Whispers

Austin Environmental Democrats will gather Wednesday to hear candidates for Mayor and City Council District 9 and make endorsements in those races. The group will meet from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at El Mercado Restaurant on South First Street. Only members who paid their dues by July 6 will be eligible to vote. The […]

The Austin City Council meets in a work session at 9 a.m. at Town Lake Center, 721 Barton Springs Road in the Boards and Commissions Room at City Hall . . . The Zoning and Platting Commission meets at 6 p.m. in One Texas Center, 505 Barton Springs Road . . . The Travis County […]

The Austin Police Association political action committee has endorsed several candidates running for Austin City Council in the fall election. Their endorsement is an important sign of strength for each of those gaining their support. In District 1, the APA PAC selected neighborhood leader Ora Houston. In District 2, the group unsurprisingly endorsed Delia Garza, […]

Zachary Ingraham joins seven other of candidates running to represent residents of District 7. Ingraham filed documents indicating that he would serve as his own campaign treasurer Friday.

The Travis Central Appraisal District is asking for an extra $2.9 million budget increase for Fiscal Year 2015 from the county. The Travis County Commissioners Court will discuss, and possibly vote on the increase at Tuesday’s regular session. The district’s board of directors asked that Chief Appraiser Marya Crigler provide recommendations to the court regarding […]

More than $62 million in 2014 Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs loan recommendations were announced Thursday, and there was good news for some local affordable housing projects. The agency made its award recommendations for the competitive 9 percent housing tax credit program, which helps many of the state’s most affordable housing projects. This […]

The Council Comprehensive Planning and Transportation Committee meets at 2 p.m. in the Boards and Commissions Room at City Hall . . . The Public Safety Commission meets at 4 p.m. in the Boards and Commissions Room at City Hall . . . The Austin Music Commission meets at 6:30 p.m. in the Boards and […]

City Council watchers and those with a particular interest in the upcoming transportation election have been expecting a ballot item that includes $600 million for rail and an additional $400 million for road improvements. The language currently floating around City Hall would provide for both but in a different way than many had anticipated. It […]

Council members will be voting on the bond language Aug. 7, as part of their very long agenda. Leffingwell said during Thursday’s budget work session that there are currently 169 items on the agenda and likely more to come. Then he asked for a motion to cancel a planned Aug. 21 Council meeting because the […]

Though City Council was scheduled to discuss the possibility of a general homestead exemption at Thursday’s budget session, those talks will now take place during next week’s City Council work session. Faced with a busy meeting, Council opted to postpone the briefing, but Council Members Mike Martinez and Kathie Tovo resisted Mayor Lee Leffingwell’s suggestion […]

Five Travis County Fire Marshal deputy assistants and one assistant will move from the county’s classified pay scale to the Peace Officer Pay Scale starting Sept. 1. The Travis County Commissioners Court approved the motion Tuesday, with Pct. 3 Commissioner Gerald Daugherty voting no. Commissioner Ron Davis abstained and Commissioner Bruce Todd was absent. The […]

The Travis County Commissioners Court unanimously approved two motions to change parts of the County Code this week. Caitlin Brown, policy director for the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, asked last week to amend parts of the Drug and Alcohol Policy to encourage, rather than discipline, employees seeking help for substance abuse […]