City Council agreed Thursday to settle five lawsuits, including paying $1.2 million to a protester who was injured during the protests outside the Austin Police Department in May 2020. Bomani Barton, who was shot by a police officer with three beanbag rounds, agreed to drop his suit against the city in return for compensation. Barton […]
City Hall
Posted inCity Council
$9.1M emergency homeless shelter at the Marshalling Yard expected to open by end of August
City Council on Thursday approved a proposal to operate a $9.1 million temporary emergency homeless shelter at the Marshalling Yard, a city-owned facility located near the Austin-Bergstrom International Airport. The move comes as Austin sees 10 straight days of temperatures reaching 105 degrees or higher, creating urgency for Council members worried about the serious health […]
Posted inBudget
Proposed budget emphasizes city basics, long-term financial stability
Interim City Manager Jesús Garza and city financial staff on Wednesday presented their proposed $5.5 billion budget for 2023-24. Austin taxpayers currently pay 46.27 cents per $100 taxable value. That rate will decline to 42.42 cents for next year, although increased property values will mean that the typical Austin homeowner will still see a 1.5 […]
Posted inCity Hall
Garza explains motivations behind proposed changes to Equity, Civil Rights offices
At Wednesday’s budget work session, interim City Manager Jesús Garza offered some of his rationale behind the proposed reorganization of four city offices, a change that has drawn criticism from community groups involved in equality and racial justice. During the session, City Council Member Vanessa Fuentes asked Garza to explain his reasoning behind the changes, […]
Posted inCity Hall
Council to formalize $200 minimum pay for musicians at city events
City Council will likely adopt a new pay scale for musicians performing for city events today, adopting a rate of $200 per musician as a base rate with a sliding scale for performers in larger groups. The resolution set for a vote Thursday would formalize a rate that has been in place in many departments […]
Posted inCity Council
TipSheet: City Council, 7.20.23
Today, City Council returns from its summer break with a hefty 196-item agenda that may test the startling efficiency of Mayor Kirk Watson. Of course, not all of those items will warrant a discussion (or coverage), but we’ve done our level best to figure out which of those 196 topics might cause a stir on […]
Posted inCity Council
Council member asks for analysis of Austin Tourism Public Improvement District plan, including homelessness aid
The plan for an Austin Tourism Public Improvement District is set for a deep-dive analysis, after City Council Member Vanessa Fuentes requested a briefing on it during a work session Tuesday. The draft plan would create an agreement with local hotels that could generate about $7 million a year for the next decade to fund […]
Posted inCity Hall
Proposal to reorganize Equity, Civil Rights offices draws criticism ahead of budget release
The proposed reorganization of a handful of city offices under the early draft of the city budget is drawing criticism from community groups, who argue the changes will undermine years of work to improve equity, civil rights and services to underserved communities. As part of the budget plan delivered to City Council members and Mayor […]
Posted inCity Council
Austin Tourism Public Improvement District plan to partially fund homeless services heads to vote
City Council will vote next week on the long-coming agreement with local hotels that could generate roughly $7 million a year for the next decade to fund services to aid people experiencing homelessness. The Austin Tourism Public Improvement District (ATPID) has been a bargaining chip in local political circles since 2016, with former Mayor Steve […]
Posted inEnvironment
Environmental boards push for telework policy for city employees
Two city environmental panels have approved resolutions asking City Council to direct interim City Manager Jesús Garza to reconsider his proposed policy requiring most employees to do their jobs at the office three days a week. Both the Environmental Commission and the Joint Sustainability Committee have recommended that employees be allowed to work from home […]
Posted inBudget
What you need to know about Austin’s budget season
It’s that time of year again. The process to adopt the annual city budget is set to begin late next week and last through mid-August, according to a detailed schedule released by Mayor Kirk Watson last Friday. Over the next several weeks, city staffers will brief City Council on how different departments plan to spend […]
Posted inCity Hall
Ethics Review Commission OKs pandemic-era changes to lobbying ordinance
The Ethics Review Commission last week voted unanimously to recommend changes to the city’s lobbying rules. The rules ensure phone calls and video conferences are properly recorded as appearances before a city official. The changes to City Code Chapter 4-8 concerning the regulation of lobbyists first came before the commission at its regular meeting in […]