Travis County and the City of Austin take part in a regular fiscal dance with the State of Texas over who pays the costs of government. Over the next three days, KUT News and the Austin Monitor will look at key examples of that interaction in our series, “The Buck Starts Here.” Today, we take […]
Austin
Posted inAustin, Courts, Texas State Legislature
Why your speeding ticket doesn’t pay for what you think it does
Travis County and the City of Austin take part in a regular fiscal dance with the State of Texas over who pays the costs of government. Over the next three days, KUT News and the Austin Monitor will look at key examples of that interaction in our series, “The Buck Starts Here.” Today, we take […]
Posted inAustin, Local Government
Drop in poverty rate likely due to displacement
When the poverty rate in a city drops, many would consider it a cause for celebration. In Austin, however, where property value increases have outpaced family income growth for decades, that is not the case. City Demographer Ryan Robinson told members of the Regional Affordability Committee at their first meeting Monday that recently released poverty-rate […]
Posted inAustin, City Council, Monitor News & Media, Radio
Austin Monitor Radio: Mayor Steve Adler
Austin Monitor editor Elizabeth Pagano and publisher Mike Kanin talk with Austin Mayor Steve Adler as he marks his first 100 days in office. Sponsored by Kerbey Lane Cafe. Audio is embedded below. [soundcloud url=”https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/201319207″ params=”auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false&visual=true” width=”100%” height=”450″ iframe=”true” /]
Posted inAustin, Hays County, Roads, Transportation, Travis County
US Fish and Wildlife concerned about SH 45 SW
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service sent letters to Mayor Steve Adler, Travis County Judge Sarah Eckhardt and others Wednesday, expressing concerns about the potential environmental impacts of the proposed State Highway 45 Southwest on the Balcones Canyonlands Conservation Plan, or BCCP. Eckhardt has called for a hold on current plans for the highway. In […]
Posted inAustin
Change is focus of Adler’s first State of the City
Change was the name of the game at Mayor Steve Adler’s first State of the City address. Adler discussed a wide range of issues but focused on two of Austin’s most prominent problems — mobility and affordability — and floated several new ideas to address those problems, many of which he had not presented to the […]
Posted inAustin, Texas State Legislature
Local witnesses urge legislators to reject TNC bill
The House Transportation Committee heard numerous witnesses Thursday both supporting and opposing HB 2440, which would designate the Texas Department of Motor Vehicles as the state agency charged with issuing permits and overseeing rules for transportation networking companies such as Uber and Lyft. The proposal would also eliminate city regulations for such companies. For that […]
Posted inAISD, Austin, Monitor News & Media, Radio
Austin Monitor Radio: AISD Trustee Paul Saldana
AISD Trustee Paul Saldana joins Monitor publisher Mike Kanin and reporter Courtney Griffin to talk system equity, resources, and more. Sponsored by Kerbey Lane Cafe. Audio is embedded below. [soundcloud url=”https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/200224709″ params=”auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false&visual=true” width=”100%” height=”450″ iframe=”true” /]
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 inAustin, City Charter
Council to decide on X Games funding application
The Austin City Council is considering whether to endorse the application of the Circuit of the Americas for funding from the Texas Major Event Trust Fund for the summer X Games this year and in 2016 and 2017. The Major Event Trust Fund applies local and state gains in sales and other taxes generated by […]
Posted inAustin, City Council
Renteria making changes to barbecue proposal
In response to owners of barbecue restaurants worried about their future in Austin, City Council Member Pio Renteria is making some changes to his resolution directing city staff to create rules to regulate smoke from commercial barbecue smokestacks. Originally, the resolution was written to require restaurants and mobile food vendors who use a wood or […]
Posted inAustin, Development, Planning, Zoning
Planners, residents call for Rainey master plan
The Planning Commission says it will likely deny several property owners’ joint request to vacate land on East Avenue, near Rainey Street, because the area needs a neighborhood plan. Ben Turner of Consort Inc., representing four landowners, asked the commission at its meeting Tuesday to allow a total vacation of 19,700 square feet at the […]