The Austin city council has multiple top-level items on its August agenda including setting the budget and property tax rate as well as identifying locations for sanctioned homeless encampments.
If validated, Save Austin Now will have two successful petition efforts under its belt in less than a year.
The group aims to collect 50,000 signatures in 50 days to land the petition on the November 2021 ballot.
Austin voters elected to reinstate the public homeless camping ban that was in place before July 2019.
The City of Austin has enacted significant reforms to policing and public safety since 2017 including a massive budget cut and redirection for its police department.
Voters will get a say on the city's camping and laying policy on the May 1 ballot.
A hotel purchased by the City of Austin will provide 65 units of housing for homeless individuals. The city is poised to spend $9.5 million on a second hotel next week.
Catch up on the week's hottest stories in Texas politics with the reporting team at The Texan.
Mackenzie Kelly's upset over incumbent Jimmy Flannigan spurred by self-inflicted turmoil by the largely unified Austin City Council.
City of Austin voters will vote on the 20 percent tax rate increase that would fund a portion of a $7 billion public transit plan.
Earlier this year, the Austin City Council approved a quarter-budget cut from its police department. In the first eight months of 2020, some violent crime numbers — like murder, assault, and rape — have spiked.
Annexation of the Austin Police Department could become a legislative item next session due to the city council's massive cut to the department budget.
