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Latest Headlines for Wednesday, November 6

Watson is ahead in election for Austin mayor, but it's unclear if he'll avoid a runoff

Austin Mayor Kirk Watson is ahead in the city’s mayoral race with just over 50% of the vote, according to unofficial voting totals. It appears the incumbent might be able to eke out an outright win over his four opponents…

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,…

Laine appears to edge out Kelly in race for D6 Council seat

Austin’s District 6 seat for City Council appeared to have been won by challenger Krista Laine, based on unofficial results from Travis and Williamson counties posted early Wednesday morning. Laine held a 704-vote lead over incumbent Mackenzie Kelly, according to…

Duchen clinches narrow win in District 10 election

Although the race was extremely close, at the end of Tuesday night Marc Duchen could claim victory in the District 10 City Council contest over his only opponent, Ashika Ganguly. Duchen finished with 20,731 votes to Ganguly’s 20,227, with only…

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Voters pass Austin Independent School District Proposition A

Austin Independent School District Proposition A, a tax rate election, passed with 58 percent of the vote on Nov. 5, resulting in a property tax increase for Austin residents that will invest $41 million in AISD.   The Austin ISD Board…

Vela and Fuentes hold on to City Council seats

Two of the least-competitive City Council races played out exactly as most people anticipated they would, with Council members Vanessa Fuentes and Chito Vela easily holding on to their City Council seats Tuesday. Vela, who squared off against four challengers,…

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Travis County passes plan to invest in affordable child care

By the time early votes rolled in on election night, Travis County’s sweeping investment in child care services had already garnered 60 percent of the vote, holding on to that margin through the night. Proposition A will generate $75 million…

Nearly 52% of registered voters in Travis County cast an early ballot

Central Texas voters turned out for early voting at a rate just shy of the turnout seen in the 2020 election – the last time a presidential race was on the ballot. That is a little skewed since the early voting…

Auditor identifies safety, contract management among areas of risk for airport

A special report from the Office of the City Auditor has identified three areas of risk at Austin-Bergstrom International Airport as the facility moved forward with a $4 billion expansion. The three risk areas – contract and vendor management, asset…

Council slated to approve updates to Water Forward Plan and to Austin Water’s Conservation and Drought Contingency plans

This month, City Council will vote on proposed updates to Austin’s Water Forward Plan and to the related Water Conservation and Drought Contingency plans. During a briefing on Oct. 22, Austin Water Director Shay Ralls Roalson presented an overview of…

Austin reopens applications for people who need help paying rent

Lee esta historia en español  Low-income renters struggling to afford their monthly rent can now apply to get help from the city. Austin has about $3.6 million to dole out, after City Council members approved a new budget earlier this year.…

Austin Watershed Protection Department proposes code updates to further protect the Colorado River

The Austin Watershed Protection Department held a public meeting on Monday, Oct. 28, at the Montopolis Recreation and Community Center to discuss proposed code updates regarding the Colorado River. In 2022, City Council passed a resolution directing the city manager…

NONPROFIT SPOTLIGHT

Nonprofit spotlight: Four questions for American Gateways

American Gateways ensures access to the justice system for low-income immigrants. We serve 23 counties in Central Texas and provide high-quality legal representation and accurate information about what is happening in our immigration system. What is the mission of American…