District 1 Council Member-elect Ora Houston says that while her new office will be downtown at City Hall, she does not plan to become a stranger back in her Northeast Austin district. “One of the things I have found is that while we’re in a district system, the city has not shifted much toward a […]
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 inAustin, City Council, Local Politics
Garza eager to tackle big issues at City Hall
In November, Delia Garza was one of the few City Council members elected outright. In addition to being the first person to represent District 2, Garza is also the first Latina to be elected to the Austin City Council. Last month, Garza sat down with Austin Monitor publisher Mike Kanin to discuss her hopes and […]
Posted inAustin, Bonds & Propositions, Courts, Development, Elections, Environment, Local Politics, Public Safety, Resources
2014: An Austin Monitor review
This past year was a dynamic one in Austin, and though the future promises to be just as interesting, at the close of 2014 we invite you to take a trip back over the past 12 months. Though a lot went on in the city and this list is far from comprehensive, from our ever-particular […]
Posted inAustin, City Charter, City Council, Local Politics
For Martinez, 10-1 dominated 2014
Council Member Mike Martinez is fresh off a campaign for mayor, one where he did his level best to bring up big-picture issues. Indeed, as many have reported, affordability and transportation became key notes in the campaign. Still, when he sat down to talk with the Monitor about the past year, the very first thing […]
Posted inAustin, City Council, Local Politics
Sheryl Cole talks about life on the Council
When we sat down with Mayor Pro Tem Sheryl Cole, the first African-American woman elected to the Austin City Council, we asked her what advice she would give to the new Council members. She said, “Respect your colleagues. Value their opinions. Try to understand their position before you attack it. Look for compromise and seek […]
Posted inAustin, City Council, Local Politics
Morrison says campaign colored Council in 2014
City Council Member Laura Morrison decided in March that she would not run for mayor. That, of course, did not mean that the decisions by four of her colleagues to seek elected office in 2014 played out far from Morrison’s seat on the dais. Indeed, Morrison told the Monitor that the opposite was true. “For […]
Posted inAustin, Local Politics
Spelman remembers the high points
After three terms on the Austin City Council, first from 1997 to 2000 and then from 2009 to present, Council Member Bill Spelman is retiring from his nonpaying city gig. Professor Spelman, who also teaches courses in applied math and statistics, urban policy and public management at the LBJ School of Public Affairs at the […]
Posted inCity Council, Development, Local Politics, Resources, Transportation
Riley looks beyond rail bond loss to Austin’s future
Council Member Chris Riley started his look back at 2014 with an examination of the transportation situation faced by the City of Austin. Rather than lock on to the November failure of a $600 million rail bond that would have included promises for $400 million more in road construction, however, Riley looked at the larger […]
Posted inAustin, City Council, Local Politics
Adler talks about his agenda for new Council
Mayor-elect Steve Adler has proclaimed that his administration will give Austin “a new way forward.” He has talked of the 10-1 system as a restart for city government. Now Adler has to put forth some concrete ideas and get his new City Council colleagues on board with a plan that he believes will be more […]
Posted inAustin, Bicycles, City Council, Parks, Transportation
Longer hike-and-bike trail hours on the way
As a parting gesture, City Council members finally found a way to keep some of the city’s hike-and-bike trails open a little longer. At their final meeting, Council members unanimously approved an ordinance that will allow the Parks and Recreation Department director to set operating hours to something other than the standard hours, which are […]
Posted inAustin, Elections, Local Politics, Radio
Austin Monitor Radio: Election Result Analysis
Jo Clifton and Mike Kanin analyze the final results of the 2014 Austin City Council elections. The show is posted here, below: [soundcloud url=”https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/182171388″ 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 inMonitor News & Media, Videos
Video: Austin City Council 2014 Runoff Election Results Analysis
Monitor Publisher Mike Kanin joins KXAN‘s Brian Sanders for a quick rundown of 2014 Austin City Council runoff election results. Video embedded below: