Austin Police Commander Julie O’Brien told Public Safety Commissioners on Monday that the city should consider raising the pay for 911 call takers and dispatchers. O’Brien said the starting pay for the positions, around $15 per hour for a call taker and $16 per hour for a dispatcher, is not adequate given the responsibilities and stresses of the job. “Compared to the work they do, (the pay) is not much,” she said. In addition to the relatively low pay, O’Brien said new call takers and dispatchers must complete a drug test, psychological exam and medical screening. Her comments on the pay were part of larger report she gave commissioners on the 911 call center’s staffing needs.

All voters in Texas must now present a photo ID in order cast a ballot on Nov. 4. For those who do not have a driver’s license or other form of approved ID, the Texas Department of Public Safety is issuing an Election Identification Certificate, a free photo ID that can only be used for voting. The DPS will keep several driver’s license offices operating on Saturdays before the election to issue the certificates. In Travis County, four area offices will be open Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., Oct. 11 through Nov. 8: the North Lamar office, 6121 North Lamar Blvd.; the Northwest office, 13730 Research Blvd.; the South office, 6425 Interstate 35 South, No. 180; and the Pflugerville Mega Center, 216 E. Wells Branch Parkway, Pflugerville. Those who do not have an approved form of ID with a photo (a Texas driver’s license, state-issued personal identification card, Texas concealed handgun license, U.S. passport or military identification, U.S. Citizenship Certificate or Certificate of Naturalization) can go to the DPS and receive the Election Identification Certificate. More information is available on the DPS website.

The Austin Police Department is looking for more women to join its ranks. To encourage more female applicants, APD is hosting a Women in Law Enforcement recruiting event Oct. 18. Topics include application and training requirements, balancing home and work life, and career paths and promotion opportunities. APD recruiting staff will be on hand to speak with interested applicants. Speakers will include APD Assistant Chief Jessica Robledo, who is also serving as event emcee. Robledo started with APD in 1988 and rose through the ranks to her current role, in which she oversees the Special Operations Units. The recruiting event is set for 10 a.m. Oct. 18 at Cornerstone Church, 1101 Reinli. For more information, visit apdrecruiting.org, email APDRecruiting@austintexas.gov or call 512-974-4211.

The Monitor and our partners at KUT, KXAN, the Austin Chronicle and Univision continue our Ballot Boxing series of in-district Austin City Council candidate forums this week. Tonight, we will hear from the candidates from District 9 at 7 p.m. at KUT’s Studio 1a at 300 W Dean Keeton St.    Also, we will host the District 10 candidates at 7 p.m. Wednesday at the Lower Colorado River Authority headquarters at 3700 Lake Austin Blvd. The final event in the series will be the Mayors Forum on Oct. 15. A video of each forum will be posted on the Monitor site soon after the event. Click here to find more information.

All 78 candidates for the Austin City Council are required to turn in their most recent contribution and expenditure reports today. While certainly not definitive in winning an election, money does still make a difference. Exactly how much difference will not be clear until after the November election and possibly, the Dec. 16 runoff. Last week, mayoral candidate Steve Adler revealed that he loaned his campaign $102,000 in September. Adler had previously loaned his campaign $194,000, bringing the total he has invested in the campaign to $296,000. In contrast, Council Member Mike Martinez has loaned his campaign only $25,000 and Mayor Pro Tem Sheryl Cole has not made any loans to her campaign, although she and her husband contributed $700 this summer. District 5 candidate Ann Kitchen loaned her campaign $17,500 on Sept. 25, bringing her loan total to $38,200. District 6 candidate Jay Wiley last week reported loaning his campaign $14,000, for a total of just over $25,000. District 7 candidate Leslie Pool reported loaning her campaign a total of $40,000 in September. Council Member Chris Riley has loaned his campaign $25,000 and opponent Council Member Kathie Tovo had already loaned her campaign about $40,000. Both are running for the District 9 seat. Mandy Dealey, who is running in District 10, loaned her campaign $25,100. Dealey, Robert Thomas and Sherri Gallo will likely fight it out on Election Day to see who will be in a December runoff. Gallo has not reported any loans but Thomas has reported loans totaling around $41,000.

