Austin police officers on Monday cleared encampments around City Hall that were erected by people experiencing homelessness. The city said in a statement that officers were moving people from the corner of Guadalupe and Cesar Chavez streets for construction work. The city said officers met with people staying in tents in the morning and told them […]
City Hall
Posted inCity Hall
Complaint against Harper-Madison ruled out of ethics commission’s jurisdiction
Ethics violations against Mayor Pro Tem Natasha Harper-Madison were found to be outside the purview of the city’s Ethics Review Commission last week, marking the second time in two months the commission has failed to move forward with a complaint brought by resident Olivia Overturf. Overturf’s new complaint was filed May 17, less than a […]
Posted inCity Council
Austin raises property tax exemption for homeowners to highest rate allowed
As the median price of a home in Austin surpassed half a million dollars this year, City Council members voted Thursday to tax a smaller amount of owners’ home values. City leaders doubled the current general homestead exemption of 10 percent, taking it to 20 percent, the highest amount permitted by Texas law. That means homeowners will […]
Posted inAustin
Local leaders see pandemic, winter storm as openings for economic opportunities
Local leaders say the past 15 months of Austin’s history have been a test for how the city can best serve the people and businesses that are most at risk as growth changes the economics and character of Central Texas. On Wednesday the final Engage Series webinar from Leadership Austin looked at the effects of […]
Posted inAustin
Emergency funding for musicians, creatives waiting on Council, staff action
City staffers expect to have initial guidelines next month for how to spend money in the city’s Live Music Fund, part of a series of spending programs to aid local creatives in the aftermath of the Covid-19 pandemic. This week the Music Commission received an update from Sylnovia Holt-Rabb, deputy director of the Economic Development […]
Posted inBudget
City tax increase likely, but not 8 percent
Although City Council can raise the city’s tax rate by 8 percent under Gov. Greg Abbott’s disaster declaration related to Winter Storm Uri, Council members will have to carefully weigh how to spend any revenue collected on money generated above the 3.5 percent cap. Because it won’t be there next year. As interim Budget Officer […]
Posted inPremium Types
TipSheet: City Council, 6.10.21
Today City Council will meet for the last time before its summer break, which ends in late July. So, let’s make the most of it, shall we? The meeting itself promises to be on the reasonable side, though we’re slightly nervous that the executive session might drag on in an attempt to square things away […]
Posted inCity Council
With self-imposed deadline approaching, Council rushes to divide stimulus funds
City Council plans to pass a spending framework for the remaining $143.6 million in American Rescue Plan funds, but the allocations for a variety of services and programs are still in flux as their Thursday meeting approaches. Because of its upcoming summer break, Council must decide how to spend the funds or wait almost two […]
Posted inCity Council
Council to commit to ‘transformational’ homelessness spending – if others do too
City Council’s plan to spend a majority of the city’s share of American Rescue Plan Act money on homelessness is gaining traction, with a vote scheduled for Thursday to approve a spending framework for the $143.6 million in federal stimulus money. City staffers propose spending $84 million – that’s 58 percent – of the ARPA […]
Posted inCity Council
City Council makes plans for City Hall return
In news that will be welcomed by those who have grown tired of staring at digital grids of local officials, City Council members have begun to make plans to hold in-person meetings again. Though there is no firm date, and no clear plan for how they will return to the physical dais, Council members discussed […]
Posted inBudget
With Council approval, DSD to add 41 new workers
City Council on Thursday approved a staff request to hire 41 new reviewers and inspectors in the Development Services Department starting in July, with a goal of having those new employees trained and ready to work by the end of the year. The vote was 10-0, with Council Member Mackenzie Kelly absent from the meeting. […]
Posted inBudget
Development Services seeking more staff this summer
The Development Services Department, which conducts inspections and approves permits for new housing, remodeling and commercial construction, is facing an ever-increasing volume of work, as Assistant City Manager Rodney Gonzales and department Director Denise Lucas explained at Tuesday’s City Council work session. In order to meet demand, the department is requesting approval to hire 41 […]