Council renames part of Auditorium Shores for Mathias … Council members voted 7-0 Thursday to name the east lawn of Auditorium Shores in honor of Vic Mathias, the former CEO of the Greater Austin Chamber of Commerce. The honor was proposed earlier this year, but the idea almost didn’t make it out of the starting […]
Local Politics
Posted inElections, Local Politics
Mayor candidates’ spar on achieving affordability
Affordability topped the list of issues that Austin mayoral candidates Sheryl Cole, Mike Martinez, Steve Adler, Todd Phelps, Randall Stephens and David Orshalick discussed at Wednesday’s Ballot Boxing Mayoral Forum. Moderators Nathan Bernier of KUT, Shannon Wolfson of KXAN and Michael Kanin of the Austin Monitor covered a broad array of topics. They included how […]
Posted inLocal Politics
Council to do double-take on ethics complaints
Today’s City Council agenda features two items that deal with the city’s conflict-of-interest policy as it applies to those who serve on the city’s many volunteer boards and commissions. The resolutions — one sponsored by Council Member Mike Martinez, and one sponsored by Council Member Bill Spelman — were sparked by recent allegations against former […]
Posted inDevelopment, Local Politics
Possible deal brewing to save Bull Creek land buy
Sources tell the Austin Monitor that there may be an attempt at today’s City Council meeting to take a new tack on the purchase of 75 acres of land at the intersection of Bull Creek Road and 45th Street. If approved, the pitch would instruct the city to approach the Texas Department of Transportation with […]
Posted inLocal Politics
Zimmerman threatens lawsuit over abuse stories
An attorney representing District 6 candidate Don Zimmerman has threatened to sue The Austin Bulldog over last week’s story referring to alleged physical abuse of his daughter and subsequent court action giving Zimmerman’s ex-wife sole managing conservatorship of the child. Zimmerman’s attorney, Stephen Casey, also demanded that the Austin Monitor retract a Whisper concerning the […]
Posted inDevelopment, Local Politics
Options limited for acquisition of Bull Creek tract
Staff told City Council members Tuesday that the city has limited options in terms of how it might proceed with the acquisition of a very desirable piece of land located at the intersection of Bull Creek Road and 45th Street. Though Council members were set to potentially act Thursday on a purchase of the tract […]
Posted inLocal Politics, Resources
Martinez’s living wage proposal raises questions
A proposal from Council Member Mike Martinez to tie the city’s living wage mandate to an index that would allow it to adjust with the going rate drew a handful of questions from Council members at their Tuesday work session. There, Mayor Lee Leffingwell worried that extending such a policy to the likes of city […]
Posted inPremium Types
TipSheet: Council meetings Oct 14 & 16
The Austin City Council meets in a work session Tuesday and for its regular meeting Thursday. 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 web site, here. We’ve posted these in chronological order. Where applicable, however, we’ve paired items that […]
Posted inLocal Politics, Resources
Reporter’s Notebook: Council chamber progress
New Council Chambers taking shape … We just got a sneak peak at the refurbished City Council chambers and it is spectacular. That brand-new dais is carved ‘pecky Pecan,’ according to Bob Nagelhout, whose company designed and built the dais, matching podium and two rows of desks on each side of the center aisle for […]
Posted inElections, Local Politics
District 10 candidates ponder changes at City Hall
City Council District 10 candidates talked transportation, water conservation and incentives during Monday night’s Ballot Boxing forum hosted by the Austin Monitor, KUT News, Austin Chronicle, KXAN and Univision. But some of the most interesting comments from the eight candidates vying to represent Austin’s wealthiest district came in response to the night’s most colorful question: […]
Posted inElections, Local Politics
PAC spending plays role in City Council races
Although political action committees play a big role in the financing of campaigns nationwide and in Texas, they have not been very important recently in electing Austin’s mayor and City Council. While there is no evidence that that will change this year, some of the players who have an interest in the fate of their […]
Posted inLocal Politics
Proponents, opponents raise big bucks on Prop. 1
While the Let’s Go Austin PAC was touting its fundraising efforts, opponents were quietly raising money, too. As the Monitor reported Tuesday, the pro-Proposition 1 group said it raised $485,876 during the most recent reporting period. That brings the overall fundraising total to $559,121, according to PAC officials. After expenses, they report $290,724 remaining. The […]