When Amanda Traphagan was selling her Austin home in April, she and her husband joked that only a wealthy celebrity would be able to offer a significant amount over what they were asking. “We were making jokes about Elon Musk showing up in the skies,” Traphagan said. She imagined the CEO of SpaceX slinking into […]
Council Member Greg Casar
Posted inBonds & Propositions
Prop H gets support from community leaders pushing ‘democracy dollars’
Leaders from a variety of community and political advocacy groups voiced their support Tuesday for Proposition H, the ballot proposal popularly known as “democracy dollars” that is intended to bring public financing into local elections. Members of Austinites for Progressive Reform, which helped in the initial push to create the ballot proposal, Common Cause Texas […]
Posted inElections
Casar headed toward easy victory
Council Member Greg Casar was headed toward an easy reelection victory Tuesday night after winning two-thirds of the early vote. Casar, who has held the District 4 seat since 2015, faced two opponents who had little money and messages that obviously did not resonate with the mostly minority district. The early vote, which included 65 […]
Posted inCity Council
Casar proud of victories in 2019, ready to prove value of progressive policy again in 2020
Council Member Greg Casar began the year defending several of the city’s workers’ rights ordinances at the 86th legislative session while pushing for adoption of Affordability Unlocked at City Council. Senate Bill 15 was known for its attack on the paid sick leave ordinance Casar authored in early 2018. The bill took aim at other […]
Posted inUncategorized
Council to postpone vote on camping, panhandling ordinance
As the city puts more resources into shelters and programs to assist those without a place to live, City Council is also considering modifying three often-counterproductive city policies that target homeless people. The policies prohibit camping in public areas, sitting or lying down in portions of downtown and approaching passersby to ask for money. Council […]
Posted inCity Council
Council passes affordable housing density bonus program
In keeping with its previous support of Council Member Greg Casar’s proposed density bonus program, City Council unanimously approved the Affordability Unlocked bonus program Thursday evening, an ordinance amending city code by loosening site restrictions and promoting construction of more units in affordable and mixed-income housing developments. The program applies to developments without more than […]
Posted inCourts
Casar to pay Pressley’s court fees, but they’re not much
When Council Member Greg Casar filed the report on his special officeholder account on Jan. 15, it showed just $321.91 in the account. The purpose of that account has been to help Casar pay the legal fees in the lawsuit filed against him by Laura Pressley, his opponent in the 2014 Council election. The Texas […]
Posted inReporters' Notebook
Reporter’s Notebook: At long last, an end
Casar wins!… Friday’s news that the Texas Supreme Court has ended the long-running legal battle over the 2014 District 4 City Council race between since-re-elected Greg Casar and former opponent Laura Pressley broke quickly on Twitter, and came with a straitlaced official statement from Casar about all the voter support he has received and how […]
Posted inCity Council
Greg Casar optimistic but ready to fight in 2019
Council Member Greg Casar has a lot of good things to say about 2018. “In January we laid out a set of goals,” he said, referring to his staff. “We accomplished all of the big priorities.” “Even though we’re under state leadership that is hostile to those sorts of goals, I think that the community […]