Sections

About Us

 
Make a Donation
Local • Independent • Essential News
 

The Austin Monitor thanks its sponsors. Become one.

Austin

Abbott allows Texas bars to open again

Texas bars will soon be allowed to open at 50 percent capacity indoors at the discretion of the presiding county judge, according to a new order from Gov. Greg Abbott. Abbott’s newest executive order applies to areas with “low Covid-19…

Austin families navigate food insecurity inflicted by Covid-19

Jacylin Moya and her mom woke up early Saturday morning to do something they had never done before – go to a Central Texas Food Bank drive. With a line of cars ahead of them, they waited in their car…

Council approves $15M for vital businesses

City Council unanimously approved a revised version of the Save Austin’s Vital Economic Sectors (SAVES) relief effort on Thursday to provide financial assistance to some of the city’s most vulnerable music and arts venues, child care providers, and restaurants and…

How Austin Public Library adjusted to the pandemic

Early on a Tuesday morning, Austin’s Central Library would normally be a bustling place. But today, patrons like East Austin resident Todd Fitzgerald arrive one at a time, wait for the phone call to announce that their books are ready,…

Questions arise about how BBB administers grants

At Tuesday’s City Council work session, Mayor Steve Adler asked Sylnovia Holt-Rabb, the acting director of the Economic Development Department, to explain what went into the selection of the Better Business Bureau to administer nearly $26 million in federal emergency…

Audit calls Austin's 'bad landlord' program ineffective, says it doesn't ensure safe housing

A city program intended to make sure landlords maintain safe apartments is failing to do its job, a new audit finds. The report released Wednesday by the Office of the City Auditor looks at the Repeat Offender Program within the…

Subscribe to our newsletter

Audit cites lax city oversight of Mexic-Arte Museum

The city has not done the work needed to develop and oversee its agreements with the Mexic-Arte Museum, according to a report from the Office of the City Auditor. Auditors reported finding a number of contract monitoring weaknesses, raising questions about…

Council members consider funding to save local service economy

Without significant intervention, economists are predicting a “K-shaped” Covid-19 recovery trajectory, a scenario where “high-skill” professionals thrive while the service sector continues in a rapid decline. City Council hopes to prevent the further demise of our local music and arts…

Economic Development Department outlines plans for $12M creative space bond, creation of Austin EDC

The Economic Development Department outlined its plan for a $12 million creative space bond and a city-owned economic development corporation that could help it along at a joint meeting of the arts and music commissions Friday. The city launched a request…

Music Commission asks city to recognize African American Cultural Heritage District, add multiuse arts theater

The Music Commission unanimously voted in support of a proposal to direct the city to formally recognize and develop amenities within the state-designated African American Cultural Heritage District in East Austin. The commission approved of the main bullet points of…

Tiered-rate parking payment system to free up parking spots, decrease use of parking tickets

Over the next month and a half, the Austin Transportation Department will be updating on-street parking meters to a more flexible “pay-by-plate” system that will make it easier for drivers to add extra time to a parking session. The new…

Buses will take Hurricane Laura evacuees back home Friday, Austin says

Some Hurricane Laura evacuees who came to the Austin area can return home, Central Texas officials said just after 4 p.m. Thursday. Many evacuees in the area came from Galveston, which is no longer under a mandatory evacuation order. Evacuation…

Back to Top