Monitor Publisher Mike Kanin joins KXAN‘s Sally Hernandez for a quick rundown of Council’s February 12 discussions of Mayor Steve Adler’s plan to fund additional office staff with (c)3 dollars and a now-in-process study of a potential 20 percent homestead tax exemption for Austin residents. Video embedded below:
City Hall
Posted inCity Council
Homestead tax exemption moves forward
City Council kick-started a process Thursday that could lead to the city giving homeowners an increased tax exemption on their property tax bills later this year. Council unanimously adopted a resolution that directs city staff to complete a study on the potential tax incidence and impacts of implementing a 20 percent exemption over the course […]
Posted inAustin, City Council, City Hall
Council members challenge mayor on privately-funded staff positions
Austin’s new mayor is proposing to hire additional staffers to at no cost to taxpayers. But the idea doesn’t sit well with some council members, who voiced concern over paying for city employees using private funds, as well as the implication that more staffers for the major would shift the balance of power in his […]
Posted inCity Council
Council swiftly adopts new salary rules
A change that will allow City Council members to shift their salaries in order to pay for extra staff passed with little opposition Thursday. The ordinance will allow individual Council members to waive their salaries each year and apply those funds toward other operating costs of their office, including additional staff. Council members voted 10-1 […]
Posted inCity Hall
For Council, Art is a $3 million word
Prompted by about $3.1 million worth of art-related contracts on today’s meeting agenda, City Council had a far-reaching discussion about art, spending and the local economy on Tuesday. Council Member Don Zimmerman referred to $3 million in contracts that would go to public art at the Austin-Bergstrom International Airport as the “ultimate blank check.” “I […]
Posted inThe Code
Commission powers remain unclear, residents remain agitated
On Tuesday, Planning Commissioners opted to postpone an item that should clarify whether they have the ability to approve a subdivision without requiring connectivity. But the sea of bright yellow t-shirts at the meeting made it clear that the issue wasn’t going anywhere. The shirts — and the people in them — were also on […]
Posted inCity Council
Council considers homestead exemption timeline
Picking up on one of the most hotly debated campaign issues of the past election, City Council is grappling with what could be the first step in enacting a 20 percent homestead tax exemption. Council discussed a resolution at Tuesday’s work session that would direct staff to analyze the impact the exemption would have on […]
Posted inCity Council, Housing
Zimmerman struggles to stop subsidized housing
There are only two subsidized housing developments in City Council Member Don Zimmerman’s District 6, as compared to 47 in Council Member Ora Houston’s District 1 and 46 in Council Member Pio Renteria’s District 3, according to data compiled by the group Housing Works Austin. But Zimmerman would like to make sure there is not […]
Posted inCity Council, City Hall
Council members get their assignments
On Monday, Mayor Steve Adler released a document naming the proposed City Council committee and intergovernmental body appointments, populating the 10 Council committees for the first time. The appointments are on the agenda for the upcoming Council meeting, and they will most likely be made official at that time. According to the document, Adler will […]
Posted inCity Council, Water
Council discusses water scarcity
With the current central Texas drought showing no signs of abating, City Council sat down with staff and water experts on Monday to discuss the severity of the issue. Sharlene Leurig, who chaired the Austin Water Resource Planning Task Force, told Council at the policy workshop that the conversation about water scarcity is coming at […]
Posted inCity Council, City Hall
Mayor’s foundation moves quickly to Council vote
Mayor Steve Adler’s plan to increase staff through a nonprofit foundation will be up for a vote this Thursday. The shift promises to be a radical one that could change how business is done at City Hall. Though the details of the plan will be released today, Adler spoke with the Monitor about the foundation […]
Posted inCity Hall, Planning
No-show is a no-go at the Board of Adjustment
The Board of Adjustment extended no favors to an East Cesar Chavez homeowner who failed to appear at its Monday night meeting. Instead, the board quickly voted against her request for a greater floor-to-area ratio than the McMansion Ordinance allows. Homeowner Amanda Ferrier was seeking a variance from Subchapter F of the city code for […]