Much has been made of the fact that District 4’s Greg Casar is the youngest person ever elected to Austin City Council. But despite his age, he is already a familiar face at City Hall. Before he ran for Council, Casar’s role with the Workers Defense Project had given him experience with long City Council meetings […]
Local Politics
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Tip Sheet: Travis County Commissioners 1-6
The Travis County Commissioners Court meets at 9 a.m. Tuesday in its first meeting of 2015. In the interest of space, we’ve decided not to post the entire agenda here. The County Clerk’s office posts a copy at its website. Items of interest for Commissioners Court include: 1. CONSIDER AND TAKE APPROPRIATE ACTION ON ORDER […]
Posted inAustin, City Council, Local Politics, Radio
Austin Monitor Radio: Council Member Kathie Tovo
Your Monitor team is catching up on a couple of radio show posts. Here, Austin City Council Member (and Member-elect) Kathie Tovo shares thoughts on the next Austin City Council. Posted below: [soundcloud url=”https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/184439997″ params=”auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false&visual=true” width=”100%” height=”450″ iframe=”true” /]
Posted inAustin, City Council, Local Politics
Houston plans to be strong advocate for District 1
District 1 Council Member-elect Ora Houston says that while her new office will be downtown at City Hall, she does not plan to become a stranger back in her Northeast Austin district. “One of the things I have found is that while we’re in a district system, the city has not shifted much toward a […]
Posted inAustin, City Council, Local Politics
Garza eager to tackle big issues at City Hall
In November, Delia Garza was one of the few City Council members elected outright. In addition to being the first person to represent District 2, Garza is also the first Latina to be elected to the Austin City Council. Last month, Garza sat down with Austin Monitor publisher Mike Kanin to discuss her hopes and […]
Posted inAustin, Bonds & Propositions, Courts, Development, Elections, Environment, Local Politics, Public Safety, Resources
2014: An Austin Monitor review
This past year was a dynamic one in Austin, and though the future promises to be just as interesting, at the close of 2014 we invite you to take a trip back over the past 12 months. Though a lot went on in the city and this list is far from comprehensive, from our ever-particular […]
Posted inLocal Government, Local Politics, Travis County
Brigid Shea has big ideas for Commissioners Court
In November, Brigid Shea was elected to the Precinct 2 seat on the Travis County Commissioners Court. She sat down with the Monitor earlier this month to discuss her plans, and got right to the point. “I intend to be very, very active,” said Shea. Shea said that part of her decision to run for office was […]
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Tip Sheet: Travis County Commissioners 12-30
The Travis County Commissioners Court meets at 9 a.m. Tuesday in its final session of the year. In the interest of space, we’ve decided not to post the entire agenda here. The County Clerk’s office posts a copy at its website. Items of interest for Commissioners Court include: 2. RECEIVE PUBLIC COMMENTS ON THE ABOLITION […]
Posted inElections, Local Government, Local Politics, Travis County
Eckhardt embraces new role as County Judge
Sarah Eckhardt is looking forward to her new role as Travis County Judge. When Eckhardt spoke to the Monitor recently, she seemed eager to get back to work. Though she served on the Commissioners Court starting in 2006 and has spent 14 years working with the county, as Travis County Judge she knows her role […]
Posted inAustin, City Charter, City Council, Local Politics
For Martinez, 10-1 dominated 2014
Council Member Mike Martinez is fresh off a campaign for mayor, one where he did his level best to bring up big-picture issues. Indeed, as many have reported, affordability and transportation became key notes in the campaign. Still, when he sat down to talk with the Monitor about the past year, the very first thing […]
Posted inAustin, City Council, Local Politics
Sheryl Cole talks about life on the Council
When we sat down with Mayor Pro Tem Sheryl Cole, the first African-American woman elected to the Austin City Council, we asked her what advice she would give to the new Council members. She said, “Respect your colleagues. Value their opinions. Try to understand their position before you attack it. Look for compromise and seek […]
Posted inAustin, City Council, Local Politics
Morrison says campaign colored Council in 2014
City Council Member Laura Morrison decided in March that she would not run for mayor. That, of course, did not mean that the decisions by four of her colleagues to seek elected office in 2014 played out far from Morrison’s seat on the dais. Indeed, Morrison told the Monitor that the opposite was true. “For […]