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Community advocates on both sides of the police contract negotiations say the city of Austin and the police union should return to the bargaining table. But their motivations and their priorities for a new contract are diametrically opposed. Last week,…
Though extreme winter weather appears to be unlikely in the Texas forecast, Travis County is covering all its bases. The plans are, in part, a response to the snowstorm crisis Central Texas faced in early 2021, in which a lack of…
Eight months, more than 260 document filings and countless hours of grueling negotiations later, Austin Energy has new electricity rates. If you’re a customer of the public utility, your bill is going up. The plan, which Austin City Council passed on a…
Beto O’Rourke. Sure, you’ve heard of him. Greg Abbott? Duh. Herschel Walker. You’ve probably heard of him, too. (If you haven’t, here you are.) But what about Celia Israel? Ryan Alter? Linda Guerrero? Walking out of a coffee shop in North…
During Tuesday’s work session, most members of City Council seemed poised to agree that Austin Energy should have an additional $31.3 million in revenue and that the customer service charge should be around $12 or $13 a month instead of…
This week City Council will consider an item to approve the Trail Conservancy’s 2022 annual programming plan for the Ann and Roy Butler Hike and Bike Trail at Town Lake Metropolitan Park. This update on annual programming at the trail…
City Council members pushed back against some of the steps taken by staff over the past year to work out a complex swap of city parkland approved by voters last year. During Tuesday’s work session, Mayor Pro Tem Alison Alter…
If all goes according to plan, today will be the last City Council meeting for Mayor Steve Adler and Council members Pio Renteria, Ann Kitchen and Kathie Tovo (as well as zoning guru Jerry Rusthoven). Of course, if last week’s…
During talks about a program that provides counsel at first court appearance, Bradley Hargis with Capital Area Private Defender Service shared the experience of a former client. The person had been charged and processed with a felony, and faced a…
The Millennium Youth Entertainment Complex may be one of the first two sites to receive some of the city’s $12 million in bond funding for creative space preservation. On Thursday, City Council will vote on a request from the Austin…
Jerry Rusthoven, the city’s chief zoning officer, has told the city he intends to retire at the end of the month. Rusthoven, who has been with the city for 29 years, is arguably the city’s most knowledgeable person when it…
Despite city efforts to implement its Vision Zero strategy and end traffic fatalities in Austin, crash deaths and injuries are on the rise. Pedestrians in particular are accounting for a higher percentage of fatalities. So, what can the city do…
