“Is Austin becoming less like itself?” As four local politicians – Travis County Judge Andy Brown, County Attorney Delia Garza, Mayor Steve Adler and state Rep. Sheryl Cole – attempted to answer Austin American-Statesman reporter Ryan Autullo’s question at the Texas Tribune Festival Saturday, they reflected on their introductions to Austin. During Delia Garza’s first visit to […]
Sheryl Cole
A former Austin City Council Member, first elected in 2006. She was the first female African-American member of the body, Cole also served as Mayor Pro Tem.
Posted inTexas State Legislature
Candidates react to Dukes’ indictment
Two weeks after reneging on her promise to resign from her seat, state Rep. Dawnna Dukes, who represents much of eastern Travis County, was indicted by a grand jury for 15 offenses related to her alleged misuse of public funds. “Of course I am disappointed, but I expected that if I was sworn into office […]
Posted inAustin, City Council, Local Politics
Sheryl Cole talks about life on the Council
When we sat down with Mayor Pro Tem Sheryl Cole, the first African-American woman elected to the Austin City Council, we asked her what advice she would give to the new Council members. She said, “Respect your colleagues. Value their opinions. Try to understand their position before you attack it. Look for compromise and seek […]
Posted inAustin, Elections, Local Politics
Adler, Martinez headed for runoff in mayor’s race
Political newcomer Steve Adler will face incumbent City Council Member Mike Martinez in a Dec. 16 runoff for Austin mayor. Adler led the field of eight candidates, pulling in about 37 percent of the vote, with Martinez garnering nearly 30 percent early this morning. Mayor Pro Tem Sheryl Cole picked up about 15 percent of the […]
Posted inElections, Local Politics
Mayor’s race turns ugly with labor PAC attack
Austin City Council politics has hit the big time, with an out-of-state political action committee making numerous negative phone calls into the city to lambaste mayoral candidate Steve Adler. This reporter received one of those calls Thursday afternoon from a man with a Southern accent who refused to say where he was or give the […]
Posted inLocal Politics, Resources
Adler releases plan to solve Austin water crisis
Austin mayoral candidate Steve Adler, who has already issued extensive position papers on affordability and education, got his feet wet Wednesday with a new plan to deal with Austin’s water crisis. He issued an “agenda paper” that primarily opposes buying and shipping new water from elsewhere, preferring to emphasize conservation, reuse and a restructuring of […]
Posted inLocal Politics
Martinez tries to paint Adler as rich, out of touch
Mayoral candidate Mike Martinez’s campaign continued its attacks on opponent Steve Adler on Wednesday, alleging that he “owns a villa at Esperanza in Cabo San Lucas, one of the most exclusive resorts in Mexico.” That proved to be an exaggeration. Bo Delp, Martinez’s deputy campaign manager, said they got the information from Adler’s recently filed […]
Posted inElections, Local Politics, Uncategorized
Property tax relief hot topic at mayoral forum
During the South Austin Democrats‘ mayoral candidate forum Tuesday night, candidate Steve Adler defended his position in support of a citywide 20 percent homestead tax exemption. Fellow mayoral candidates Mike Martinez and Sheryl Cole have blasted Adler’s flat 20 percent homestead tax exemption proposal as an ill-advised idea, noting that a city report said it […]
Posted inLocal Politics, Transportation
City Finance Committee compares notes with CapMetro on rail costs
With an upcoming rail bond election almost certainly on the horizon, the city continues to take a closer look at what a new urban rail system might mean. A special called meeting gave the Austin City Council’s Audit and Finance Committee a chance to meet with the Capital Metro Finance Committee Monday and go over […]