The Austin Monitor thanks its sponsors. Become one.

Culture, climate district gets mixed reviews from feedback sessions

An effort to create a new “living room” in the center of Austin along Lady Bird Lake needs some fine-tuning and a more precise mission, according to early community feedback gathered by an outside consulting firm. A memo delivered on…

TxDOT narrows options for widening I-35 through Austin

Lee esta historia en español. The Texas Department of Transportation has released the most detailed description yet of plans to widen Interstate 35 through the core of Austin, explaining how the agency believes its multibillion-dollar highway expansion could affect everything…

Kelly, Guerrero allege Adler broke law in endorsements

Council Member Mackenzie Kelly and former City Council candidate Linda Guerrero have filed complaints with the Texas Ethics Commission and Travis County Attorney Delia Garza alleging that Mayor Steve Adler broke the law when he endorsed Zo Qadri and José…

Travillion: Charting the path to job opportunity for county residents

After nearly three years of Covid-19 pandemic response, plus unprecedented challenges like Winter Storm Uri and rapidly rising housing costs across the Austin metro, Travis County Precinct 1 Commissioner Jeff Travillion said his high point of 2022 was workforce development.  Travillion,…

Two years in, Ann Howard is playing for the county's team

Travis County Commissioner Ann Howard compares the first two years in her four-year term representing Precinct 3 to speed dating. “When you have something like Winter Storm Uri and a pandemic, you cram a lot of meet-and-greets into the early…

Margaret Gómez has learned to take the long view

For Margaret Gómez, Travis County’s longest-serving county commissioner, listening to community members’ concerns is the first and most important step toward guiding initiatives for the 1.3 million-plus residents of Travis County.  In a recent interview with the Austin Monitor, Gómez – who earlier…

Subscribe to our newsletter

Andy Brown intends to double down on overdose prevention efforts in 2023

Coming off a landslide reelection victory in the November election, Travis County Judge Andy Brown is proud of how the Commissioners Court responded to challenges in 2022, from staffing shortages and new state laws threatening civil rights to housing affordability…

Brigid Shea: Seeking local solutions for global problems

If you’d asked Brigid Shea 30 years ago where she’d be in 2022, the Travis County Commissioners Court likely wouldn’t have topped her list. Nevertheless, the outspoken environmentalist and former City Council member, who broke into the political scene co-founding…

In final year as mayor, Adler reviews highlights of eight years in office

The city of Austin has faced big challenges in the past eight years, weathered mighty storms – both literal and metaphorical – and continued to grow, even as some longtime residents lamented the many changes taking place across the city.…

Watson reflects on his mayoral campaign: 'A new beginning'

As Mayor-elect Kirk Watson prepares to assume his third term, he’s chosen to stick to his campaign messaging: He wants to cut down on the red tape involved in the development process, work across the ideological spectrum and play the…

A look back at 2022, a relatively 'normal' year

In 2022, after a chaotic couple of years that included a global pandemic and a historic winter storm, life mostly returned to normal in Austin (whatever normal is). But that doesn’t mean there wasn’t news, so we’re taking a look…

In D9, Qadri wants to ensure 'an abundance of affordable housing'

Just past 10 p.m. on Dec. 13, after a night frantically pacing around the Whip In shaking hands, posing for pictures and checking on election updates, Zohaib Qadri – more commonly known as Zo – felt comfortable declaring victory in…