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Most Popular Stories
- Despite safety concerns, Council OKs new buildings above Shoal Creek
- Texas lawmakers finalize bill limiting property owners’ right to protest new homes nearby
- A multi-family rezoning at the rugged edge of Northwest Austin
- As Acacia Cliffs rezoning is approved, Critics say Council has sold out on its affordability commitments
- Austin ISD eliminating jobs at its central office to reduce budget deficit
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New EMS contract out for ratification by rank-and-file union members
Under a contract that union members will be considering over the next two weeks, sworn employees of the Austin/Travis County Emergency Medical System would see a 1 percent raise for FY2014 and FY 2015, and a 2 percent raise in…
Uncategorized • By Michael Kanin • Sep 12, 2013
Commission backs Crestview neighbors’ request for historic zoning
Siding with the neighborhood and defying the owner’s request, the Historic Landmark Commission has unanimously backed initiating historic zoning for a beloved Crestview property. The house at 1501 Richcreek is one of a cluster of larger homes in the…
Uncategorized • By Elizabeth Pagano • Sep 12, 2013
County benchmarks Civil-Family Courthouse budget at $284 million
Travis County’s Planning and Budget Office is working with a fresh target cost – a few tens of millions of dollars less than the original projection – for getting the new downtown Civil and Family Courthouse built. On Tuesday, Commissioners…
Uncategorized • By Charlotte Moore • Sep 11, 2013
Central Health’s budget raises eyebrows at commissioners court
Officials with Central Health laid out their FY 2014 budget plan before the Travis County Commissioners Court on Tuesday, explaining to some skepticism how the agency’s tax rate is growing by more than 60 percent and its budget will increase…
Uncategorized • By Mark Richardson • Sep 11, 2013
Council lowers tax rate slightly for 2014 budget
Austin City Council members Tuesday approved a $3.3 billion FY2014 budget for the city and its various enterprise and public safety arms. The document features a 50.27 cents per $100 of valuation tax rate, just a hair under the 50.29…
Uncategorized • By Michael Kanin • Sep 11, 2013
Council vote on legal fees could rile AE ratepayers outside city limits
Austin could be headed for another fight with Austin Energy ratepayers who live outside city limits. Council members voted Tuesday to affix about $1.56 million in legal fees associated with the city’s defense of the recent Austin Energy PUC…
Uncategorized • By Michael Kanin • Sep 11, 2013
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Spelman pleads with Council to hold the line on city spending
As Council members entered the final three days of deliberations over the city’s FY2014 budget, Council Member Bill Spelman emerged as an unlikely ally to Mayor Lee Leffingwell’s hawkish budget position. As part of Monday’s budget discussion, Spelman presented…
Uncategorized • By Michael Kanin • Sep 10, 2013
Council members struggle to expand funding for city’s park system
Council members took turns Monday appropriating a total of $4.75 million in FY2014 Parks and Recreation budget dollars requested by an advocacy group over the past several weeks. In the end, however, the funding may be subject to phasing –…
Uncategorized • By Michael Kanin • Sep 10, 2013
Council agrees to maintain property taxes at nominal rate
Following the lead of Mayor Lee Leffingwell, Austin City Council members moved quickly Monday to declare that they would leave the city’s property tax rate where it was for FY2013, at 50.29 cents per $100 of property tax valuation –…
Uncategorized • By Michael Kanin • Sep 10, 2013
Tired of waiting, ZAP approves subdivision with stakeholders absent
Weary of continued postponements, the Zoning and Platting Commission approved a north central Austin subdivision last week, despite the absence of the developer and neighborhood representatives at the meeting. The commission voted in favor of the subdivision at 5409 Shoalwood…
Uncategorized • By Elizabeth Pagano • Sep 9, 2013
Spelman proposes fund for Council projects outside budget
Items brought by Austin City Council members over the past year that depend on funding not already carved out in the FY2013 budget amount to well over $14 million in additional costs for that budget year. The figure includes $10…
Uncategorized • By Michael Kanin • Sep 9, 2013
Parks Board splits over plan for metered parking at Butler Shores
Plans to meter parking at Butler Shores Ball Fields divided the Parks and Recreation Board on last week and sparked a discussion about metering at city parks in general. Motions were made both in favor of and against installation…
