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Time away from Council has prepped Tovo for mayoral bid

Having spent nearly two years away from the City Council dais after more than a decade as a Council member, Kathie Tovo said watching as a private citizen as city business has been conducted has given her valuable perspective. From…

Elections • By Chad Swiatecki • Oct 11, 2024

Council weighs financial impact of proposed police contract

As City Council weighs approval of a proposed police contract expected to cost $218 million over five years, city budget staff on Tuesday presented a brighter financial outlook compared to the dire projections given earlier this year. At Tuesday’s work…

Police • By Amy Smith • Oct 10, 2024

Report highlights need for future airport audits

The city’s Aviation Department faces a variety of risks, particularly related to insufficient staffing, according to a report from the Office of the City Auditor. Auditor-in-charge Kathie Harrison told the Council Audit & Finance Committee on Wednesday that the three…

Transportation • By Jo Clifton • Oct 10, 2024

Planners vote to preserve east side building despite developer opposition

The Planning Commission voted unanimously Tuesday to move forward on historic zoning for the building at 1500 East 12th St., which is estimated to have been built near the turn of the 20th century. According to city documentation, over the…

Preservation • By Madeline de Figueiredo • Oct 10, 2024

Incumbent Fuentes has just one challenger for the Council D2 seat

Austin voters living in District 2 will get to cast their ballots for Vanessa Fuentes or challenger Robert Reynolds in the upcoming City Council race. District 2 encompasses the neighborhoods of Dove Springs, Del Valle, Pleasant Hill, Dittmar, Easton Park…

Elections • By Hunter Simmons • Oct 10, 2024

Audit finds unpaid fees, lax rental practices at six PARD rec centers

The Office of the City Auditor has found widespread issues within the Austin Parks and Recreation Department related to inconsistent fee charges and collections for facility rentals at some community recreation centers. An audit report released Tuesday revealed that from…

Parks • By Chad Swiatecki • Oct 9, 2024

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Watson leads in fundraising among mayoral candidates

Mayor Kirk Watson leads all other candidates for mayor in terms of contributions received and political expenditures, according to reports filed Monday with the city clerk’s office. His Oct. 7 report shows that the mayor raised more than $216,000 over…

Elections • By Jo Clifton • Oct 9, 2024

Bowen pledges to bring transparency to City Hall, starting with independent audit

Not many people wake up on the day of the filing deadline for mayor and decide to throw their hat in the ring. But that’s what Jeffery Bowen did when he became the fifth candidate in the race to become…

Elections • By Amy Smith • Oct 9, 2024

A malfunction at Longhorn Dam that caused Lady Bird Lake to lose water has been fixed

If you happened to be near Austin’s Lady Bird Lake on Monday, you might have noticed it looked different. The lake level, which usually stays constant year-round, had dropped by about 2 feet, exposing stretches of muddy, sometimes smelly, shoreline.…

Water • By Mose Buchele, KUT • Oct 9, 2024

Report looks at Austin Water leaks, losses that could fill 12,000 Olympic pools

Leaks and inefficiencies throughout the local water system cause Austin Water to lose more than 8 billion gallons per year – enough to fill 12,000 Olympic-sized swimming pools. The loss totals were some of the findings from a recent outside…

Water • By Chad Swiatecki • Oct 8, 2024

Community-based public safety program reaches out to overlooked and underserved Austinites

Urban Alchemy, a national nonprofit, has been awarded a $2 million federal grant from the Bureau of Justice Assistance. The grant will expand an initiative to create a replicable model to reduce crime and bolster resilience through community intervention. As part…

Public Safety • By Mina Shekarchi • Oct 8, 2024

Doug Greco brings organizing energy to Austin’s mayoral race

Clad in a “Vote for Greco” T-shirt – a style that evokes “Vote for Pedro” from Napoleon Dynamite – Doug Greco may be an underdog candidate, but his campaign is infused with the grassroots energy that has defined his career…

Elections • By Madeline de Figueiredo • Oct 8, 2024

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