City Council Member Don Zimmerman, who plans to run for re-election in 2016, has filed suit in federal court against the city of Austin, seeking to overturn four important provisions of the city’s campaign finance rules. If he wins, the changes would have an immediate and lasting impact on how elections are conducted and financed […]
Austin City Council
The Austin City Council is the body with legislative purview over the City of Austin. It offers policy direction, while the office of the City Manager implements administrative actions based on those policies. Until 2015, the body contained seven members, including the city’s Mayor, all elected at-large. In 2012, City of Austin residents voted to change that system and as of 2015, 10 members of the Council are elected based on geographic districts. The Mayor continues to be elected at-large.
Posted inMusic & Entertainment, Uncategorized
Industry leaders discuss policy potentials to secure Austinâs music scene
People active in the Austin music business gathered Thursday at a studio space on East Fifth Street to talk about issues inhibiting the growth and sustainability of the cityâs music life â a talk organizers called âState of the Arts,â held at Studium, a co-disciplinary space. With two musicians, one show organizer and a City […]
Posted inAustin, City Council
Adler, Tovo still have heavy debt to themselves
Mayor Steve Adler reported Wednesday that his campaign still owes him more than $418,315. Adler’s campaign finance report indicates that he paid himself back $31,077 in January. However, the campaign has no money remaining to repay the rest. Other mayors in the same situation, such as former Mayor Lee Leffingwell, have relied on fundraising after […]
Posted inAustin, City Council
Casar finance report shows new supporters
District 4 City Council Member Greg Casar, who is locked in a legal battle with his former opponent, Laura Pressley, raised $35,785 to help pay legal expenses between Jan. 1 and June 30. Casar’s report, filed Wednesday, shows a wide range of support, even from people and organizations who did not contribute to his campaign […]
Posted inAustin
Shelter dogs to get playgroups, not paid dog walkers
Austinâs new Chief Animal Services Officer, Tawny Hammond, said Monday she will institute part of a City Council recommendation intended to deal with concerns that dogs in the cityâs shelters were not getting out of their cages enough. Hammond said the city will not hire paid dog walkers, like the resolution recommended, but will instead […]
Posted inHousing
Housing investment collaborative advancing quietly
Back in April, when Mayor Steve Adler made his first state of the city address, he noted a troubling statistic: Austin is the most economically segregated big city in the United States. In particular, that statistic applies to housing, with nearly 50,000 families unable to afford even $500 a month in rent. As part of […]
Posted inMusic & Entertainment
Parks Department collects more from special events ticket sales
The city of Austin collected more than double the previous year’s amount of money from Austin City Limits Music Festival ticket sales last year, following a new fee schedule adopted by City Council starting in the 2013-2014 budget year. In 2013, the city pocketed roughly $438,000 from ACL festival ticket sales. That revenue more than […]
Posted inMusic & Entertainment
Private-party permitting process is a go
After several months without word on progress, a resolution to create a permit process for private parties is moving forward. The resolution, passed last October, was in response to neighborhood complaints about parties in the West Campus area near the University of Texas. A memo to the mayor and City Council pointed to parties thrown […]
Posted inWater
Austin involved in two battles over water rates
The Austin Water Utility is engaged in two different battles over water rates. One fight is with wholesale water and wastewater customers who have challenged rates adopted by City Council in 2013. According to AWU Assistant Director David Anders, this case, which is pending before administrative law judges on its way to the Public Utility […]
Posted inCity Hall
Campaign finance database likely on the way
If a plan that City Council has initiated pans out by campaign season, local watchdogs will have a new, convenient tool on their hands for monitoring political contributions in the next election. Council adopted a resolution Thursday that directs city staff to return with an ordinance in August that would require candidates, officeholders and political […]
Posted inAustin
AISD funding requests dominate joint meeting
It is no secret that the Austin Independent School District is in tough financial straits, and requests for additional monetary help from the Austin City Council and the Travis County Commissioners Court dominated the recent joint subcommittee meeting. Representatives from all three entities met to discuss matters of mutual interest — an event that occurs roughly […]
Posted inAustin
Reporter’s Notebook: All kinds of raving
So, this happened… Over the weekend, District 6 City Council Member Don Zimmerman’s Facebook comments comparing same-sex marriage to pedophilia garnered controversy on social media, provoked an ethics complaint and made a lot of people angry. Zimmerman wouldn’t elaborate on his comments at a Saturday town hall meeting and instead took his opinions to former […]