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.
Summary On July 12th, Austin City Manager T.C. Broadnax released a draft of the new city budget for next year. Action Box Attend a budget town hall meeting. The city manager just released a draft of the city’s budget for next year. Keep scrolling to
Summary On July 12th, Austin City Manager T.C. Broadnax released a draft of the new city budget for next year. Action Box Attend a budget town hall meeting. Want to get involved in our city’s budget process? Here’s your guide… You can figure out which
Summary On May 21st, The Austin Common cohosted a Price Is Right event about the city’s budget with KUT, Austin PBS, and Good Politics. Action Box Tell the city how it should spend next year’s budget! Click the badge above to fill out an online
Summary This video is from the Price Is Right city budget event we cohosted with KUT, Austin PBS, and Good Politics on May 21st. Action Box Share your thoughts on the City of Austin’s budget for next year by taking a short online survey before
Summary This video is from the Price Is Right city budget event we cohosted with KUT, Austin PBS, and Good Politics on May 21st. Action Box Share your thoughts on the City of Austin’s budget for next year by taking a short online survey. The survey allows
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 It’s budget season for the City of Austin! In August City Council will approve next year’s multi-billion budget. Action Box Have thoughts on the city’s budget? Click the badge above to email your Council member and let them know! Where do your property taxes
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