City Manager Spencer Cronk has announced the appointment of Veronica Briseño as assistant city manager for the “Government That Works for All” strategic area, starting this week. Briseño has worked for the city for more than 20 years, including an early stint as an aide to Council Member Raul Alvarez. She began her employment with […]
City Manager Spencer Cronk
Posted inEMS
Five finalists named for EMS chief post
City Manager Spencer Cronk has named five finalists to advance to a second round of interviews for the position of chief of Austin-Travis County Emergency Services. The national search produced 37 applications from candidates vying to fill the vacancy created last year with the retirement of former EMS Chief Ernesto Rodriguez. The city manager and […]
Posted inCity Hall
Cronk: Police reform efforts put Austin in national spotlight
Looking back at 2021, City Manager Spencer Cronk feels proud of the way city employees performed in the face of a seemingly never-ending pandemic, an unprecedented ice storm, and state legislation that not only redirected use of city funds, but restricted how much money the city can collect. This followed on the heels of a […]
Posted inPolice
Austin narrows police chief search to three finalists
The city of Austin has narrowed its search for a new police chief down to three candidates: Joseph Chacon, Austin’s interim police chief; Avery Moore, an assistant chief with the Dallas Police Department; and Emada Tingirides, a deputy chief with the Los Angeles Police Department. The city named the finalists Friday. KUT contacted the candidates […]
Posted inFire
Alter finds funding for more EMS, fire services
When City Council Member Alison Alter heard that the Loop 360/Davenport Fire and EMS Station would not be opening in Fiscal Year 2022 as planned, she thought of how savings from that station could be used to help the Austin Fire Department and Austin Travis County EMS. She laid out a plan for use of […]
Posted inPublic Health
Mayor, manager at odds over requiring vaccinations
On Wednesday, Mayor Steve Adler urged City Manager Spencer Cronk to require all city employees to be vaccinated against Covid-19, with a few exceptions. His comments came in an emailed press release. A few hours later, a city spokesperson released the following statement by email: “The Governor’s Executive Order GA-35 prohibits the city from requiring […]
Posted inCity Council
Council may abandon designated campsite strategy
City Council members Paige Ellis and Natasha Harper-Madison have announced that they will not support designated campsites for people experiencing homelessness, casting doubt on the viability of a strategy Council adopted in May. “After a week of extremely difficult conversations, lots of research into best practices and a good deal of reflection, the mayor pro […]
Posted inFire
Firefighters’ leader says department needs more funds
When City Manager Spencer Cronk presented the Fiscal Year 2021-22 budget to City Council last week, he noted that the new Loop 360 fire/EMS station would be opening in the coming fiscal year. According to the manager’s budget document, the new station would open in July 2022 and cost taxpayers $1.5 million for partial year […]
Posted inBudget
City budget proposal gives taxpayers a break
Despite a pandemic that still ravages parts of the country and in the face of hostile legislation from the state, Austin “has come through the many challenges of the past year in as good or better shape than any big city of America,” City Manager Spencer Cronk said Friday as he laid out city staffers’ […]
Posted inPolice
Austin nominates interim police chief, permanent chief to be named by August
Joseph Chacon, an assistant chief of the Austin Police Department, has been nominated to serve as interim police chief as Brian Manley readies to leave the department this week. City Manager Spencer Cronk announced Chacon’s nomination in a memo Monday morning. Chacon will serve until a permanent chief can be appointed. State law requires that City […]
Posted inDevelopment
Tovo crafts complex motion for HealthSouth talks
At today’s meeting, City Council will finally consider negotiating an exclusive agreement with Aspen Heights Partners for the company to lease and redevelop the city-owned HealthSouth property at 1215 Red River and 606 E. 12th St. Council Member Kathie Tovo has posted a four-page set of instructions for City Manager Spencer Cronk and his team […]
Posted inCity Hall
City Manager Spencer Cronk: Operating smoothly under extraordinary circumstances
As the person in charge of making sure things run smoothly at the city, City Manager Spencer Cronk has had a year that underscores his gratitude for the people he works with. Cronk attributes a lot of the city’s effectiveness during the Covid-19 pandemic to the stable, competent leadership at Austin Public Health. He notes […]