With Abbott's green light, Austin will require businesses to enforce mask rules

While the governor has said Texans can’t face penalties for not wearing face coverings, cities and counties can apparently mandate that businesses require their customers to wear masks. Austin Mayor Steve Adler issued an order Wednesday requiring businesses to start…

Downtown Commission to keep closer watch on downtown policing

Whatever actions City Council takes to address the Austin Police Department’s response to racial justice protests, the Downtown Commission has voted to keep closer tabs on downtown policing efforts going forward. The commission approved two proposals from Commissioner Meghan Skornia.…

Eckhardt leads in poll but trails in fundraising

According to a poll released by the Sarah Eckhardt campaign, the former Travis County judge has a wide lead in the race for Senate District 14 over both of her closest rivals, state Rep. Eddie Rodriguez and former City Council…

Travis County $10M mortgage and rental assistance program to go live June 29

After spending a month working through the details of a proposed rent and mortgage assistance program for Travis County residents impacted by the economic fallout from Covid-19, the Commissioners Court unanimously voted to allocate $10 million of the county’s $61…

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Travis County plans to reopen facilities but with masking requirements

After nearly three months of quiet hallways and locked doors, Travis County facilities will begin reopening at the end of June. To ensure the continued safety of employees returning to the workplace as well as residents accessing county services, the…

Bicycle Advisory Council examines race and active transportation

In response to the confluence of Covid-19 mobility projects and renewed efforts for racial justice, the Bicycle Advisory Council has opened a conversation over its role as an advocacy group in city-led efforts that impact communities of color. “A lot…

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Gov. Abbott says Texas has enough hospital beds to handle increase in Covid-19 cases

There’s no reason to panic over a recent uptick in hospitalizations due to Covid-19, Gov. Greg Abbott said Tuesday. Although Texas has had a record number of people being hospitalized for Covid-19 in the past several days, Abbott said during…

Board of Adjustment debates request to sacrifice heritage tree or waterfront overlay

The Board of Adjustment exists to help residents achieve variances from the Land Development Code’s building regulations, but only if an applicant is willing to provide information and evidence of a valid hardship. Dan Coops, the owner of 71 Julius…

As Covid-19 cases spike, local officials stress caution and personal choice in slowing its spread

Austin Mayor Steve Adler, Public Health Interim Medical Director Dr. Mark Escott and Assistant to the Travis County Judge Sarah Eckhardt extended stay-at-home orders Monday in response to a surge in Covid-19 cases, and asked residents to reinvest in precautions to…

DeBeauvoir: More than 25,000 ballots in the mail

If you are one of more than 25,000 Travis County registered voters who requested to vote by mail in the July 14 primary runoff and special election, your ballot is likely on its way to you. Travis County Clerk Dana…

Music leaders eye city creation of Black Live Music Fund

The vice chair of the Music Commission has called for the city to create a Black Live Music Fund that would support the business interests of black musicians, possibly with money from the recently created Live Music Fund. In a…

Capital Metro audit finds fault in on-time performance system

A recent review by the Capital Metropolitan Transportation Authority’s Internal Audit Department has discovered a number of inconsistencies in the agency’s process for reporting service delays and recording on-time performance. The review found that dispatchers at MV Transportation almost always…