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Most Popular Stories
- City eyes fund to preserve affordable housing, capitalize on overbuilt apartment market
- Austin ISD eliminating jobs at its central office to reduce budget deficit
- Dozens of city music grants stalled over missing final reports
- Council reaffirms its commitment to making Austin a more age-friendly city
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By slim margin, Council approves an 8 percent homestead exemption
In a vote that pitted representatives of the city’s lowest-income districts against their colleagues, City Council members Wednesday narrowly approved an 8 percent homestead exemption — an increase of 2 percent over last year’s exemption. To a resident with a…
Budget • By Audrey McGlinchy, KUT • Jun 30, 2016
County, city shake hands on sobriety center agreement
Both Travis County and the city of Austin have ratified an agreement that will form the basis of a new venture aimed at both battling substance abuse and unclogging the county’s central booking facility. On Tuesday, the Commissioners Court voted…
Public Safety • By Caleb Pritchard • Jun 30, 2016
Poet's Old West Austin mansion faces demolition
The future of Jenny Lind Porter’s Old Enfield home hangs in the balance after a Historic Landmark Commission postponement Monday. The house, which is located at 1715 Summit View Place, is a contributing structure to the Old West Austin Historic…
Preservation • By Elizabeth Pagano • Jun 30, 2016
Planning Commission OKs Thornton apartments over neighbor objections
The increased traffic might not be ideal, but neighbors opposed to a proposed 70-unit apartment building on Thornton Road are getting about as good a deal as they can expect from the land, suggested members of the Planning Commission on…
Planning • By Jack Craver • Jun 30, 2016
Robert E. Lee sign change erodes trust between city commission and school district
In an emotional, accusatory hearing, the Historic Landmark Commission voted Monday night to initiate historic zoning on the school formerly known as Robert E. Lee Elementary. Since the case first appeared before the commission, AISD has voted to change the…
Preservation • By Elizabeth Pagano • Jun 29, 2016
Human Rights Commission pushes Council to address gentrification
Although gentrification is a well-recognized problem in Austin, the Human Rights Commission believes it has reached crisis level and is pushing City Council to take concrete action. The commission passed a recommendation that Council recognize gentrification as a human rights…
City Hall • By Cate Malek • Jun 29, 2016
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Council backs ordinance to expand, improve Rebekah Baines Johnson Center
What would LBJ do? That was the question invoked repeatedly by both supporters and opponents of a code amendment aimed at facilitating the rehabilitation of the Rebekah Baines Johnson Center, the retirement community at 21 Waller St. created by federally…
Development • By Jack Craver • Jun 29, 2016
County opens talks with developer on novel mixed-use project
Travis County has found the developer it wants to work with on a project in North Austin that has little precedent. The Commissioners Court on Tuesday voted 4-0 to direct staff to begin negotiations with DMA Development Company LLC on…
Development • By Caleb Pritchard • Jun 29, 2016
Council sets stage for last-minute homestead exemption debate
City Council has scheduled one final meeting this month in order to take another crack at fulfilling a key campaign promise many members made during the 2014 elections. Wednesday afternoon’s special called session will feature the third-reading vote on a…
Budget • By Caleb Pritchard • Jun 28, 2016
Council moves to change demolition rules
Last week, City Council approved a resolution that could change how civic buildings are demolished in Austin. The resolution, which was sponsored by Mayor Pro Tem Kathie Tovo, could require all demolition permits for civic buildings that are 50 years…
Land Development Code • By Elizabeth Pagano • Jun 28, 2016
City clarifies shelter policies
A clarification about the ownership of shelter animals should keep the city out of legal trouble, though some City Council members had reservations that the changes were moving too fast. Kristen Auerbach, who is the deputy chief animal services officer…
Austin • By Elizabeth Pagano • Jun 28, 2016
Audit finds bilingual services disorganized
An analysis prepared by the Office of the City Auditor shows that although the city spends $2 million per year on bilingual pay programs, the vast majority of city departments do not collect data on the residents they serve. The…
