Tag Archives: Mayor Kirk Watson
This fall might've been Austin's warmest. The city says it's ready now for record cold.
Austin and Travis County leaders said they are prepared for potentially record winter weather despite the warm fall. At a news conference Wednesday, Mayor Kirk Watson and Travis County Judge Andy Brown said the city and county have several mechanisms…
Austin • By Luz Moreno-Lozano, KUT • Dec 5, 2024
Watson touts progress while pushing for affordability, eyeing city's long-term needs
Two years into his return stint as Austin’s mayor, Kirk Watson thinks the positive moves on housing and affordability made by the 11 members of City Council will be for naught if he can’t keep moving them forward. While he’s…
Elections • By Chad Swiatecki • Oct 17, 2024
Bowen pledges to bring transparency to City Hall, starting with independent audit
Not many people wake up on the day of the filing deadline for mayor and decide to throw their hat in the ring. But that’s what Jeffery Bowen did when he became the fifth candidate in the race to become…
Elections • By Amy Smith • Oct 9, 2024
Doug Greco brings organizing energy to Austin’s mayoral race
Clad in a “Vote for Greco” T-shirt – a style that evokes “Vote for Pedro” from Napoleon Dynamite – Doug Greco may be an underdog candidate, but his campaign is infused with the grassroots energy that has defined his career…
Elections • By Madeline de Figueiredo • Oct 8, 2024
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In an unusual hearing, Ethics Commission advances complaints against Greco and Watson to next phase
Ethics complaints filed against mayoral candidate Doug Greco and incumbent Mayor Kirk Watson will move to a final hearing next month, but an anticipated court ruling could circumvent the proceedings. In a preliminary hearing Wednesday, the Ethics Review Commission determined…
Elections • By Amy Smith • Sep 27, 2024
Women entrepreneurs seek greater support and opportunities throughout Austin
A group of Austin’s leading women entrepreneurs wants the city and business stakeholders to help increase access to capital for women business owners and founders, while creating broader professional networks and providing more business tools and services. Those three areas…
Austin • By Chad Swiatecki • Apr 17, 2024
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Austin Mayor Kirk Watson declares his plans to run for reelection
To the surprise of practically no one in Austin, Mayor Kirk Watson announced on Wednesday that he will run for reelection this November. In an email to supporters, he outlined victories so far in his current two-year term. “For example,…
Elections • By Jo Clifton • Apr 11, 2024
Federal grant provides $105M for Chavez-Fourth Street cap over rebuilt I-35
The city received a boost in its plan to construct broad, plaza-like caps over sunken portions of Interstate 35, with the announcement of a $105 million federal grant to fund a portion of the construction. On Monday, the U.S. Department…
Roads • By Chad Swiatecki • Mar 12, 2024
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Austin receives $1M from EPA for plans to combat pollution
The city has received a $1 million grant from the Environmental Protection Agency that will fund climate action plans for Central Texas. The grant was announced Monday morning at City Hall, where members of City Council and federal lawmakers gathered…
Environment • By Chad Swiatecki • Feb 13, 2024
Watson expects City Hall ‘shakeup’ to continue in 2024, with police contract a priority
Mayor Kirk Watson says he didn’t see the widespread shutdown of city services during the February ice storm as an opening to drastically restructure how the city government is organized. But he did take it as confirmation that it was…
City Hall • By Chad Swiatecki • Jan 2, 2024
A look back: Austin’s year in review
With 2023 drawing to a close, it’s time to look back on the local headlines that dominated the news before looking forward to the year ahead. Happy News Year! New city management This year saw a strange kind of sea…
Austin • By Austin Monitor • Dec 29, 2023
Watson, Brown declare local state of emergency over wildfire threat
Mayor Kirk Watson and Travis County Judge Andy Brown on Tuesday declared a local state of emergency in response to the threat of wildfires. Last week, Gov. Greg Abbott said that wildfires in 191 Texas counties “pose an imminent threat…
