District 7

Pool reflects on housing and environmental progress as she closes 10 years on Council

Leslie Pool faced something of a quandary nearly two years ago, when she considered running for the office of tax assessor-collector for Travis County. Knowing that her time as a City Council member would expire in 2024, she saw the…

City Council • By Chad Swiatecki • Dec 30, 2024

Mike Siegel plans to balance ‘big goals and broad ambitions’ with pragmatism during his first year on Council

After winning a close runoff election on Dec. 15, incoming District 7 City Council Member Mike Siegel told the Austin Monitor he is feeling “tired, busy and excited.” Siegel, a former assistant city attorney and organizer with Ground Game Texas,…

City Council • By Mina Shekarchi • Dec 30, 2024

Siegel and Bledsoe face off for District 7 seat

Early voting is underway to determine the next City Council member who will serve North Central Austin’s District 7. In November, none of the six candidates earned more than half of the vote, so the top two candidates are now…

Elections • By Mina Shekarchi • Dec 3, 2024

Siegel, Bledsoe headed for a runoff in District 7

In a crowded race to represent North Central District 7, none of the six contenders managed to snag 50 percent of the vote. As a result, Mike Siegel and Gary Bledsoe will face off in a runoff next month. Siegel,…

Elections • By Mina Shekarchi • Nov 6, 2024

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Part II: District 7 candidates share views on climate action, housing, public safety

This is Part II of a two-part series profiling the candidates running for Austin City Council’s District 7 seat. Read Part I here. Adam Powell Adam Powell, a former union organizer and state employee, believes that most of the impactful…

Elections • By Mina Shekarchi • Oct 15, 2024

Part I: District 7 Council candidates talk public safety, climate resilience, land use

This is Part I of a two-part series profiling the candidates running for Austin City Council’s District 7 seat. Read Part II here. Mayor Pro Tem Leslie Pool, who has represented North Central Austin since the creation of the district-based…

Elections • By Mina Shekarchi • Oct 14, 2024

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City candidates’ financial filings are in for the latest fundraising period

Monday was the deadline to file campaign finance reports for members of City Council and other candidates in the November election. No one was surprised last week when the Austin Monitor reported that Mayor Kirk Watson had raised more than…

Elections • By Jo Clifton • Jul 16, 2024

Developer expects to reach agreement for Crestview project this fall

The firm selected to lead in the redevelopment of a former utility yard in Crestview doesn’t expect the city’s recent changes to land use for transit-oriented developments to impact its plans for the site that has long been earmarked for…

Development • By Chad Swiatecki • Jul 8, 2024

New Cap Metro train station opens at Q2 Stadium as ‘quiet zones’ take effect

Editors note: Since this story published, Capital Metro’s operations chief, Andy Skabowski, said he was mistaken about when quiet zones would take effect. In an interview with KUT, Skabowski apologized for his statements and clarified the quiet zone would start in six…

Transit • By Nathan Bernier, KUT • Feb 26, 2024

Leslie Pool launches into the final year of a busy decade

Leslie Pool’s ninth year on City Council has been a productive and busy one. She recalls that she started out 2023 with the intention of helping her newly elected colleagues learn the ropes and accomplish their goals. For Ryan Alter,…

City Hall • By Jo Clifton • Jan 4, 2024

NOAA heat impact study puts faces to local effects of 2023 heat wave

Community organizations have been advocating for the city to direct more resources toward heat relief and climate emergency response. A 2021 study examining how extreme heat affects East Austin residents is giving more weight to that work. The study, titled…

Environment • By Chad Swiatecki • Aug 22, 2023

Red Line improvements add capacity, access for critical Project Connect transit option

The light rail line that’s planned to run through downtown Austin is the portion of Project Connect that’s drawn the most attention in recent years. But folks like Matt Geske, who regularly ride the Red Line commuter train that goes…

Transit • By Chad Swiatecki • Aug 10, 2023