Picking up on one of the most hotly debated campaign issues of the past election, City Council is grappling with what could be the first step in enacting a 20 percent homestead tax exemption. Council discussed a resolution at Tuesday’s work session that would direct staff to analyze the impact the exemption would have on […]
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 inCity Council, Housing
Zimmerman struggles to stop subsidized housing
There are only two subsidized housing developments in City Council Member Don Zimmerman’s District 6, as compared to 47 in Council Member Ora Houston’s District 1 and 46 in Council Member Pio Renteria’s District 3, according to data compiled by the group Housing Works Austin. But Zimmerman would like to make sure there is not […]
Posted inCity Council, City Hall
Council members get their assignments
On Monday, Mayor Steve Adler released a document naming the proposed City Council committee and intergovernmental body appointments, populating the 10 Council committees for the first time. The appointments are on the agenda for the upcoming Council meeting, and they will most likely be made official at that time. According to the document, Adler will […]
Posted inCity Council, Fire
Council OKs restart of firefighter negotiations
As its first major action, the Austin City Council on Thursday approved a resolution directing city management to go back to the bargaining table with the Austin Firefighters Association. But it did not, as initially proposed, direct staff to stop the RFP process for finding a vendor to design a procedure for recruiting a racially […]
Posted inCity Council, Development, Planning
Council discusses future of Imagine Austin
Since its launch, Imagine Austin has inspired debates about affordability, growth, neighborhood autonomy and more. City Council continued this tradition Thursday in a special meeting with city staff and housing stakeholders about the comprehensive plan. The discussion touched on several major issues, including the relationship between the plan and the city’s many official neighborhood plans, […]
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 inElections, Local Politics
Travis County talks appraisals, city business
In a discussion on state legislative proposals aimed at increasing fairness in property tax appraisals for homeowners, several Travis County commissioners called out City of Austin leaders for not implementing a 20 percent homestead exemption for property taxes. Commissioner Gerald Daugherty said that while the proposed citywide exemption “was an easy deal to run on,” […]
Posted inResources
Robbins working to fix AE assistance program
Consumer advocate Paul Robbins is visiting City Council members this week in an attempt to explain to them the problems with the Austin Energy Customer Assistance Program, known as CAP. The program, which was designed to help economically disadvantaged electric customers with their bills, is currently helping the disadvantaged, but also perhaps as many as […]
Posted inDevelopment
Council hears appeal of affordable housing case
As its first land use case, City Council heard an appeal of a conditional use permit for an affordable housing project Thursday. One thing Council members learned immediately is how difficult fulfilling all of their campaign promises might be, especially when they stand in direct opposition to each other. On one hand, there is a […]
Posted inAustin, City Council, City Hall, Local Politics
Council adopts sweeping procedural changes
After a full week of debate about transparency, efficiency and public input, City Council has adopted a new set of meeting procedures and a committee structure that will overhaul the legislative process. Council members voted unanimously at their first regular meeting Thursday to adopt the ordinance after incorporating several amendments. Council based some of the […]
Posted inAustin, Budget, City Council, Local Politics
Council tentatively approves salary shift
City Council took the first step toward allowing some Council members to divert all or portions of their own salaries Thursday. Council members voted unanimously to allow the resolution to move forward. However, the issue will have to return to Council for it to become part of the code, and some Council members have reservations […]
Posted inCity Council, Local Politics, Resources
Zimmerman establishes pole position
As one of their first acts as a body, City Council members examined, then approved, a routine contract for up to $10 million of steel poles for Austin Energy. Council Member Don Zimmerman pulled the proposed contract with TransAmerican Power Products, Inc. for extra scrutiny and abstained from an otherwise unanimous vote. Zimmerman lamented the […]