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City Hall
Parks Dept. looks to move forward with new, scaled-back Dougherty Arts Center
The replacement for the deteriorating Dougherty Arts Center will move forward in a phased approach, without the underground parking called for previously by City Council, in an attempt to dramatically reduce the cost of the new facility. During the Tuesday…
Budget • By Chad Swiatecki • Mar 20, 2024
For the first time in 20 years, more people are leaving Travis County than moving in
Lee esta historia en español Between July 2022 and July 2023, roughly 2,500 more people moved out of Travis County than moved in. This figure, which comes out of population estimates released by the U.S. Census Bureau last week, marks…
Austin • By Audrey McGlinchy, KUT • Mar 20, 2024
Black arts collective wants progress on city's African American cultural district
An East Austin arts nonprofit is looking to organize musicians, artists and other creatives for job opportunities and to put pressure on the city to move forward with building out plans for the African American Culture and Heritage District that…
Austin • By Chad Swiatecki • Mar 19, 2024
Visit Austin offers look at strategy to support hotels during convention center closure
Staff from Visit Austin plan to aggressively market the city to new and recurring visitors in the coming years as part of a three-part strategy to support the local hotel and convention industry during the four-year closure of the Austin…
Austin • By Chad Swiatecki • Mar 18, 2024
SXSW is accused of cozying up to ‘war profiteers.’ Musicians are boycotting.
Austin percussionist Thor Harris has been playing South by Southwest since the ramshackle days, when the festival was a platform for up-and-coming musicians hoping to be discovered by music industry insiders. This year, it’s different. “I’ve played hundreds of other…
Austin • By Andrew Weber, KUT • Mar 14, 2024
City preps for eclipse visitors at a pace to rival SXSW nights
Next month’s solar eclipse is expected to bring a short boost for local hotels that could match some of the nine-day stretch of South by Southwest. Austin’s location as one of the most opportune viewing spots in the path of…
Austin • By Chad Swiatecki • Mar 7, 2024
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Austin public safety agencies roll out electronic payroll system
Austin’s public safety agencies – the Austin Fire Department, the Austin Police Department and Austin-Travis County EMS – are in various stages of rolling out an electronic payroll system in an effort to streamline scheduling and other logistical tasks. The…
City Hall • By Emma Freer • Mar 7, 2024
TipSheet: Austin City Council, 3.7.24
Today, City Council will convene for a normal Thursday meeting, and we’ve put together a few of the items on this week’s (short!) agenda that caught our eye. Proposed changes to environmental protections on the Ann and Roy Butler Hike…
TipSheets • By Elizabeth Pagano • Mar 7, 2024
Music Commission's $3M budget request includes HAAM funds, marketing program
The Music Commission has asked the city for just over $3 million in the next budget to expand some existing programs and provide added economic and medical assistance for local musicians. At Monday’s meeting, the commission unanimously approved six requests…
Budget • By Chad Swiatecki • Mar 6, 2024
County commissioners prepare for a complicated budget season
Each year, the Travis County Planning and Budget Office presents its budget guidelines for the upcoming fiscal year to the Travis County Commissioners Court, furnishing the court with important data and forecasts while launching talks about further planning efforts. On…
Budget • By Nick Erichson • Mar 5, 2024
HAAM seeks $500K in next year’s city budget to fund local musicians’ insurance
Health Alliance for Austin Musicians is seeking ongoing support from the city and possibly Travis County to cover the costs of subsidized health insurance coverage for more than 2,000 local musicians annually. Tonight’s Music Commission meeting will feature a presentation…
Budget • By Chad Swiatecki • Mar 4, 2024
As Council prepped public support, local Google workers learned of layoffs
Some private-sector workplace drama took place in real time during Thursday’s City Council meeting, with a group of local Google workers learning they’d lost their jobs while commenting on a proposed city resolution intended to support their cause. On the…
