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 November 2nd, there will be two local City of Austin propositions & eight statewide propositions on the ballot. Action Box Don’t forget to vote! Early voting begins October 18th and lasts through October 29th. Election Day is on November 2nd. Early voting has
Summary On November 2nd, there will be two local City of Austin propositions on the ballot. Prop B is about a land swap that has the potential to bring more parkland to Austin. Action Box Don’t forget to vote! Early voting begins October 18th and
Summary On November 2nd, there will be two local City of Austin propositions on the ballot. Prop A is about police budgets & staffing. Action Box Don’t forget to vote! Early voting begins October 18th and lasts through October 29th. Election Day is on November
Summary A new report shows that Austin is falling really short of meeting its affordable housing goals. Action Box You can learn more about HousingWorks Austin and their affordable housing advocacy work at HousingWorksAustin.org. There’s been a lot of talk lately about housing affordability in
Summary Austin’s homelessness policies and programs have changed a lot over the past year. With our latest post, we provide an update on everything from Prop B enforcement to the city’s new HEAL Initiative. Action Box The Other Ones Foundation is raising money to build
Summary TxDOT has released several proposals for major changes to I-35, which include lowering the highway & expanding it to 20 lanes in some sections. Action Box Share your feedback on the future of I-35 with TxDOT at CapExCentral.Mobility35openHouse.com Been reading a bunch of headlines
Summary Each year, Mayor Steve Adler delivers a State The City Address. This year he talked about everything from policing to homelessness. Action Box You can watch the entire speech for yourself on ATXN. Just click here. On Monday evening, Mayor Steve Adler gave his
Summary In 2020, Travis County hired its first-ever chief public defender, marking a major change in the way our region handles defense for those who can’t afford a lawyer. Action Box Learn more about our county’s new chief public defender by listening to Episode 20
Austin has 10 City Council members who are elected to represent you. But who are these people? What do they do all day? In this episode of The Austin Common Radio Hour, host Amy Stansbury gets to know one of them, City Council Member
Summary On July 9th, Austin City Manager Spencer Cronk released a draft version of the city’s new 2021 – 2022 budget. Action Box Share your thoughts on the city budget with your City Council member. Email or call their office and attend an upcoming community
Summary On June 15th, the Travis County Commissioners Court will decide whether or not to build a new $79 million women’s jail. Action Box Have thoughts on what the Travis County Commissioners Court should do? Send an email to Commissioners-Court@traviscountytx.gov. On June 15th, our local
Summary On May 1st, 57 percent of Austin voters approved Prop B. Earlier this week, the city manager unveiled the city’s plan for enforcing it. Action Box Donate to a local nonprofit organization that is helping to serve & house Austinites experiencing homelessness. Keep reading