Tag Archives: city manager
City, police union move toward removing OPO from labor contract
With less than three months until the current police labor contract expires, the city of Austin and the Austin Police Association recently returned to the bargaining table and moved closer toward consensus regarding civilian oversight of the Austin Police Department. …
Police • By Emma Freer • Jan 23, 2023
Judge denies motions to dismiss in Mike Ramos civil suit
In a Sunday ruling denying qualified immunity to the Austin police officer who fatally shot Mike Ramos, U.S. District Judge Robert Pitman sharply criticized the city’s handling of excessive force incidents. The ruling stems from the civil suit filed against…
Police • By Nina Hernandez • Dec 20, 2022
Animal services programs missing from city strategic planning
The Animal Advisory Commission is asking the city manager’s office to include animal services programming in its upcoming strategic plan. At its regular meeting Nov. 14, the commission voted to approve a letter asking City Manager Spencer Cronk and Chief…
Austin • By Nina Hernandez • Nov 21, 2022
Staff proposes continuing security guard contracts
City Council has been urging city staff since at least 2012 to hire more security guards as city employees, while city management and financial officers have pointed out the difficulties of doing so. Once again this week, Council will be…
City Hall • By Jo Clifton • Apr 19, 2022
New job for Briseño as city announces promotions
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…
City Hall • By Jo Clifton • Jan 20, 2022
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…
City Hall • By Jo Clifton • Jan 4, 2022
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Council denounces 'false choice' of pitting parkland against affordability
More than two months after City Council passed a new budget that took effect Oct. 1, city management now wants to freeze one of the adopted fee schedules as it relates to the amount developers pay toward parkland acquisition and…
City Council • By Amy Smith • Oct 26, 2021
Austin narrows down police chief candidates to seven finalists
The city of Austin has narrowed the pool of candidates for police chief down to seven. The finalists are: Joseph Chacon, interim Austin police chief since former Chief Brian Manley retired in March Anne Kirkpatrick, former police chief, Oakland, Calif. Avery…
Police • By Alejandro Martínez-Cabrera, KUT • Jul 27, 2021
City Council exploring ways to shrink APD scope of work
This Thursday, City Council will meet to work through more of the logistics of the city’s biggest policy priority over the last year: reimagining public safety. In a memo sent to Council on April 9, Rey Arellano, assistant city manager…
Public Safety • By Sean Saldaña • Apr 19, 2021
Updated: Cronk proposes $4.2 billion budget, more help for homeless
“This year, our mission is to build on these successes while at the same time bracing our city’s budget against the future impacts of the state’s decision to lower the cap on local property tax revenue growth,” City Manager Spencer…
Budget • By Jo Clifton • Aug 5, 2019
Cronk reflects on first year in Austin
Less than a year after taking over as Austin’s city manager, Spencer Cronk calls himself “the luckiest person in the world.” He recognizes the many challenges Austin faces, but city administration is what he has chosen to do with his…
City Hall • By Jo Clifton • Dec 21, 2018
Reporters' Notebook: On tacos and cities
Bullish on tacos… Anyone who’s heard Mayor Steve Adler invoke his civic pride at events over the past four years has undoubtedly heard him praise the availability and variety of breakfast tacos as a badge of honor for the city.…
