to delay a vote Monday because the proposed $242 million budget had not been posted online, as required by state law. At a pair of budget hearings Monday, Commissioners met stiff public opposition on two fronts: […]

The Austin City Council unanimously passed its $2.8 billion dollar 2010-2011 budget, including the water rate hikes to help fund Water Treatment Plant 4, at a special budget session Monday morning.   The city will close an estimated $11 million to $28 million revenue shortfall by eliminating or repurposing 21.75 vacant positions and reducing other […]

The current state of the City of Austin‘s budget is not nearly as bad as it is projected to be next year, according to the city’s budget office. In fact, the most recent budget forecast for FY2010 indicates a $2.1 million surplus in the General Fund.   During a presentation to the city’s Audit and […]

Hays County will receive $425,000 as part of a $3.5-million settlement in a lawsuit against a development company and others over the pollution of Hamilton Creek and Hamilton Pool caused by construction at a subdivision on the Hays-Travis county line in 2007.   Last week, Hays County Commissioners voted unanimously to accept the terms of […]

The Waller Creek Master Plan, unveiled at a town hall meeting April 7 to spirited discussion of how to pay for it, aims to create a luxurious pedestrian- and bike-friendly greenbelt stretching from Waterloo Park to Lady Bird Lake.   And although models and maps of what the master plan might someday produce are striking, […]

The City of Kyle is appealing a decision by the Barton Springs Edwards Aquifer Conservation District that would only allow the city to increase its annual draw of water from the Barton Springs portion of the Edwards Aquifer by 100.7 million gallons.   Kyle had requested a permit that would allow it to increase its […]

Hays County issued $71.2 million in certificates of obligation on Monday for its new government center. The sale happened on a day when the market was “tough,” according to Hays County bond adviser Dan Wegmiller of Specialized Public Finance, but he added: “Bottom line is that the sale went very well.”   Now that the […]

For the first time since 2002, two candidates are vying for a director position on the Barton Springs Edwards Aquifer Conservation District board—an elected body generally comprised of more scientists than politicians.   This year, Austin bankruptcy attorney Charles Nettles is challenging Pct 2 director Gary Franklin for his seat, which is up for reelection […]

Pct. 2 Commissioner Jeff Barton roundly defeated incumbent Hays County Judge Liz Sumter in the Democratic primary Tuesday, taking 56 percent of the vote. After the win, however, Barton struck a conciliatory tone, saying it was time to bring his party together locally.   “It’s gratifying to win by a flattering margin but I’m keenly […]

If you believe the buzz, major automakers will be churning out hundreds of thousands of plug-in electric vehicles over the next decade—some beginning this year—transforming not only the auto industry but also, potentially, the way electric utilities operate.   Austin Energy wants to be part of that transformation and has begun preparing infrastructure to meet […]