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Most Popular Stories
- A plan to end night swimming at Barton Springs is over before it ever began
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- City to postpone UNO vote to consult with UT
- Council looks to change the ‘unhappy experience’ of DB90
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Transportation panel looks at regional needs as affordability pushes Austinites out
Austin’s leaders are looking for answers to transportation needs as rapid growth pushes housing and job centers farther from the urban core, straining an already overburdened transportation system. At a recent infrastructure summit hosted by the Austin Chamber of Commerce,…
Transportation • By Chad Swiatecki • Apr 10, 2025
TipSheet: Austin City Council, 4.10.25
Today’s Austin City Council meeting looks to be a rather tame affair, but we’re staying tuned nonetheless. As usual, the entire agenda is posted online, but we’ve read through and made our best guesses at what might be worth a…
TipSheets • By Elizabeth Pagano • Apr 10, 2025
City facing a $33 million deficit for 2026
Given current conditions, the city’s budget analysts are projecting a $33 million shortfall in the city’s General Fund in Fiscal Year 2026, with that number increasing to $79.9 million by FY 2030. City Council heard the bad news from City…
Budget • By Jo Clifton • Apr 9, 2025
Public Safety Commission hears updates on APD staffing, wildfire readiness and EMS simulation lab
On Monday, the Public Safety Commission heard a quarterly report from the Austin Police Department, an update on wildfire readiness from the Austin Fire Department, a briefing on the Austin-Travis County EMS Simulation Lab, plus an update on the 2026…
Public Safety • By Mina Shekarchi • Apr 9, 2025
Infrastructure panelists ponder tactics for stretching Austin’s existing water supply
Facing limited prospects for new water sources, Austin officials are advancing a broad strategy centered on water reuse, conservation and storage to meet the city’s long-term needs. At a recent infrastructure summit hosted by the Austin Chamber of Commerce, water…
Water • By Chad Swiatecki • Apr 9, 2025
City looking to fill in gaps after spending or encumbering all ARPA funds
The city has spent or encumbered a total of $188.5 million that it received from the federal government through the American Rescue Plan Act. According to a memo to the mayor and City Council, the city met the Dec. 31,…
Budget • By Jo Clifton • Apr 8, 2025
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Urban Transportation Commission discusses, makes recommendations on CAMPO’s draft regional plan for 2050
The Capital Area Metropolitan Planning Organization is cooking up a quinquennial update to its regional transportation plan, and for its part, the Urban Transportation Commission is urging CAMPO to reflect the city’s priorities – and trash some highway projects –…
Roads • By Miles Wall • Apr 8, 2025
Public Health Commission looks at curbing heat illnesses, promoting drug counselor training
The Austin-Travis County Public Health Commission is fine-tuning recommendations on two initiatives aimed at expanding harm reduction services and protecting outdoor workers from heat-related illnesses. During the latest meeting, commissioners reviewed draft recommendations on both issues but took no votes,…
Public Health • By Chad Swiatecki • Apr 8, 2025
Council gets early look at public health cuts caused by federal funding losses
Austin Public Health leaders are working to manage an ongoing budget crisis caused by federal funding cuts that have destabilized programs across the city. City Council’s Public Health Committee heard last week that APH has already lost approximately $15 million…
Public Health • By Chad Swiatecki • Apr 7, 2025
Austin’s redemption arc: The embarrassing recent failures and hard-fought reforms in our city’s response to sexual assault
April is Sexual Assault Awareness and Prevention Month. The city of Austin has garnered national attention for its prior failures to investigate cases and support survivors in their healing and, more recently, for its survivor-led reforms. The Austin Monitor took…
Public Safety • By Mina Shekarchi • Apr 7, 2025
Two bills compete to reform firefighters retirement fund
Two competing bills in the Texas Legislature aim to tackle the issue of reforming the funding structure of the Austin Firefighters Retirement Fund. In a message on the City Council Message Board (posted by the mayor’s chief of staff, Colleen…
Fire • By Hunter Simmons • Apr 7, 2025
Staffing isn't the only thing to blame for Austin's slow 911 response times
When someone calls 911 for help in Austin, about 93 percent of those calls are answered within 15 seconds. But once those calls are answered, police, fire or EMS must then respond. And those public safety agencies are not responding…
