The merits of Lexipol software as a tool for the Austin Police Department was the focus of the Public Safety Commission’s Tuesday meeting. The crux of the debate between the commissioners and APD representatives was whether the software was worth the approximately $20,000 the department is currently paying for it each year. Lexipol is used by […]
City Hall
Posted inAustin
Capital Metro partners with HEB for back-to-school campaign
Capital Metropolitan Transportation Authority will be partnering with HEB and its beneficiary, For the Children, to host school supply drives ahead of the upcoming school year at various HEB stores. Capital Metro will park buses in two HEB parking lots from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on July 23 (2508 E. Riverside Drive and 14208 […]
Posted inAustin
City working toward enhanced library cards as a form of ID
The city of Austin has begun working on a way to use a souped-up library card as a form of identification, which is a service that would be particularly helpful for those who might not have an official ID, like people experiencing homelessness or undocumented residents. Enhanced library cards, which are used in other Texas […]
Posted inCity Hall
City-funded study examines disparities in minority business contracting
A disparity study aimed at examining the effectiveness of Austin’s women and minority business enterprise procurement program found it to be largely successful. But while the program – intended to create more opportunities for minority- and women-owned firms – has had success, the study also found that in Austin, women- and minority-owned businesses still face hardships. […]
Posted inCity Hall
Music Commission wants Council to ‘expedite’ Live Music Fund activation
The Music Commission plans to push City Council and staff to speed up the deployment of the Live Music Fund, which was approved by City Council in fall 2019 but is not scheduled to be distributed until next July. At last week’s special meeting, commission Chair Anne-Charlotte Patterson said local musicians have been waiting years […]
Posted inBudget
Austin ISD approves $1.9 billion budget – but nearly half of that money will go to the state
The Austin ISD Board of Trustees voted 7-2 early Friday to adopt a nearly $1.9 billion budget for the upcoming academic year. School board president Geronimo Rodriguez Jr. noted it was the first balanced budget trustees have passed since 2017. Austin ISD had warned its bond rating could be at risk if the board decided to […]
Posted inCity Council
Austin moves to prepare for climate disasters
City Council passed a resolution at its June 16 meeting to create a disaster preparedness guide and toolkit for the city. The guide, which will be part of the city’s climate response efforts, will instruct residents on how to create local resilience hubs in the event of an emergency. City staffers will be directed to work with […]
Posted inCity Council
Austin endorses tax exemption for menstrual products
City Council members approved a resolution Thursday endorsing the removal of sales tax for menstrual products and diapers. As the resolution states, “Menstrual products and diapers are necessary to daily life for millions of Texans, and these taxes create an undue and inequitable burden on those who purchase them.” The approval by Council means that […]
Posted inAustin
Study points to transportation, education needs for disabled community
Preliminary findings from a quality-of-life study for Austin residents with disabilities suggest the city needs to improve transportation options, expand educational opportunities and improve communications with the larger disabled community. Last week, at a combined meeting of the Mayor’s Committee for People with Disabilities and the Commission on Seniors, representatives from Boston-based Public Consulting Group […]
Posted inCity Council
Amid affordability crisis, Austin could hike hourly minimum wage for city employees to $22
Low-wage city employees could see their pay go up to $22 an hour in October. City Council on Thursday unanimously approved raising the minimum wage for city workers as Austin’s affordability crisis worsens. “$22 is not a lot,” Council Member Vanessa Fuentes, who sponsored the bill, said. “We’re just trying to get up to the base […]
Posted inCity Hall
As employees return, complaints of fraud increase
Allegations of fraud, waste and abuse by city employees declined during 2020 and 2021 as a large number of employees worked from home. Brian Molloy, chief of the integrity unit at the Office of the City Auditor, told City Council’s Audit and Finance Committee on Wednesday that his division received 275 such complaints about city […]
Posted inTipSheets
TipSheet: Austin City Council, 6.16.22
Today Austin City Council members will meet for the last time prior to their annual summer break. Because they won’t have a regular meeting again until July 28, there’s a lot of pressure to get things done, which usually translates to a long meeting. This meeting, despite a push for efficiency Tuesday, promises to be […]