Despite not having a formal definition of “equity” available to the public, the Austin Public Library insists that it uses equity as a guiding principle in all decisions. The city’s public library system challenged a report presented last week at City Council’s Audit and Finance Committee meeting claiming that its performance-measure data, particularly in the […]
Austin
Posted inAustin, Bonds & Propositions, City Council, Development, Local Politics, Resources, Water
Reporters Notebook: Rail bonds & fluoridated water
Discovering the flip side of Laura Pressley … Two separate local media outlets started digging deeper into District 4 City Council candidate Laura Pressley’s recent political past Thursday. The Chronicle struck first with a piece from Monitor political editor Jo Clifton that runs down a host of odd beliefs attributed to Pressley, including wide-ranging concerns […]
Posted inAustin, City Hall
Chief Animal Services Officer Smith to resign
The head of the City of Austin’s Animal Services is leaving to take a position in Kennebunk, Maine. Abigail Smith, who oversaw the majority of the city’s transition to no-kill status, will depart before the end of the year. Smith, who is from New England, told the Monitor that her new job affords her the […]
Posted inAustin, City Hall
Audit finds problems with performance measures
According to a recent audit, the city’s current performance measurement system could use some work. The audit, which covered the period of time between 2012 and August 2014, was conducted to determine whether the city’s current performance measure system provides “timely, accurate, and relevant information.” The Office of the City Auditor found some problems. The […]
Posted inAustin, City Council, City Hall
Policy could ban incentive recipients’ tax protests
On Monday, City Council Member Kathie Tovo told the Austin Monitor that she has asked city staff to prepare language for a policy that would have the effect of making recipients of City of Austin economic development incentives agree not to protest their property tax valuations for a period of time. The move comes on the […]
Posted inAustin, City Hall, Development, Planning
Bankruptcy scuttles Apple’s Arizona operations
PHOENIX — A multimillion-dollar deal put together last year for Apple to manufacture sapphire glass components in a suburban Phoenix factory has unraveled after Apple’s partner in the venture unexpectedly filed bankruptcy Oct. 6, according to court papers. Austin and Phoenix were in direct competition in September 2013 for the operation, which was projected to […]
Posted inAustin, City Charter, City Council, Elections, Local Politics
Residents express concerns over final Council districts map
A week after the final proposed map of Austin’s first single-member districts was released, Austinites gathered mainly to tell the Independent Citizens Redistricting Commission what they felt was wrong with the map and, occasionally tell them what the panel had done right. The meeting, held at The Lodge at 700 Dawson (formerly the Elks Lodge), […]
Posted inAustin, City Charter, City Council, Elections, Local Politics
ICRC holds final public hearing on proposed Council districts
As the deadline for a single-member district map grows closer, the crowd wanting to address the map has grown larger and more vocal. Wednesday night, the Independent Citizens Redistricting Commission held its fourth and final public input meeting designed to solicit testimony about the Sept. 28 preliminary map. The commission heard from a full […]
Posted inAustin, City Charter, City Council, Elections, Local Politics
ICRC continues hearing on preliminary 10-1 Council Districts map
As a deadline for establishing Austin’s first single-member districts looms, the Independent Citizens Redistricting Commission continued to listen to citizens over the weekend. The commission is currently on a whirlwind tour of the four Travis County Commissioner precincts. This past Saturday, they were in Dove Springs, taking public input on the preliminary map, which […]
Posted inAustin, City Charter, City Council, Elections, Local Politics, Uncategorized
Second Council district map emerges as critics pan ICRC’s first effort
A preliminary map drawn by the members of Austin‘s charter election-born Independent Citizens Redistricting Commission is now not the only proposed single-member district Council outline drawing criticism. A map dubbed by its architects as a “Compact District Map” emerged over the past week and quickly drew fire from the group behind the election-day passage of […]
Posted inAustin, City Charter, City Council, Elections
Neighborhoods mostly unhappy with first map of Council districts
Though some may have worried that breaking Austin up into 10 Single-Member Districts would divide the city, that hasn’t proven to be true so far. Monday night, Austinites from across the city united in expressing their discontent with the initial map drawn by the Independent Citizens Redistricting Commission. The complaints emphasized two main points […]