Although local political action committee Austin4All turned in a petition to recall City Council Member Ann Kitchen to the city clerk’s office Friday, petitions to recall Council members are far from common. So it’s fair to say that the rules governing this process are little known. According to a spokesperson for the city, the city […]
Local Politics
Posted inLocal Politics
Updated: Austin4All kicks off its ongoing petition drive
Two weeks after it announced it had gathered enough signatures to force the recall of City Council Member Ann Kitchen, 12 days after a prominent local lawyer filed an ethics complaint against it and nine days after it formally filed key campaign paperwork, the mysterious political action committee known as Austin4All held its official launch […]
Posted inAustin, City Council, Elections, Local Politics
Mystery surrounds Kitchen recall petition
As Mike Blizzard describes it, Wednesday morning began like any other. Then came a knock at his door. “A lot of people come through the neighborhood trying to get you to replace your windows, and I thought that’s who it was,” said Blizzard. “But instead it was a canvasser with a petition to recall City […]
Posted inLocal Politics
Confederate flag controversy rains on Veterans Day Parade
At Travis County Commissioners Court on Tuesday, a controversy over the Confederate flag led to high drama replete with stirring statements and ultimately one official’s public resignation from an independent committee. County Veterans Services Officer Olie Pope told the commissioners that he would step down from his volunteer role as chair of the Travis County […]
Posted inElections, Local Government, Local Politics, Travis County
In, out and on the fence: Changes roil race for sheriff
With less than six months until the party primary elections in March, the race for Travis County sheriff is still fitfully taking shape, with one candidate joining the field, another leaving and one major surprise headline developing that could completely alter the stakes. On Wednesday night, the Austin American-Statesman broke the news that Sheriff Greg […]
Posted inLocal Politics, Monitor News & Media, Radio
Austin Monitor Radio: The 84th Lege and local municipalities
TravCo IGR honcho Deece Eckstein joins Monitor publisher Mike Kanin to talk about the local municipal impact of laws passed (and not) by the just-ended 84th Texas Legislature. [soundcloud url=”https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/209381212″ 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 inCity Council, Local Politics
Zimmerman appointments given a rough ride
Following their rejection of two of Council Member Don Zimmerman’s nominees to city commissions, City Council members narrowly approved his appointment to the Historic Landmark Commission Thursday. However, they did not have to go through the painful process of removing Zimmerman’s most controversial appointment, Rebecca Forest, to the Commission on Immigrant Affairs. Forest sent a […]
Posted inAustin, City Council, Local Politics, Texas State Legislature
Explainer: Zim’s bill on housing scoring heads to State Lege Council
The Explainer offers a closer look at stories we have been following. This week, Don Zimmerman’s ongoing effort to change the way federal housing subsidies are awarded. City Council Member Don Zimmerman has displayed a certain … distaste for subsidized housing. Before his election to Council, Zimmerman used a rape whistle and the phrase “no […]
Posted inAustin, Local Politics, Texas State Legislature
Texas mayors take aim at Legislature’s tax caps
Austin Mayor Steve Adler and the mayors of nine other large Texas cities came together Monday to declare their intention to fight any proposal to diminish local government control, especially cities’ authority to set tax rates. The idea of a state-imposed revenue cap on their collections is of greatest concern to cities. “We want to […]
Posted inAustin, City Council, Local Politics
Explainer: Open Meetings and the new Council
On their way to postponing an item that would have allowed Mayor Steve Adler to fund office staff positions via dollars raised by a 501(c)3 organization, Austin City Council members Thursday expressed a handful of concerns. As Kara Nuzback reported Friday, power imbalance and questions over whether the Texas Open Meetings Act would apply to […]
Posted inLocal Politics, Public Safety
Not all firefighters support pulling RFP
The president of the Austin African-American Firefighters Association told the Austin Monitor that the city would be making a mistake if it stops the RFP process for a plan to recruit new firefighters and returns to the negotiating table, as set forth in a resolution from City Council Member Greg Casar. The item is on today’s […]
Posted inLocal Politics
Austin Monitor Radio: Early Days of the New Council
Austin Chronicle News Editor Michael King and Monitor Editor Liz Pagano join Monitor Publisher Mike Kanin to talk early days of the new, 10-1 Austin City Council. Brought to you by Kerby Lane Cafe. The show is embedded below. [soundcloud url=”https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/189628873″ params=”auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false&visual=true” width=”100%” height=”450″ iframe=”true” /]