City Council members pushed back against some of the steps taken by staff over the past year to work out a complex swap of city parkland approved by voters last year. During Tuesday’s work session, Mayor Pro Tem Alison Alter used discussion of Item 60 on today’s agenda to question the appraisal process used to […]
November 2021 elections
Posted inBonds & Propositions
Voters soundly reject Prop A throughout city
Austin voters resoundingly rejected Proposition A on Tuesday’s ballot, which became clear as soon as Travis County Clerk Dana DeBeauvoir released the early vote numbers. With more than 85,000 early votes cast, more than 67 percent of early voters said they were opposed to the proposition from Save Austin Now, and less than 33 percent […]
Posted inBonds & Propositions
Approval of Prop B allows for potential land swap between city, Oracle
Voters strongly approved a ballot proposal Tuesday that allows the city to begin the process of trading a small piece of parkland for a much larger parcel, along with receiving other significant financial commitments from technology company Oracle, which recently relocated its headquarters to Austin. As of late Tuesday night, Proposition B was winning with 87,152 […]
Posted inEMS
Pflugerville area voters making decisions about EMS service
Travis County commissioners Jeff Travillion and Brigid Shea are urging voters they represent in Pflugerville and its extraterritorial jurisdiction to vote in favor of two propositions on today’s ballot that would expand the geographic boundaries of Travis County Emergency Services District No. 17 to include those areas. The vote comes in the midst of a […]
Posted inCity Hall
Commission’s move to support PAC deemed an ethical slippery slope
At its monthly meeting Oct. 12, the Community Development Commission unanimously passed a recommendation to endorse the No Way on Prop A political campaign and join the list of endorsing organizations on the campaign’s website. The author of the endorsement, Kendra Garrett, a second-term CDC member, said that Proposition A “reinforces poverty,” which stands opposed […]
Posted inBonds & Propositions
Prop A would mandate 2 police officers per 1,000 residents. Where does that ratio come from?
What’s in a ratio? A lot, if voters are being asked to mandate one. Proposition A, one of two local measures on the Nov. 2 ballot, asks Austinites if they want to set a minimum staffing ratio for the Austin Police Department: 2 police officers per 1,000 residents. Save Austin Now, the group behind Prop A, […]
Posted inBonds & Propositions
Texans will decide on eight constitutional amendments this election. Here’s what they mean.
Lee esta historia en español. This Nov. 2 election, Texans have the chance to vote on eight amendments to the state constitution. What would each amendment actually do? Read our voter guide below to find out. Early voting began Monday and ends Oct. 29. State of Texas Proposition 1 What it says: “The constitutional amendment authorizing […]
Posted inBonds & Propositions
Attorney raises questions about wording of Prop B
No sooner had we explained the ins and outs of Proposition B on the Nov. 2 ballot when attorney Bill Aleshire came along and attempted to show that the ballot language is misleading and may not give the city the authority it needs to swap properties. In a lengthy email to the Austin Monitor, Aleshire […]
Posted inBonds & Propositions
Prop B: City to vote on East Austin parkland swap
Austin voters will have a chance in the Nov. 2 election to authorize the city to trade nine acres of city-owned parkland for at least 48 acres of waterfront property that will complete the existing John Treviño Park. The nine-acre parcel, while legally dedicated parkland, has never been used as anything but the site of […]
Posted inBonds & Propositions
Firefighters considering whether to oppose Prop A
Austin firefighters are considering whether to oppose Proposition A, a proposal on the Nov. 2 ballot that would require the city of Austin to spend between $54 million and $119 million more on police officers each year, according to Austin’s Chief Financial Officer Ed Van Eenoo. Opponents note that the likely result of such new […]
Posted inCourts
Both sides claim victory in Prop A ballot language ruling
Save Austin Now, the political action committee behind Proposition A, which would require the city of Austin to hire two police officers for every 1,000 Austin residents, claimed victory Wednesday when the Texas Supreme Court ruled that the city must change its ballot language. But the city may have won the most important element of […]
Posted inBonds & Propositions
Petition-backed measure to mandate police staffing will go to Austin voters
A ballot measure that would set a mandatory minimum for police staffing in Austin is on its way to voters. The city clerk on Tuesday certified petition signatures from the group Save Austin Now, paving the way for a November referendum. If passed, the ballot measure would require the city to employ two officers per […]