Questions of where and how people live in Austin – specifically in District 9 – remained a front-of-mind issue for Mayor Pro Tem Kathie Tovo in 2018. Whether she was on the City Council dais or involved in campaign events ahead of her successful re-election in November, Tovo said a combination of displacement, homelessness, affordability, […]
City Hall
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Alison Alter relishes academic approach to government
Two years into her tenure on City Council, District 10 Council Member Alison Alter said she remains focused on the reasons she ran for the seat against former Council Member Sheri Gallo. “I didn’t run as a political insider, nor because I craved the spotlight,” she said in an interview with the Austin Monitor at […]
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Ann Kitchen focused on ‘fixing people’s problems’
City Council Member Ann Kitchen is the first member of the 10-1 Council to win re-election unopposed. “I was surprised,” Kitchen said of her lack of opponent in this year’s election. “But I was certainly happy about that. I’m pleased that the folks in the district trusted me enough to continue in a second term.” […]
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Flannigan reflects on ‘crazy, crazy year’
Council Member Jimmy Flannigan believes City Council had a lot more to deal with in 2018 than it should have. Council welcomed a new city manager, found new chiefs for the police and fire departments, engaged in an extended dispute with the police union over oversight and pay, and tried and failed to overhaul the […]
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Pool proud of progress at all levels in 2018
Leslie Pool doesn’t restate Tip O’Neill’s legendary adage “All politics is local” when looking back at 2018 and ahead to 2019. Still, when reviewing the policy and on-the-ground actions that have mattered to her the most, the small neighborhood moves get as much time as the larger issues that have grabbed headlines. The District 7 […]
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For Garza, D2 growth brings services and focus on land use
There’s a blown-up map of Southeast Austin in the office of District 2 Council Member Delia Garza, with multicolored overlays providing a look at the total scope of residential and commercial development in progress in the area. There are dozens of them, which shouldn’t be much of a surprise since low property values east of […]
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Renteria looks at 2018 and beyond
As he starts his second four-year term at City Hall, District 3 Council Member Pio Renteria says he plans to concentrate on affordable housing in the coming year, just as he did in 2018 and the three previous years. Fresh off a runoff victory against his sister, Susana Almanza, Renteria told the Austin Monitor he […]
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Greg Casar optimistic but ready to fight in 2019
Council Member Greg Casar has a lot of good things to say about 2018. “In January we laid out a set of goals,” he said, referring to his staff. “We accomplished all of the big priorities.” “Even though we’re under state leadership that is hostile to those sorts of goals, I think that the community […]
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After re-election, Adler in ‘do stuff’ mode for 2019
As upbeat as Mayor Steve Adler stays most of the time when talking about the stalled and heavily criticized CodeNEXT rewrite of the city’s land use code, it’s still easy to hear the exasperation and disappointment that lingers over the issue. Adler still thinks pulling the plug on the process this summer was the right […]
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Cronk reflects on first year in Austin
Less than a year after taking over as Austin’s city manager, Spencer Cronk calls himself “the luckiest person in the world.” He recognizes the many challenges Austin faces, but city administration is what he has chosen to do with his life, and he was expecting some challenges. Not that he hasn’t been surprised by some […]
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Harper-Madison wants more housing, transportation options for District 1
Above all else, Natasha Harper-Madison, the incoming City Council member for District 1, wants to use her new platform to connect more people to the decisions made every day at City Hall. The campaign Harper-Madison waged for the Council seat over the past year has given her hope that people want to be engaged, though […]
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Gus Garcia, the first elected Hispanic mayor of Austin, dies at 84
Gustavo “Gus” Garcia, a former Austin school board trustee, City Council member and the first elected Hispanic mayor of Austin, died early Monday surrounded by his family. He was 84. At a memorial service at Gus Garcia Young Men’s Leadership Academy, Mayor Steve Adler remembered Garcia’s years of service to Austin. “He really was one […]