In the May 1 election, voters strongly rejected Proposition F, which proposed a radical change to Austin city governance from the Council-manager form of government to a strong mayor with veto powers over actions taken by City Council. Eighty-six percent of those casting ballots on the issue voted no. The proposition brought by Austinites for […]
Council-Manager government
Austin has a council-manager form of government. Under this system the elected city council is responsible for the legislative portion of our government. The city council-appointed city manager carries hires staff and is responsible for implementation of city ordinances.
Posted inBonds & Propositions
Mayors, environmental groups oppose strong-mayor plan
Three former Austin mayors and six local environmental organizations have announced their opposition to Proposition F, the charter amendment that would change Austin’s Council-manager form of government to a system that would eliminate the city manager and give the mayor the power to hire, fire and supervise department directors, including the city attorney. Former mayors Lee […]
Posted inBonds & Propositions
Most of City Council opposes ‘strong mayor’ plan
Nine City Council members so far have come out against Proposition F, the “strong mayor” proposal on the May 1 ballot. At a press conference Wednesday hosted by Austin for All People, a group opposed to the proposition, several Council members explained the reasoning behind their stance. “There’s no evidence that there is some problem […]
Posted inElections
Voters to decide on changes to how Austin’s government works
Austin voters will be asked to decide on a slew of changes to the way local politicians are elected and what power they have in governing after the city clerk validated a petition Tuesday. Earlier this month, Austinites for Progressive Reform, a local political action committee, turned in a petition with more than 20,000 signatures, the amount […]
Posted inCity Charter
Coalition publishes draft amendments for modified local democracy
In a city where an appointed city manager administers policy, midterm mayoral elections are decided by a wealthier and whiter electorate, costly runoff elections draw a fraction of eligible voters, and nearly 70 percent of all City Council campaign contributions trace back to three Council districts, a political coalition is seeking structural changes it claims […]
Posted inCity Hall
Task force dives into city manager search
The task force in charge of helping to write the job description for Austin’s next city manager hopes to stay involved in the process of picking the eventual hire, even though, as of now, the group is set to dissolve by the middle of next month. At Monday’s meeting of the City Manager Search Advisory […]
Posted inPremium Types
Ott defends staff, city manager government
After 20 months in office, City Council Member Don Zimmerman still struggles to acknowledge that it is the duty of city staff to make budget decisions, among other things, and he lashes out at them on a regular basis. As an elected official whose priorities are frequently at odds with those of other members of […]
Posted inLocal Politics
Council gives Ott written criticism, pay raise
As part of an item that also gave City Manager Marc Ott a raise on Thursday, City Council members took what Mayor Lee Leffingwell characterized as the unusual step of offering a set of written criticisms of Ott. The criticism, offered via a document penned by Council Member Bill Spelman, summarized a “frank but cordial […]
Posted inLocal Politics
Surprise Council mid-year evaluations of Ott, three others withdrawn
It seems that some City Council members were planning on giving City Manager Marc Ott – and perhaps others – a piece of their minds in private Thursday, but due to the absence of Mayor Pro Tem Sheryl Cole, Mayor Lee Leffingwell was able to at least postpone that confrontation. The executive session agenda […]
Posted inElections, Local Politics
RECA forum discusses the effects of districts on Austin city politics
Politically attuned Austinites continue to wrestle with the uncertain future that the 10-1 City Council district system will bring, and that was the topic of discussion at a forum hosted by the Real Estate Council of Austin on Tuesday. The forum, moderated by the Austin Monitor’s Publisher Mike Kanin, focused on Austin’s looming shift […]
Posted inLocal Politics
City management increases restrictions on employee gifts
Sparked by a case where city employees walked away with $11,000 in prizes from a work-related convention, Human Resources Director Mark Washington has outlined a new policy that places stricter limits on the gifts city employees can receive while on the job. Washington told Council Audit and Finance Committee members last month that the […]
Posted inLocal Politics
City Council rejects attempt to establish ‘Healthy Food Zones’
The City of Austin will not be establishing Healthy Food Zones any time soon. And, for now, the city won’t be looking into whether Austin even needs them. A resolution sponsored mainly by Council Member Laura Morrison would have directed City Manager Marc Ott to gather data from the county and neighborhoods for the […]