City Charter
City seeks diversity in applicants tasked with redrawing Council district map
Just over six weeks ahead of the application deadline, the Office of the City Auditor is seeking candidates from Latino and other minority groups interested in helping to create the city’s next City Council district map. Applications for the Independent…
Austin • By Chad Swiatecki • Aug 14, 2020
Push for 2021 charter amendments could make Austin a 'strong mayor' city
A new group of community activists and political insiders intends to push for amendments to the city charter that could bring about a change to a “strong mayor” form of government, along with other changes focused on increasing voter turnout…
City Charter • By Chad Swiatecki • Jul 21, 2020
Paxton files suit against planning commissioners
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton is once again challenging the makeup of Austin’s Planning Commission. In a suit filed Tuesday, Paxton asks to remove Fayez Kazi, James Shieh, Greg Anderson, Claire Hempel and/or Patrick Howard from the Planning Commission “because…
City Charter • By Elizabeth Pagano • Nov 27, 2019
Paige Ellis represents sharp political shift for Southwest Austin's District 8
Paige Ellis, the incoming City Council member for District 8, has very different political views from her predecessor, Ellen Troxclair, who spent the last two years as the only Republican on Council. Ellis, who made her affiliation with the Democratic…
City Charter • By Jack Craver • Dec 28, 2018
Ethics Review Commission weighs in on potential charter changes
In the midst of discussions about soccer stadiums, CodeNEXT and the 2018 bond, the Charter Review Commission is asking citizens to consider one more thing: changes to the city charter. At its June 13 meeting, members of the Ethics Review…
City Charter • By Jessi Devenyns • Jun 19, 2018
Changes ahead for Planning Commission?
At this week’s meeting, City Council is scheduled to consider changes to how members of the city’s Planning Commission are selected. The city attorney’s office has offered two alternative approaches – one of which could have a radical impact on…
City Charter • By Jo Clifton • Apr 23, 2018
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Should the auditor’s office be exempt from municipal civil service?
Having an independent auditor’s office is integral to running a city where checks and balances fulfill their intended function. Independence, however, is not always easy to maintain, and in Austin, the Office of the City Auditor is working to balance…
City Charter • By Jessi Devenyns • Mar 19, 2018
Post Prop 1, city begins community conversations about citizen petitions
In a dark room usually reserved for musical performances in South Austin’s Strange Brew coffee shop, four Austin residents met on Monday to talk about the process of citizen petitions — the most recent of which resulted in Proposition 1…
City Charter • By Audrey McGlinchy, KUT • Jun 14, 2016
Too many land-use professionals?
At Monday’s City Council Audit and Finance Committee meeting, Council members rejected the idea of allowing the Environmental Commission to have five land-use professionals among its 11 members. The current rules governing membership on the Environmental Commission allow for only…
City Charter • By Jo Clifton • Apr 14, 2016
Austin Monitor Radio: Council Member Don Zimmerman
Austin City Council Member Don Zimmerman joins Austin Monitor publisher Mike Kanin to talk about abstentions, annexation, and the rest of his term-so-far. Sponsored by Austin Water. Post is embedded below.
City Charter • By Michael Kanin • Apr 11, 2016
Austin Monitor Radio: The (early) impact of 10-1
Khotan Shabazi-Harmon of Leadership Austin’s 2015 Essential Class joins Austin Monitor publisher Mike Kanin to talk about her impressions of the City of Austin’s new 10-1 system and the Leadership Austin report on geographic representation. The program is embedded below.
Austin • By Michael Kanin • Nov 30, 2015
Austin Monitor Radio: Council Member Greg Casar
Austin City Council Member Greg Casar looks back at his first months in office, including his efforts as chair of Council’s Planning and Neighborhood Committee. The program is embedded below:
