Council ponders ways to make meetings shorter, less confusing

As part of its ongoing efforts to make government more efficient and productive, City Council is discussing potential changes to how meetings are run. The conversation was kicked off by the city’s CFO Elaine Hart, who highlighted a number of…

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County delays decision on criminal district attorney’s office

The Travis County Commissioners Court is considering a merger of the County and District Attorney’s offices into a criminal district attorney office that may considerably lower the number of jail bookings for misdemeanor offenses. County Attorney David Escamilla and District…

City's federal housing funds in jeopardy

The city of Austin could lose a significant amount of federal funding if President Trump follows through on his threat to shut down the federal government on Dec. 21. Various national publications reported Trump making the threat if Congress refuses…

Austin ISD budget document suggests consolidating 12 schools to cut costs

Facing a shortfall and declining enrollment, the Austin Independent School District is considering consolidating schools, among other options, to cut its deficit by as much as $55 million over the next few years. A budget document sent to the Austin…

Natasha Harper-Madison easily prevails in District 1

After finishing in a virtual tie in the general election, Natasha Harper-Madison easily defeated Mariana Salazar to become the next Council member for District 1 in East and Northeast Austin. Harper-Madison carried the low-turnout runoff election 72 percent to 28…

Renteria bests sister Almanza again

Council Member Pio Renteria held on to his seat the same way he won it four years ago: by beating his sister. The incumbent representative of District 3, which covers much of Central East and Southeast Austin, easily won re-election…

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Ellis handily wins District 8 election

Paige Ellis won the runoff for Southwest Austin’s District 8 City Council seat Tuesday night, defeating Frank Ward with 56 percent of the vote in a race that drew considerably fewer voters than the Nov. 6 election. Ellis received 6,115…

Austin Water report shows big impact of boil order was conservation

Austin Water delivered an “after action” report to City Council yesterday on the weeklong boil-water order enacted during severe flooding in October. The presentation shed more light on what happened to bring about the emergency and what the city might…

A new neighborhood group hopes to speak for student renters in West Campus

While many University of Texas students were busy studying for final exams, senior Allie Runas was thinking about cracks in the sidewalk. After years of stepping over cracks in West Campus, she decided to do something and founded the West…

Home repair problems continue to surface

After our story last week highlighting problems in the city’s Neighborhood Housing and Community Development home loan repair program, the Austin Monitor received information from another homeowner who says the contractor hired to refurbish his home in 2014 did a…

Waller Creek taxes ID'd to possibly fund $30M in housing for homeless

City staff members have recommended that City Council consider using funds from the tax increment refinancing zone (TIRZ) created for the Waller Creek improvement project and system of parks as the biggest funding source for providing housing and services for…

New multifamily slated for Old Bee Caves Road

The owners of an 18-acre plot at 6901 Old Bee Caves Road earned a recommendation from the Planning Commission at its Nov. 27 meeting for a change that would add mixed-use zoning to the tract. The developer hopes to build…