Columbus
The Austin Bulldog
Commissioners order Central Health performance audit, again
The audit was ordered August 2nd but the final scope of work had to be approved. “It ain’t over till it’s over” is an oft repeated phrase first uttered by American baseball legend Yogi Berra. When he said that he was coaching the New York Mets in 1973 and his team was way behind in the pennant race. The the Mets went on to win the National League Pennant.
Want to get elected but not be accountable?
More than a third of candidates failed to file required personal financial reports that allow the public to monitor elected officials for possible conflicts of interest. Candidates running for mayor and city council are, in effect, seeking decision-making authority to oversee a City of Austin budget totaling $5 billion. Yet...
Israel and Watson vie for endorsements of influential Democrat groups
Mayoral contest between two career politicians leaves progressives divided or uncommitted. Mayor Steve Adler, who forged a tenuous alliance between progressives and Austin’s business community, is in his final few months in office. Several leading progressives have also recently left the council. The charismatic Greg Casar, a Democratic Socialist,...
Mayor and council candidates rake up $2.3 million
Updated 10:01am September 8, 2022, to upload and link the Petitions for a Place on the City General Election Ballot for the seven candidates whose petitions were sufficient. Updated 10:18am September 8, 2022, to include information about disbursements from the Austin Fair Campaign Finance Fund for the runoff elections of 2016, 2018, and 2020, as well as the current balance in the fund.
Appraisal District board approves $25.7 million budget
Fiscal Year 2023 budget increased nearly 13 percent over FY 2022. The board of Travis Central Appraisal District voted unanimously Thursday to approve a proposed FY 2023 budget of $25,683,866. That’s up 12.72 percent over the FY 2022 budget of $22,786,110. The budget covers calendar year 2023 and will take effect January 1st.
Urbanists vie to replace council member Kathie Tovo
Updated 2:30pm August 20, 2022, to correct the misattribution of a quotation and to correct Tom Wald’s age. Outgoing District 9 Council Member Kathie Tovo, who fought the CodeNEXT rewrite of Austin’s Land Development Code, could soon be replaced by a candidate with different views on development. Tovo...
Let the mayor and council campaigns begin
35 candidates are vying for a piece of the power to govern Austin. The deadline for filing an application to be on the November 8th ballot was 5pm tonight. Thirty-five ballot applications have been filed, processed, and published on the City Clerk’s website. The field is now set. We...
Delgado will not be on the District 3 ballot
Caldwell County judge was not able to provide clemency. Bertha Marie Rendon Delgado, 42, spoke to and wrote to Judge F.C. “Chris” Schneider of the 421st District Court of Caldwell County about getting judicial clemency that would allow her to be on the November 8th ballot. In 2007,...
Half the mayor and council candidates haven’t filed for a place on ballot
None of the eight running for the District 9 have applied yet. People declare themselves to be candidates for office when they file with the City Clerk to appoint a campaign treasurer. But they aren’t able to get their names on the ballot for the November 8th mayor and city council races until they file an application to do so.
Cosmetics executive runs for mayor on message of unity, ‘cooperation’
Gary S. Spellman, a cosmetics executive and philanthropist, is running a long-shot campaign for Austin mayor promising a less divisive, more transparent approach to politics. “We’re stronger together. I’m 56 and I’ve never seen a time in our city where it’s been so divided,” Spellman said in an interview. “They want to put you in a red silo or a blue silo. It’s like if you root for A&M you can’t root for UT too. That’s what they want. And everything’s turned into that kind of ‘us against them’ and it’s not really that way.”
D3 candidate Delgado disqualified but seeks reinstatement
Felony conviction in 2007 bars Bertha Delgado from running for a city council seat, but she says she is seeking restoration of her rights. Bertha Marie Rendon Delgado, 41, has been notified by the City of Austin that her application for a place on the ballot has been rejected because of a felony conviction.
Candidates have voting records too
This story was updated at 9:42am August 12, 2022, to correct the middle name of District 9 candidate Zohaib Ahmad Qadri. When it comes to the 2022 Austin mayoral and City Council election set for November 8th, voters can examine the actual performance of the two incumbents seeking reelection. They are Natasha Nicole Harper-Madison in District 1 and Paige Johanna Ellis in District 8. Both were elected for the first time in 2018.
Central Health’s quest for Medical School accountability blocked by 2014 agreement
Board of Managers can’t get details on healthcare services medical school provides to patients at or below 200 percent of federal poverty level. The Travis County Commissioners Court voted unanimously July 26th to require that Central Health undergo an unprecedented independent performance audit. Commissioners voted again August 2nd to go with the tougher of two proposals for the scope of that audit.
Commissioners opt for tougher Central Health audit
Order for scope of work will be finalized with staff before the Commissioners Court votes on issuing a request for proposals. The Travis County Commissioners Court voted unanimously Tuesday to stick with the original proposal for an independent third-party performance audit of Central Health. Even Commissioner Ann Howard, who had...
Did Central Health reformers celebrate too soon?
Commissioner Ann Howard’s proposed resolution, if adopted, would significantly reduce the scope of work for an independent performance audit and let major providers go unexamined. When on July 26th the Travis County Commissioners Court voted unanimously to require that Central Health undergo a performance audit, it smelled like victory...
Council revives plan to use ‘blight’ law to subsidize luxury high rises
Subsidy plan previously put on ice gets another look, now valued at $330 million. The Austin City Council has revived discussions to grant special tax status to 118 acres of waterfront real estate in central Austin. The plan would divert property tax dollars from the city’s general fund to a...
Commissioners order Central Health performance audit
Independent audit would determine what healthcare services needy Travis County patients got in return for $280 million in taxpayer money given to UT Dell Medical School. The Travis County Commissioners Court last evening voted 5-0 to unanimously approve Commissioner Margaret Gomez’s motion to order that Central Health undergo an independent performance audit and pay for it.
Central Health critics ramp up pressure ahead of vote on audit
A group of healthcare and taxpayer advocates has stepped up criticism of Central Health, saying it lacks financial control over spending by its third-party providers and partners. Central Health, known legally as the Travis County Hospital District, is a local government agency mandated to provide healthcare services to the poor....
City manager proposes maximum legal property tax rate
Higher commercial tax bills will mitigate impact on homeowners. Austin City Manager Spencer Cronk proposed a budget Friday that sets a property tax rate at the maximum limit allowable under state law without triggering a tax election. “I’m very well aware that financial pressures are front and center on the...
Commissioners to order Central Health’s performance audit
Independent audit would determine what healthcare services needy Travis County patients got in return for $280 million in taxpayer money given to UT Dell Medical School. Today is Bastille Day, the French national holiday commemorating the storming of the fortress and prison in 1789 at the beginning of the French Revolution.
The Austin Bulldog
212+
Posts
263K+
Views
Nonprofit investigative reporting in the public interest
Welcome to NewsBreak, an open platform where diverse perspectives converge. Most of our content comes from established publications and journalists, as well as from our extensive network of tens of thousands of creators who contribute to our platform. We empower individuals to share insightful viewpoints through short posts and comments. It’s essential to note our commitment to transparency: our Terms of Use acknowledge that our services may not always be error-free, and our Community Standards emphasize our discretion in enforcing policies. We strive to foster a dynamic environment for free expression and robust discourse through safety guardrails of human and AI moderation. Join us in shaping the news narrative together.