The Ethics Review Commission voted unanimously this week to advance two campaign finance complaints to final hearings, determining that there are reasonable grounds to believe that violations of the city’s campaign finance rules may have occurred during a recent City Council election. Both complaints were filed by local advocate Adam Haynes and center on activities […]
District 7
District 7 encompasses the Crestview, Allandale and Brentwood neighborhoods on the south, bounded by MoPac Boulevard and U.S. 183, and the Gracywoods, Milwood and Preston Oaks neighborhoods, sitting between Braker Lane on the south and Wells Branch Parkway on the north. Connecting the two is the Kramer Lane industrial area, including the Domain and Gateway commercial developments.
Posted inElections
After a close race, Bledsoe and Siegel share perspectives on runoff results
After what looks to be a narrow victory in Saturday’s runoff election, Mike Siegel will serve as the next representative for North Austin’s District 7. Cinching the win over opponent Gary Bledsoe by around 200 votes, Siegel will be the second Council member to represent the area since the creation of the current district representation […]
Posted inElections
Ethics complaints filed against Siegel, AURA
An ethics complaint has been filed against Mike Siegel, who is running to take the District 7 City Council seat in the Dec. 14 runoff. Adam Haynes also filed an ethics complaint against a major urbanist group that has been campaigning for Siegel. The complaints were first reported Wednesday in The Austin Bulldog. Haynes supports […]
Posted inElections
Siegel and Bledsoe face off for District 7 seat
Early voting is underway to determine the next City Council member who will serve North Central Austin’s District 7. In November, none of the six candidates earned more than half of the vote, so the top two candidates are now on the ballot again. Mike Siegel, who won just under 40 percent (13,681 votes) in […]
Posted inElections
Siegel, Bledsoe headed for a runoff in District 7
In a crowded race to represent North Central District 7, none of the six contenders managed to snag 50 percent of the vote. As a result, Mike Siegel and Gary Bledsoe will face off in a runoff next month. Siegel, who generated the most funding and endorsements during the general election, claimed about 40 percent […]
Posted inElections
Part II: District 7 candidates share views on climate action, housing, public safety
This is Part II of a two-part series profiling the candidates running for Austin City Council’s District 7 seat. Read Part I here. Adam Powell Adam Powell, a former union organizer and state employee, believes that most of the impactful work on Council happens behind the scenes. “My goal is to be a Council member […]
Posted inElections
Part I: District 7 Council candidates talk public safety, climate resilience, land use
This is Part I of a two-part series profiling the candidates running for Austin City Council’s District 7 seat. Read Part II here. Mayor Pro Tem Leslie Pool, who has represented North Central Austin since the creation of the district-based 10-1 City Council system in 2014, is completing her final term on Council. In a […]
Posted inCity Council
Leslie Pool is ready to take on more duties in 2023
December was a busy month in the busy year of 2022 for District 7 City Council Member Leslie Pool. As chair of the Council Austin Energy Utility Oversight Committee, her most important duty was shepherding through the utility’s rate change, which will bring Austin Energy much-needed revenue but was not popular with some advocates for […]
Posted inCity Council
Pool’s 2022 priorities include district-level plans, increased EV use
With City Council set on implementing building code changes by individual plans and priorities, Council Member Leslie Pool said in 2022 every member of Council will get their own “time to shine” with the chance to push the changes important to their districts. Of course, each of those initiatives will need to have broad support […]
Posted inDevelopment
Crestview Village appears to be headed toward Council approval
A brighter future may be in store for a city-owned storage site in North Austin as the plan for an ambitious redevelopment project combining affordable housing, mass transit, creative space and a park finally nears completion. City Council is expected to authorize city staffers Thursday to begin negotiating an agreement with 3423 Holdings LLC, which […]
Posted inCity Council
Leslie Pool: Governing not for the faint of heart
The year 2020 has been a stressful year for almost everyone. For those considering running for a seat on City Council at some point in time, District 7 Council Member Leslie Pool has some advice. As she told the Austin Monitor, “Municipal governance in the 21st century is not for the faint of heart.” While […]
Posted inElections
Pool reelected to District 7
In a race against sole opponent Morgan Witt, District 7 Council Member Leslie Pool earned over two-thirds of the vote in a bid for re-election. Pool received 27,255 of the 40,530 votes counted in the District 7 race as of Tuesday night, marking her third consecutive Council victory and the start of a second full […]