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Jo Clifton is the Politics Editor for the Austin Monitor.
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Stories by Jo Clifton
Mayor, manager at odds over requiring vaccinations
On Wednesday, Mayor Steve Adler urged City Manager Spencer Cronk to require all city employees to be vaccinated against Covid-19, with a few exceptions. His comments came in an emailed press release. A few hours later, a city spokesperson released…
Public Health • By Jo Clifton • Jul 29, 2021
Public safety looms over city budget talks
The plea for more staff at Austin-Travis County Emergency Medical Services has reached City Council’s ears. The majority of Council members expressed a desire at Tuesday’s work session to increase that funding for next year, as requested by Selena Xie,…
Public Safety • By Jo Clifton • Jul 28, 2021
Council members seek better system to help troubled officers
In response to an audit that found Austin Police Department is using an outdated system to identify police officers in need of help, interim Police Chief Joseph Chacon told the City Council Audit & Finance Committee Wednesday that while his…
Police • By Jo Clifton • Jul 22, 2021
Audit finds APD failing officers who need help
The Austin Police Department’s system for identifying officers in need of help and connecting them with support or wellness services is failing both the officers and the department, according to an audit released Tuesday. The audit, which was conducted by…
Police • By Jo Clifton • Jul 21, 2021
Mayor Steve Adler on meeting the challenges of 2021
The city and its leaders have faced multiple challenges in the past 16 months: Covid-19, homelessness, Winter Storm Uri and the failure of the Texas power grid, and the Texas Legislature’s continuing attempts to limit the choices Austin and other…
Austin • By Jo Clifton • Jul 20, 2021
Sale prices soaring for Austin-area homes
In the first six months of 2021, the Austin Board of Realtors reported, the median price of homes in the city of Austin has increased nearly 31 percent to $530,000. Even more eye-popping, for the month of June, ABoR said…
Housing • By Jo Clifton • Jul 16, 2021
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Report: Ex-AE employee misused city resources, lied to auditors
An investigation by the Office of the City Auditor found that a former utility accounts specialist at Austin Energy misused his city computer and email to benefit his secondary employment and failed to do work assigned to him, forcing the…
City Hall • By Jo Clifton • Jul 15, 2021
Firefighters' leader says department needs more funds
When City Manager Spencer Cronk presented the Fiscal Year 2021-22 budget to City Council last week, he noted that the new Loop 360 fire/EMS station would be opening in the coming fiscal year. According to the manager’s budget document, the…
Fire • By Jo Clifton • Jul 14, 2021
City budget proposal gives taxpayers a break
Despite a pandemic that still ravages parts of the country and in the face of hostile legislation from the state, Austin “has come through the many challenges of the past year in as good or better shape than any big…
Budget • By Jo Clifton • Jul 13, 2021
Judge denies Virden's request for injunction
Federal District Judge Robert Pitman has denied political candidate Jennifer Virden’s request for a preliminary injunction to prevent the city from enforcing its campaign finance law. Virden immediately filed an appeal. Virden, who lost in a runoff last December to…
Local Politics • By Jo Clifton • Jul 2, 2021
Goodwin wins suit against Bee Cave Council
Bee Cave’s mayor and City Council members acted illegally last year when they voted to remove one of their members – Bill Goodwin – from the Council, according to a ruling from Travis County District Judge Lora Livingston. Livingston ruled…
Courts • By Jo Clifton • Jun 30, 2021
Parties seek election judges, workers for March
Even though March 2022 seems far away, Democrats and Republicans are gearing up for the March 1 primary elections. Part of that is appointing election judges and other polling place workers. Travis County Democratic Party Chair Katie Naranjo has been…
