Candidates come out swinging in District 6 forum

In a repeat match of their neck-and-neck 2014 race, City Council Member Don Zimmerman and challenger Jimmy Flannigan met Tuesday night beneath a giant screen at the Alamo Drafthouse Cinema Lakeline. There was no feature on the bill, but that…

State report outlines potential new locations for Austin State Hospital

Austin is home to one of the first mental health care facilities in Texas, but state lawmakers are considering selling the property and relocating the facility. The Austin State Hospital admits about 4,000 patients a year, serving 39 counties. But…

Chamber says land reform is top transportation priority

The Austin Chamber of Commerce has a new primary pill in its prescription for treating the city’s notorious traffic congestion, but it’s one that’s been known to cause many a case of political hives: density. The group will unveil that…

Travis County bush

Court faces more pressure over Central Health transparency concerns

Activists have turned up the heat on the Travis County Commissioners Court to take a closer look at millions of dollars paid out by the county’s health district in the last two years. Attorney Fred Lewis sent out on Monday…

Austin Energy gears up for smarter smart meters

Nearly a decade after rolling out smart meters for all of its electric customers, Austin Energy is planning another citywide meter upgrade. At a Monday meeting of the Austin Energy Utility Oversight Committee, AE General Manager Jackie Sargent told City…

Austin's 'big three' parks to see fewer events

The number of festivals and large events at Austin’s highest-profile public parks could decrease in the coming years if City Council follows through on recommendations expected from the Parklands Events Task Force. Shifting usage away from the city’s “big three”…

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Candidates square off in District 4 debate

Two of the three candidates vying for the District 4 City Council seat faced off Monday in a packed North Austin coffeehouse and answered questions from those they hope to represent. Incumbent Council Member Greg Casar has represented District 4…

Saving Austin music with words, if not dollars

Of the many long looks, panel discussions and reports that have examined the fragile state of Austin’s music economy and culture over the past 18 months, few were as fortunately timed as last week’s guest lecture/panel event “The Crisis in…

ANC challenges Adler's mobility bond

The Austin Neighborhoods Council has come out swinging against Mayor Steve Adler’s $720 million transportation bond package. Last Tuesday, the ANC’s executive committee unanimously passed a resolution outlining an extensive list of concerns about the proposal and concluding with two…

Attorney trying to settle Pine Forest suit

Bastrop’s City Council has budgeted just $220,000 for legal fees for the next fiscal year, starting in October, a small sum compared to the $1 million plus it has spent under the administration of former City Manager Mike Talbot and…

Reporter's Notebook: What has hot dogs, great views and live music? It's a roundup festival!

Hot dogs at Town Lake Animal Center… Things got heated during the Animal Advisory Commission’s recent discussion of the temperature of the Town Lake Animal Center. There has been increasing public concern over ineffectual swamp coolers where the outdoor kennels…

More than a yard sign: Straddling the aisle in District 10

District 10 is Austin’s wealthiest district – it boasts an annual median family income of $131,100. It’s also one of the city’s most sprawling districts, stretching from MoPac Boulevard to Lake Travis. The race for District 10 is the most…