Council Member Kathie Tovo continued Tuesday to try to persuade her colleagues to approve what are now three separate additional rental registration programs for areas that have been deemed to host problematic rental properties. Those regions include the North Austin Civic Association/Restore Rundberg section, the East Riverside area, and certain portions of central Austin […]
Local Politics
Posted inLocal Politics, Resources
Council split over plan to give delinquent utility ratepayers more time
Council Members Kathie Tovo and Laura Morrison want to give delinquent Austin Energy ratepayers who participate in the utility’s Customer Assistance Program additional leeway in paying their bills. Their proposal met with some resistance from Mayor Lee Leffingwell and utility staff Tuesday. After some discussion, Leffingwell prompted staff to disclose that it would be […]
Posted inDevelopment, Local Politics
Developers take concerns over Vested Rights Ordinance to Council
Key players in Austin’s development community brought their concerns about the potential outcome of an upcoming Austin City Council vote on a new Vested Rights Ordinance to Tuesday’s Council work session. There, they expressed concerns that fundamental portions of the new set of regulations would not leave enough space for properly considered projects. “We […]
Posted inLocal Government, Local Politics
Kyle City Council deadlocked over interviewing judge candidates
KYLE — After an hour-long discussion with failed motions and circling banter, Kyle City Council members sent home four applicants seeking the city’s Municipal Judge position without interviewing them as scheduled at a special called meeting on Nov. 7. Current Municipal Judge Sundra Spears’ base salary is $24,000 a year plus city benefits, which […]
Posted inElections, Local Politics
Redistricting Commission gets final public input on district map
Edging ever closer to a final City Council district map, the Independent Citizens Redistricting Commission held its final public meeting last night and received mostly positive feedback for its work in creating 10 single-member districts. The commission met at the Millennium Youth Center in order to gather input on their final proposed map, which […]
Posted inAustin, City Charter, City Council, Elections, Local Politics
Residents express concerns over final Council districts map
A week after the final proposed map of Austin’s first single-member districts was released, Austinites gathered mainly to tell the Independent Citizens Redistricting Commission what they felt was wrong with the map and, occasionally tell them what the panel had done right. The meeting, held at The Lodge at 700 Dawson (formerly the Elks Lodge), […]
Posted inLocal Government, Local Politics
Travis Commissioners add $1 million to child care program
Travis County Commissioners have approved investing an additional $1 million over the next two years to bolster early childhood programs, particularly those offering child care for low-income families. Commissioners approved a two-part plan that will change the procurement process for existing and expanded programs in Fiscal Year 2015, and will make a one-time $500,000 […]
Posted inLocal Politics
City Council keeps it brief so staff can continue flood relief
The Austin City Council cut Thursday’s meeting short in order to allow city employees to continue with flood relief duties in the city, but they spent enough time on the dais to pass two significant measures for those affected by the rushing waters. Mayor Lee Leffingwell took a moment to note the two flood-related […]
Posted inDevelopment, Local Government, Local Politics, Public Safety
City, county to expand home buyouts for flooded areas
The City of Austin and Travis County are both preparing to expand their ongoing programs to buy and demolish the homes of residents who live in flood-prone areas. And with last week’s severe flooding in the Onion Creek 25-year flood plain, both the city and the county say they are stepping up their programs. […]
Posted inElections, Local Politics
Israel and VanDeWalle headed for District 50 runoff election
The House District 50 race is headed to a runoff. Of four candidates, Republican Dr. Mike VanDeWalle and Democrat Celia Israel ended the race comfortably in first and second place, though neither secured a majority of the vote. Israel and VanDeWalle will face off in a runoff election on a date yet to be […]
Posted inElections, Local Politics
News flash: Bond passage appears likely after early voting
Early returns in a City of Austin ballot question that asked residents to approve $65 million in Affordable Housing bonds looked likely to pass early Tuesday evening. Early voting returns – accounting for nearly six percent of the population — had the measure up by 5,000 votes, with 16,223 cast for and 11,210 against. […]
Posted inAustin, City Charter, City Council, Elections, Local Politics
ICRC holds final public hearing on proposed Council districts
As the deadline for a single-member district map grows closer, the crowd wanting to address the map has grown larger and more vocal. Wednesday night, the Independent Citizens Redistricting Commission held its fourth and final public input meeting designed to solicit testimony about the Sept. 28 preliminary map. The commission heard from a full […]