Local government is important. It’s the branch of government that affects your life the most, and yet, many of us can barely remember the name of our mayor or City Council member. That’s why we break it all down for you in a way that’s clear, easy-to-understand, and even a little fun. No PhD in poli sci needed!
New to The Austin Common? Here’s two ways we suggest learning more about local government:
#1 – Get yourself a copy of “A Beginner’s Guide To Local Government: Austin Edition.”
#2 – Start reading our Civics 101 news stories, conveniently laid out for you below.
On December 7th, Austin City Council will vote on the HOME Initiative, a proposal to allow up to three housing units to be built on single-family lots. The idea is to increase the city’s supply of “missing middle” housing, but like so many debates related
Summary Austin City Council is voting on the HOME initiative on December 7th. Action Box Have thoughts on the HOME Initiative? Click on the badge above to sign up to speak at the December 7th Council meeting. On December 7th, Austin City Council will vote
Summary Last week, Interim City Manager Jesús Garza released a $5.5 billion budget proposal for the City of Austin. Action Box Attend a budget town hall! Check out our community calendar for a list of upcoming dates/times. It’s budget season at the City of Austin!
Summary On May 13th, the city’s policing partnership with DPS was abruptly put on pause. Action Box Keep an eye on our Instagram page for updates on the DPS-APD partnership & opportunities to share your thoughts with local elected officials. Been seeing a lot of
Summary On Election Day, voters overwhelmingly approved Prop A & rejected Prop B, expressing support for stronger civilian oversight of our city’s police department. Action Box Keep an eye on our Instagram page for updates on how the new police contract negotiations are progressing. Election
Summary Prop A & Prop B are both on the ballot because of citizen signature drives and both are related to police oversight and accountability… but they’re actually very different from each other. Action Box Don’t forget to vote! Election Day is May 6th and
Summary Last month, Austin City Council voted to fire City Manager Spencer Cronk in a 10-1 vote. Action Box Keep an eye out for upcoming public engagement opportunities on the selection of Austin’s next city manager. Today, we’ve got a little civics lessons for ya!
There’s been a lot of news lately over Austin’s police contract. In this episode, we break it all down for you & explain what police contracts even are, the ways they impact accountability and staffing, and how an upcoming election could impact the future of
Summary TxDOT has plans to expand I-35 through downtown Austin. Action Box Click the badge above to participate in the virtual public hearing. Been seeing a lot of headlines about I-35? Not sure what exactly is going on? We go over all the basics with
By now, you’ve probably heard there are plans to expand I-35 through downtown Austin… but what does that mean exactly? And what will the impact be for our community? And the climate? We cover it all in this episode of The Austin Common Radio
Summary City Council held a special-called meeting this week to vote on what comes next for our city’s police contract. Action Box Don’t forget to vote! Props A & B will be on the ballot in May. Update – This story was originally published on
Summary City Council held a work session this week to learn more about the power outages … and how the city can better respond to future emergencies. Action Box Need help with storm recovery? Click the badge above to access the city’s virtual resource center.