A poll commissioned by the Austin Monitor shows that 56 percent of voters said they would likely vote for mayoral candidate Steve Adler, compared to 35 percent who said they would vote for his runoff opponent, City Council Member Mike Martinez. Only 8 percent of those polled indicated that they were undecided in the mayoral contest. […]
Local Politics
Posted inPremium Types
TipSheet: Travis County Commissioners 11-18
The Travis County Commissioners Court meets at 9 a.m. Tuesday. In the interest of space, we’ve decided not to post the entire agenda here. The County Clerk’s office hosts a copy at its website. Items of interest for Commissioners Court include: 3. CONSIDER AND TAKE APPROPRIATE ACTION REGARDING THE CREATION OF THE CENTRAL TEXAS WATER […]
Posted inPremium Types
TipSheet: Austin City Council 11/18 & 11/20
The Austin City Council meets in a work session Tuesday and for its regular meeting Thursday. Below is a list of items we’re watching for the upcoming week. In the interest of space, we’ve decided not to post the entire agenda here. The City Clerk’s office hosts a copy at its website, here. We’ve posted […]
Posted inCity Hall, Local Politics
Ethics panel wants last word on complaint inquiries
Austin’s Ethics Review Commission voted unanimously this week to recommend City Council ensure the commission has the last word in ethical complaints against the mayor, members of City Council and all of its appointees, city executives, and assistant city attorneys. “The main issue is the lack of due process,” said commission Vice Chair Peter Einhorn. […]
Posted inAustin, City Hall, Development, Local Politics
Seaholm Power Plant sign rejected by review board
Despite being owned by the city, the Seaholm Power Plant got no breaks at the Sign Review Board this week, where members unanimously shot down a request for a variance from the city’s scenic roadway sign district regulations. Board Member Sallie Burchett explained her reasoning for voting against the variance. “I think that it’s important […]
Posted inAustin, Elections, Local Politics
Election season shines light on endorsements
As the City of Austin looks back on the unprecedented election season that was, questions remain about whether established vetting that worked under an at-large system — such as forums and lengthy questionnaires — is still effective or appropriate. Endorsements, however, appear likely to remain. Indeed, ahead of a standout Austin election season in which 11 new […]
Posted inAustin, City Hall, Local Politics
Town Lake Animal Center in disrepair, ‘not sound’
Town Lake Animal Center continues to operate in disrepair, and a recent state inspection has the Animal Services Department and Austin Pets Alive! scrambling for temporary fixes. Susan Monger, DVM, conducted the inspection this year. That inspection found that the shelter is not structurally sound, nor is it maintained well enough “to protect the animals […]
Posted inLocal Government, Local Politics, Public Safety, Travis County
Council tries for changes in Secure Communities
City Council members Thursday instructed city staff to make a series of changes to a proposed interlocal agreement the City of Austin holds with Travis County for prisoner booking services. If county officials agree to the changes, the cumulative effect could circumvent the Travis County Sheriff’s participation in the Federal Secure Communities program. The move […]
Posted inCourts, Housing, Local Politics, Uncategorized
City Council advances source of income ordinance
City Council members took another step toward prohibiting housing discrimination based on source of income Thursday, passing an ordinance on second reading that amends the city code. The ordinance includes language that offers an exemption to property owners who do not directly or indirectly own more than four dwelling units and do not use a […]
Posted inCity Council, Land Development Code, Local Politics
Divided Council debates approach to CodeNEXT
Those who enjoy debate about how the city will approach the rewrite of the its Land Development Code are in luck: City Council will consider its approach to CodeNEXT for a third time later this month. Council held the first part of the hearing at its last meeting. Thursday night, members took more public testimony and […]
Posted inDevelopment, Elections, Local Politics, Travis County
Reporters Notebook: Campaign cash still flowing
Adler raises $100K the first day after the election … The election judges hadn’t even caught up on their sleep yet Thursday when mayoral candidate Steve Adler began indulging in a little financial chest-thumping. Adler’s campaign announced that he raised $100,000 from 400 donors during the first day of the runoff election campaign. According to […]
Posted inAustin, Housing, Local Politics
Martinez seeks to expand source-of-income regs
On Tuesday, Council Member Mike Martinez told his colleagues at an abbreviated Austin City Council work session that he expects to introduce an amendment that would expand the potential breadth of the city’s pending ban on source-of-income housing discrimination. The item will be considered by council members today. If approved, the city will add “source […]