This week, Danielle Skidmore joins Austin Monitor freelancer Caleb Pritchard and editor Elizabeth Pagano to talk about why she’s running for City Council’s District 9 seat, how she prepared for the challenge, and what she hopes to tackle if elected. To hear it all, tune in below. The Austin Monitor’s work is made possible by […]
November 2018 elections
Posted inBonds & Propositions
Creative ‘hubs’ requests moving forward for $40M bond ask
The questions surrounding a movement to build multiple creative “hubs” – or possibly one single campus – for Austin’s arts and music communities are becoming somewhat clearer as proponents of those groups continue talks ahead of an August decision on the size and makeup of the city’s fall general obligation proposal. The city’s Arts and […]
Posted inBonds & Propositions
Task force: Bond decisions up to Council
The city’s 2018 Bond Election Advisory Task Force sent a recommendation to City Council for a November bond ballot of $851 million – more than $200 million above the amount recommended by city staff, and one that is estimated to require a 2-cent property tax increase. Tom Nuckols, chair of the task force, told Council […]
Posted inBonds & Propositions
Housing bond forces tough decisions for Council members
While three City Council members say they want to present an affordable housing bond to voters worth between $250 million and $300 million, it is unclear how many others on the dais are in favor of such a large figure. First, some Council members are reluctant to support spending increases that will lead to tax […]
Posted inRadio
Austin Monitor Radio: District 1 candidate Natasha Harper-Madison
This week, Natasha Harper-Madison joins Austin Monitor freelancer Caleb Pritchard and editor Elizabeth Pagano to talk about why she’s running for City Council’s District 1 seat and what led her into local politics. To hear her take on local issues, listen in below, where the whole show has been embedded. The Austin Monitor’s work is […]
Posted inBonds & Propositions
Music Commission’s ‘hub’ concept prompts request for $15M bond increase
The Austin Music Commission is asking City Council to add $15 million to November’s bond package to buy or build property that could be used as a music hub to support the city’s flagging music industry. At Monday’s meeting the commission voted 8-0 to approve a recommendation that points to the need for a facility […]
Posted inElections
DePalma announces run for District 8
Rich DePalma, a consultant who has worked on numerous environmental efforts, officially threw his hat in the ring Tuesday to represent Austinites who live in District 8. Council Member Ellen Troxclair currently holds the seat and has said she is running for re-election in November. In addition to DePalma and Troxclair, the candidates who have […]
Posted inUncategorized
Council members push for $300M bond to meet Austin’s affordable housing needs
City leaders are weighing the possibility of putting an affordable housing bond on the ballot this November. A city task force is recommending a $161 million bond, but some Austin City Council members want to almost double that amount. Council Members Pio Renteria, Delia Garza and Greg Casar are promoting what they call the Housing […]
Posted inBonds & Propositions
Arts Commission seeks $25M bond increase to fund ‘adaptive’ creative space
The Arts Commission has asked City Council to add $25 million to this fall’s infrastructure bond package. The money would be used to provide more rehearsal and performance space for arts groups that are quickly running out of usable space as the city’s property values continue to rise. At its meeting on Monday, the commission […]
Posted inBonds & Propositions
Council members push for $300M affordable housing bond
If Austin is going to do something about its affordability crisis, many on City Council believe that it will take a massive infusion of public funds to build housing that is affordable to low-income and working-class residents. To that end, at least two Council members have said they want to put a bond measure on […]
Posted inElections
Travis Duncan, new candidate for mayor
There’s a new face in the race for Austin mayor. Travis Duncan, 28, joins Mayor Steve Adler and former Council Member Laura Morrison in a quest to lead the city. Morrison plans to make a formal announcement on March 26. Duncan said he had recently left a job in the solar division of Tesla. “I […]
Posted inTransportation
Contra-flow lane eyed as solution to up-up, down-down lurching of traffic at MLK
While plans to dedicate two lanes on the Drag to transit have been shelved for the moment, city planners hope to tweak another bus bottleneck on the Guadalupe Street corridor using 2016 mobility bond money. Tucked away in the proposed Corridor Construction Program – the laundry list of $450 million in projects aimed for nine […]