Although the president of the Austin Police Association has criticized the department’s decision to deploy detectives from their usual assignments to work patrol shifts for three weeks each on a rotating basis, Police Chief Art Acevedo told City Council during Wednesday’s budget work session that the change in assignments is a positive one. Acevedo said, […]
city budget
The city’s plan for expenditures based on income.
Posted inBudget
Tough choices ahead on human services spending
After hearing from the Health and Human Services Department on Wednesday about the community’s many needs, several City Council members had questions, but only Council Member Delia Garza said she would like to add to the upcoming budget the $8.3 million it would take to fully fund social services resolutions already passed by Council. Garza […]
Posted inCity Hall
Staff urges more funding for maintenance
City Council heard an urgent plea for more money for maintenance of city buildings and facilities Wednesday as part of staff’s series of budget presentations. During that presentation, Building Services Officer Eric Stockton and representatives from the Parks and Recreation Department and the Austin Public Library showed an assortment of photos of crumbling parking lots […]
Posted inBudget
Council kicks off budget season
At its budget season opener on Wednesday, City Council heard again of Austin’s two cities: one that suffers from widening economic divisions and another that is “an economic star.” “This is extraordinary growth,” economic consultant Jon Hockenyos told Council members as he highlighted a 4.6 percent increase in jobs last year, plus an anticipated 7 […]
Posted inPremium Types
TipSheet: This week’s Council committees
As the Austin Monitor does weekly, we invite you to join our ongoing effort to keep readers up to date with all that is going on at City Hall by providing a tip sheet for City Council committees. As usual, we will be offering highlights of meetings, with links to entire agendas. Audit and Finance […]
Posted inAustin
2015: An Austin Monitor review
In 2015 the shift to single-member districts was finally realized, leading to big changes at City Hall. Now, almost a year later, the Austin Monitor is taking a look back at the past 12 months from our admittedly selective point of view. 10-1 takes the dais In terms of local politics, there was no bigger […]
Posted inPublic Health
Health committee discusses new spending plans
Before adopting the city’s proposed budget in September, City Council added more than $6.5 million in spending for health, human services, social services and quality of life programs. With the new fiscal year in full swing, Shannon Jones, director of the Austin/Travis County Health and Human Services Department, explained Monday how those funds will be […]
Posted inTransportation
Austin’s most dangerous intersections to get fixes
There may not be a silver bullet that will fix Austin’s increasing traffic fatality problems, but the city is taking a leap forward by funding safety improvements to its five most dangerous intersections starting in October. With little fanfare, City Council included the projects – compiled by the Transportation Department – in the Fiscal Year […]
Posted inCity Hall
Ott, auditor, clerks get cost-of-living raise
With its three conservative members dissenting by abstaining, City Council late Thursday gave City Manager Marc Ott and three other employees who report directly to Council the same cost-of-living adjustment given the previous week to all civilian city employees. Mayor Steve Adler put the items on the agenda to give 3 percent raises to Ott, […]
Posted inCity Hall
Pay raises for Ott, other appointees likely this week
City Council is likely to vote this week to give 3 percent pay raises to City Manager Marc Ott and three other employees whom Council appoints directly. For Mayor Steve Adler, it’s only fair. After Tuesday’s work session during which the items were discussed, Adler told the Austin Monitor, “They will be treated the same way […]
Posted inVideos
Video: Kanin budget wrap, or the taco index, 9.11 (KXAN)
Monitor Publisher Mike Kanin heads to KXAN for his weekly Council wrap. This week: The budget. Clip is embedded below.
Posted inBudget
Council adopts budget based on lower tax rate
By Jo Clifton and Tyler Whitson City Council adopted a balanced $3.5 billion Fiscal Year 2015-16 budget on Thursday that reduces the anticipated property tax burden for owners of median-valued homes by about $14. With an overall jump in utility rates and fees, however, those hypothetical Austinites will likely still see an approximately $4 increase […]