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Tag Archives: city manager

Austin firefighters contract to be decided by binding arbitration

Austin Firefighters Association President Bob Nicks has made no secret of how angry he is with city negotiators. The union and those negotiators could not reach an agreement on a labor contract, and the matter must now be decided at…

Garza says reorganization ‘will in no way diminish’ offices of Civil Rights, Equity

Interim City Manager Jesús Garza has clarified his plans for reorganizing a handful of city offices, including the Equity and Civil Rights offices, which will be located in different buildings despite being part of the newly created Community and Business…

City manager delays controversial new telework policy

Interim City Manager Jesús Garza is delaying implementation of a controversial new telework policy that will require most city employees to work in the office at least three days per week. In a July 19 email, interim Human Resources Director…

Garza explains motivations behind proposed changes to Equity, Civil Rights offices

At Wednesday’s budget work session, interim City Manager Jesús Garza offered some of his rationale behind the proposed reorganization of four city offices, a change that has drawn criticism from community groups involved in equality and racial justice. During the…

Council member asks for analysis of Austin Tourism Public Improvement District plan, including homelessness aid

The plan for an Austin Tourism Public Improvement District is set for a deep-dive analysis, after City Council Member Vanessa Fuentes requested a briefing on it during a work session Tuesday.  The draft plan would create an agreement with local…

Environmental boards push for telework policy for city employees

Two city environmental panels have approved resolutions asking City Council to direct interim City Manager Jesús Garza to reconsider his proposed policy requiring most employees to do their jobs at the office three days a week. Both the Environmental Commission…

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Interim city manager updates Office of Police Oversight procedures

Austin’s Office of Police Oversight has been in limbo in recent years. Its authority to investigate allegations of police misconduct was dismantled in 2021. Its director, Farah Muscadin, resigned in 2022. The city’s police labor contract expired – without a…

Austin starts search for next city manager

The search for Austin’s next city manager is underway. In a post to the City Council Message Board on Thursday, Mayor Kirk Watson outlined a process for the search. Watson has appointed a sub-quorum of Council to act as a…

Manager, AFSCME at odds over mandates to return to offices

The Covid-19 public health emergency officially ended on Thursday and interim City Manager Jesús Garza wasted no time in telling city employees that they need to spend a lot more time in the office now – no less than three…

City officials say no to bond elections before 2026

The city of Austin has promised voters it would build a wide variety of projects, ranging from roads to affordable housing to parks, libraries and health centers. City financial advisers told the City Council Audit and Finance Committee on Wednesday…

Garza makes major changes to city organization

Interim City Manager Jesús Garza announced a series of major organizational changes in a press release late Friday, saying his “highest priority is to organize our people and our work so that we are operating cohesively and focused on problem-solving.”…

City announces police pay package ahead of police labor contract expiration

The city of Austin announced a plan to preserve police pay and benefits and to address long-standing staffing shortages when the current police labor contract expires at the end of this month with no likely successor in place. “We are…

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