Pemberton bid for historic zoning raises questions about Austin’s racist past, historic future and policy on tax abatement

Is historic preservation honoring Austin’s racist past? That’s the question that came up at the most recent meeting of the Historic Landmark Commission during a sprawling conversation that ultimately landed on how the city manages its historic tax exemptions. In…

City Council set to untangle committees today

City Council is set to tackle reforms of its committee structure in earnest today. The conversation has been pending for quite some time now, as thorny issues were being addressed instead. But, given the tone of last week’s work session, which…

The nitty-gritty of a Pilot Knob reconsideration

City Council members will decide today whether to revisit an affordable housing deal approved by vote in December. And how they might re-table the deal is a bit mystifying. Council Member Ellen Troxclair is proposing an amendment that would initiate…

Hernandez narrowly avoids runoff to become new sheriff nominee in town

Constable Sally Hernandez did the unexpected on election night by winning a clear majority of the vote for the Democratic nomination for Travis County sheriff in a crowded field of four candidates. At her packed campaign headquarters inside a downtown…

Travis County bush

Travillion moves to runoff with major lead

A five-man race for the vacant Travis County Commissioners Court Precinct 1 chair narrowed to two on Tuesday night, after results showed Jeff Travillion finishing well ahead of the pack with 41.67 percent of the vote and Arthur Sampson finishing…

Daugherty wins Precinct 3 primary

Travis County Commissioner Gerald Daugherty will be able to run again for his Precinct 3 seat in November. With 70.83 percent of the vote, he defeated attorney and businessman Jason Nassour to become the Republican nominee for a sprawling precinct that includes 12…

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Council dilemma: Make growth pay for itself?

When City Council takes up the question of whether to reconsider the zoning case for the Pilot Knob/Brookfield planned unit development on Thursday, it will be threading its way through two competing policies as well as zoning laws. Those competing…

Hinojosa wins House District 49 race

Democrat Gina Hinojosa, 42, won a decisive victory last night against six other candidates vying to take the place of retiring state Rep. Elliott Naishtat. Hinojosa will be the first woman and the first Hispanic person to represent House District…

Likely winners emerge in local early voting

Gina Hinojosa, a member and former president of the Austin Independent School District board, took a commanding lead in the race to replace House District 49 State Rep. Elliott Naishtat as the early vote was counted tonight. Hinojosa had 55.4…

'Library for the future' soon will be a reality

A decade ago, Austin voters approved a $90 million bond to build a new central library that would better fit the growing city’s needs. Another $30 million later, the “library for the future” is nearly complete. The 200,000-square-foot facility –…

AISD announces Lee Elementary decision deadline

In a year defined by hard conversations about race and historical legacies, the Austin Independent School District has finally announced a date to vote on a potential name change for Robert E. Lee Elementary School. The issue was brought to…

Council might ban the box as part of hiring mandate

Sometimes, a potential law goes by two names. But other times, it goes by one – while confusion breeds alternative monikers. City Council members have spent the past year chewing over hiring requirements for private employers. But recently, Council Member…