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 Six candidates are running to be the next City Council member for District 5 in south Austin. Action Box Don’t forget to vote! Election Day is on November 8th and early voting begins on October 24th. It’s a big election year here in Austin,
Summary Six candidates are running to be the next City Council member for District 3 in south/east Austin. Action Box Don’t forget to vote! Election Day is on November 8th and early voting begins on October 24th. It’s a big election year here in Austin,
Summary In addition to voting, you can make a difference this election season by volunteering with a local political party. Action Box Become a precinct chair and help get out the vote in your neighborhood! Of course you’re going to vote in this upcoming election…
Summary Austin Mayor Steve Adler delivered his final State Of The City Address last week. Action Box Click the badge above to learn more about Finding Home ATX & how to support it. Mayor Adler highlighted this initiative (aimed at housing 3,000 people in the
Summary Austin City Manager Spencer Cronk just released a draft version of the city’s $5 billion budget for next year. Council will now take public testimony & make changes before approving the final version in August. Action Box Tell City Council what you think of
Summary Following the mass shooting in Uvalde that killed 21 people, city and state elected officials have discussed ways to prevent future tragedies and reduce gun deaths in Texas. Action Box Sign up to volunteer with Texas Gun Sense, a nonprofit & nonpartisan organization that
We’re back with another election episode! In this week’s episode, Austin Common Radio Hour host Amy Stansbury talks with Julie Oliver (of Ground Game Texas) about Prop A, which if passed, would effectively decriminalize marijuana in Austin and ban no-knock warrants by police. Don’t forget
Summary Cities have a big role to play in solving the climate crisis. Here in Austin, we have a Climate Equity Plan to guide emission reductions. Action Box Sign up for our climate-focused Civic Power up challenge (How To Save The World… Starting With Austin)
Summary The Travis County Democratic primary election includes important races on the national, state, and local level. Action Box Vote! Vote! Vote! Early voting begins on February 14th & Election Day is March 1st. You can find polling location info at VoteTravis.com. Primaries are important.
Our series on the March 2022 Texas primaries continues with an episode focused on several Texas Legislature races impacting the Central Texas community. In particular, this episode features candidates running in Texas House District 51 Democratic primary, including Claire Campos-O’Neal, Cody Arn, Maria Luisa “Lulu”
Summary An important race to decide who will be the next Travis County Commissioner representing Precinct 4 (southeast Travis County) is on the ballot for this March primary election. Action Box Vote! Vote! Vote! Early voting begins on February 14th & Election Day is March
Early voting for the Texas primaries starts on February 14th & Election Day is March 1st. The ballot is pretty long, but if you care about climate change, health care, and criminal justice reform, there are two really important local races on your ballot –