Today is the last day for voters to register in order to be eligible to cast ballots in the Nov. 4 General Election, which includes the Austin City Council election. You must register today to be able to vote either in the early voting period, Oct. 20-31, or on Election Day.  To register, you must complete a voter registration form and mail it to the Travis County Tax Office postmarked by the end of the day. There are a number of places where you can obtain a registration form, including online, at local post offices and at the Travis County tax office on Airport Boulevard. Volunteers will also be registering voters today at all Thundercloud Subs locations from 10 a.m. until 10 p.m. For more information, go to the Travis County Voter Information page.

If you want to put in your two-cents’ worth on the city’s rewrite of the CodeNEXT Project, this is your opportunity. The Land Development Code Advisory Group meets tonight to gather public input on the project. CodeNEXT is a City of Austin initiative to revise the Land Development Code, which determines how land will be used throughout the city. The process is a collaboration among Austin’s residents, its business community and civic institutions to align land use standards and regulations with what is important to the community. Go here for more information. Tonight’s meeting is at 6 p.m. at the Milwood Branch Library, 12500 Amherst Drive.

Texans for Fiscal Responsibility announced endorsements Wednesday, choosing five candidates in Austin’s City Council race. They endorse Mike Rodriguez (District 5), Jay Wiley (District 6), Ellen Troxclair (District 8), Erin McGann (District 9) and Bill Worsham (District 10). The group appears to be the nonprofit offshoot of Empower Texans. Their website explains that Empower Texans and Texans for Fiscal Responsibility help inform Texans about “policy solutions consistent with the principles of individual liberty and free markets.” By way of a mission statement, the website expands on this concept: “The greatest threat to our state’s economic growth and competitiveness is the weight of government on the economy. If government and taxes are allowed to grow without restraint, the economy will contract, thereby limiting opportunities for all Texans. We seek policy outcomes that provide increasing levels of economic liberty and opportunity for all Texans by controlling the size of government. Government power and reach must be strictly limited, with elected officials held accountable by active and informed citizens.”

OK, we know that there are a lot of guitar-pickers in Austin. But has anyone really tried to count them all? The Music & Entertainment Division of the city’s Economic Development Department is doing just that, as it launches a new market research study of Austin’s music industry and its workers. Officials say the purpose of the project is to capture an in-depth look at Austin’s music industry workers and its economic issues and opportunities. The city has hired Titan Music Group to conduct the study and deliver a final report. Data will be gathered from focus groups and an extensive survey. Focus groups will begin next week, and the survey will be launched Oct. 30. Officials say the music industry contributes more than $1.6 billion annually to the Austin economy. The Music & Entertainment Division will use the information collected from the study to optimize future city strategy and program planning for industry growth.

The Central Health Board of Managers reappointed Guadalupe Zamora and Hal Katz as trustees to the Austin Travis County Integral Care board on Wednesday evening. The advisory committee addresses community needs for mental and developmental health care and substance abuse. Zamora had replaced Central Health Chair Brenda Coleman-Beattie’s position on the ATCIC board in July. Katz has served on the Integral Care board since December 2010. Their terms expire Sept. 30, 2016.

Austin will celebrate National Night Out this weekend and early next week. This Saturday, Police Chief Art Acevedo will lead a kickoff party at the Mueller Airport Park to get things started. The event, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., will include live music as well as chances to talk with Austin/Travis County first responders, see the exhibitors’ booths, eat free hot dogs and relax on the shores of Mueller Lake. Then Tuesday, National Night Out moves to Austin’s neighborhoods, where there will be dozens of block parties (Austin had 480 of them last year). This will give you a chance to celebrate and meet your neighbors. Check with your neighborhood association or HOA to see if one is planned on your block. If not, it’s not too late to get one organized. Go to www.nnoaustin.org for information on planning one in your neighborhood.

The Monitor and our partners at KUT, KXAN, the Austin Chronicle and Univision continue our series of in-District Austin City Council candidate forums this week. Tonight, we will take a look at the District 7 candidates at the Village Alamo Drafthouse. RSVPs are available. Click here to find out more. For those of you who will be at the City Council meeting, look for video of the forum to be posted here on Friday.