Three members from the Austin Independent School District board stood with more than 20 other school districts at the State Capitol on Wednesday to ask legislators for $3 billion in additional statewide school funding. “For AISD, this figure is vital,” said District 2 Board Member Jayme Mathias. “AISD in the past month has slipped to […]
Budget
Posted inBudget, City Council, City Hall
Council wades into 2016 city budget
City Council took its first look at next year’s budget Wednesday and got a glimpse of how its members’ campaign promises might cause some complications. The city forecasts that in 2016, the average homeowner will be paying $6.63 more in property taxes each month. The city’s monthly bill is projected to rise from $81.05 to […]
Posted inAustin, Budget, City Council
Council staff proposal up in the air ahead of vote
Despite committee efforts and new cost projections, a conversation among City Council members Tuesday revealed that they still have some work to do on a proposal to increase staffing and resources for the mayor and Council offices ahead of a vote Thursday. “We’re two months, already, past January,” said Mayor Steve Adler, urging his colleagues […]
Posted inBudget, City Council
Committee tweaks, approves Council staff boost
This Thursday, City Council members will once again take up the issue of increasing their own staff. Last week, the Council Audit and Finance Committee considered the proposal for a second time. Members voted unanimously to recommend adding 12 full-time positions — one for each Council office and two for Mayor Steve Adler’s office. Most […]
Posted inAustin, Budget, Energy, Resources
Explainer: The Austin Energy-CoA funds transfer
The Explainer takes a deeper look at stories we have been following. This week, we tackle the annual transfer from Austin Energy to the City of Austin’s General Fund. The annual transfer of what has historically been many millions of dollars in cash from the coffers of Austin Energy to those just across the river […]
Posted inBudget, City Council
Council funds AISD software, debates relationship
When it comes to using tax dollars to serve children in the Austin community, there can be a fine line between education and health and human services. Before passing an agreement Thursday to help fund truancy tracking software for the Austin Independent School District, City Council members had an impassioned discussion about the city’s role […]
Posted inBudget, City Council
Committee reaches few conclusions on new staff
The City Council Audit and Finance Committee had a wide-ranging discussion Monday about the possibility of hiring more staff to help Council, but arrived at no conclusions. The conversation was sparked by an attempt by Mayor Steve Adler to add as many as eight new employees to his own staff. However, as Adler acknowledged during the […]
Posted inBudget, Travis County
Commissioners back new vehicle registration fee
The Travis County Commissioners Court has endorsed a proposal to raise vehicle registration fees to bolster funding for transportation projects. At their regular voting session Tuesday, the commissioners unanimously backed two bills at the Texas Legislature that would charge county car owners an extra $10 each year. The proposal would also let the commissioners ask […]
Posted inAustin, Budget, City Council, Environment
Council assesses potential Onion Creek buyout
While the Halloween 2013 flood continues to impact lives near Onion Creek, City Council will likely decide Thursday whether the city should chip in up to $60 million to help ensure that history does not repeat itself. Council members considered a proposal at a work session Tuesday to purchase 240 homes in the lower Onion […]
Posted inAustin, Budget
Council considers health care for more employees
Though the City of Austin offers health coverage to most of its regular employees, City Council has kick-started a process that could lead to an expansion to all employees in the next fiscal year. Council voted Thursday to direct city staff to identify and categorize city employees who are not eligible to receive health coverage […]
Posted inBudget, City Charter, City Council, City Hall
For Austin’s City Manager, change is a constant
This week, Marc Ott celebrates his seventh anniversary as Austin’s city manager. The Austin Monitor sat down with him to talk about his tenure, the future and how his office is tackling the myriad changes proposed by the new City Council. Ott told the Monitor that he was hired just prior to the Great Recession […]
Posted inAustin, Budget, City Council, Local Politics
Council tentatively approves salary shift
City Council took the first step toward allowing some Council members to divert all or portions of their own salaries Thursday. Council members voted unanimously to allow the resolution to move forward. However, the issue will have to return to Council for it to become part of the code, and some Council members have reservations […]