AUSTIN CITY COUNCIL - Austin/Round Rock/San Marcos - YNN

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City Council Forums: Mayor

Council Forums

Incumbent Lee Leffingwell and challenger Clay Dafoe are vying for the title of Austin’s mayor this year. The candidates participated in a forum with YNN’s Heidi Zhou-Castro and Jeff Stensland about the issues that matter most to Austinites.

Austin City Council Forums: Place 6

Incumbent Sheryl Cole and challenger Shaun Ireland are vying for Place 6 on Austin City Council this year. The candidates participated in a forum with YNN’s Heidi Zhou-Castro and Jeff Stensland about the issues that matter most to Austinites.

Austin City Council Forums: Place 5

Incumbent Bill Spelman and challengers John F. Duffy, John A. Rubine, R. A. “Bo” Prudente, Audrey “Tina” Cannon, Dominic “Dom” Chavez and David Y. Conley are vying for Place 5 on Austin City Council this year. The candidates participated in a forum with YNN’s Heidi Zhou-Castro and Jeff Stensland about the issues that matter most to Austinites. Conley declined the invitation to participate.

Austin City Council Forums: Place 2

Incumbent Mike Martinez and challenger Laura Pressley are vying for Place 2 on Austin City Council this year. The two candidates participated in a forum with YNN’s Heidi Zhou-Castro and Jeff Stensland about the issues that matter most to Austinites.

Council members pitch Austin Energy rate hike plan

A few Austin City Council members think they have a rate hike Austin Energy leaders and customers will accept. If approved, it would be phased in over three years and give Austin Energy 20-million dollars less than it wanted.

Low number of voters turn out for municipal elections

Saturday’s elections saw some of the lowest voter turnout in Austin’s history. Officials say this year’s municipal election is panning out to be lower than the 11 percent reported in 2009.

Incumbents sweep Austin city elections

Incumbent Mayor Lee Leffingwell won his election against Brigid Shea and Clay Dafoe. Mike Martinez beat out challenger Laura Pressley taking 56 percent of the vote. In Place 5, Bill Spelman came out with almost 58 percent of the vote. Mayor Pro Tem Sheryl Cole won Place 6 with 71 percent of the vote.

Speak Up Austin: Revamping Airport Boulevard

Austin city leaders want to try a new approach to redevelopment. The city's finishing up a pilot project that will change how properties along Airport Boulevard between I-35 and Lamar Boulevard are zoned. It looks at how businesses and homes relate to the street, how they look and accessibility of the entire neighborhood. It's known as form-based code, and if implemented, would be the first time Austin followed the style of zoning.

<span style="color:#CC0000"><em>Speak Up Austin: </em></span>Revamping Airport Boulevard

Speak Up Austin: Share your voice on bond election

Austinites have their chance this week to tell city leaders how they want their tax dollars spent. In this "Speak Up Austin," learn about the Bond Election Task Force tasked with determining what to ask from taxpayers come November.

<span style="color:#CC0000"><em>Speak Up Austin: </em></span>Share your voice on bond election

Speak Up Austin: Preparing Austin homes for wildfire

Following last year's devastating wildfires, local fire officials are doing what they can to prepare the public for the next blaze.

<span style="color:#CC0000"><em>Speak Up Austin: </em></span>Preparing Austin homes for wildfire

‘Truth-O-Meter’ busts council, mayoral candidates claims

AUSTIN CITY COUNCIL

Did Lee Leffingwell really raise property taxes by 20 percent in three years? Get to the bottom of some of the claims made by city council and mayoral candidates this election season. The editor of the Austin American-Statesman's PolitiFact Texas, Gardner Selby, stopped by the YNN studios to shed light on some of the statements flying around city hall.

‘Truth-O-Meter’ busts council, mayoral candidates claims

Updated 05/12/2012 11:44 AM

Place 5 candidates cram in campaigning before Election Day

AUSTIN CITY COUNCIL

Candidates running for Austin city council and mayoral seats are in the final stretch. Council Member Bill Spelman ran unopposed in 2009, but this year, he's facing six challengers. YNN's City Reporter Jeff Stensland followed a few of those candidates running for Place 5 as the hours run out.

Place 5 candidates cram in campaigning before Election Day

05/11/2012 06:00 PM

Mayoral candidates participate in down-to-wire forum

AUSTIN CITY COUNCIL

The three people campaigning to be Austin's next mayor say they have plenty planned between now and Election Day, Saturday, but they could not promise they'll make it there without more mudslinging. YNN's City Reporter Jeff Stensland caught up with the candidates at a debate Tuesday.

Mayoral candidates participate in down-to-wire forum

05/08/2012 05:53 PM

Leffingwell campaign fires back at Shea claims

AUSTIN CITY COUNCIL

As Election Day draws closer, accusations fly between two of the three candidates in the Austin mayor's race. The latest came from the Lee Leffingwell campaign, accusing opponent Brigid Shea of soliciting to be a contractor for Circuit of the Americas, the Formula One track in Southeast Travis County.

Leffingwell campaign fires back at Shea claims

05/08/2012 10:48 AM

Shea accuses Leffingwell of ‘bundling’ thousands from F1 stakeholders

AUSTIN CITY COUNCIL

Campaign politics are heating up as Austin's municipal election draws closer. Austin mayoral candidate Brigid Shea says her opponent, current Austin Mayor Lee Leffingwell, did not properly report nearly $8,000 he received from Formula One interests last week.

Shea accuses Leffingwell of ‘bundling’ thousands from F1 stakeholders

Updated 05/08/2012 07:38 AM

Mayoral candidates fill weekend with last-minute campaigning

AUSTIN CITY COUNCIL

Austin mayoral candidates hit the campaign trail hard this weekend in an effort to get their last-minute message out to voters. Municipal elections are May 12, and early voting is already underway.

Mayoral candidates fill weekend with last-minute campaigning

05/06/2012 10:59 AM

Council approves $740K ticket machines for APD

AUSTIN CITY COUNCIL

The Austin City Council voted Thursday to buy electronic ticket machines for APD. The machines, estimated to cost $740,000, scan bar codes on vehicle registration stickers and magnetic strips on Texas driver’s licenses.

Council approves $740K ticket machines for APD

04/26/2012 04:26 PM

Citizen panel could draw lines for 10-1 city representation

AUSTIN CITY COUNCIL

The Austin City Council is slated to vote on guidelines for a 15-citizen panel to draw boundary lines for 10 city council member districts that would serve a specific part of town. All of the current council members live within five miles of city hall, and none live south of Lady Bird Lake.

Citizen panel could draw lines for 10-1 city representation

Updated 04/25/2012 07:20 AM

RunTex owner signs contract with city to revive Trail of Lights

AUSTIN CITY COUNCIL

RunTex owner Paul Carrozza has signed a contract with the city to bring back the Austin holiday tradition, the Trail of Lights. City budgetary woes have put a strain on the event over the past few years, put Carrozza hopes to revive the event without taking a dime from taxpayers.

RunTex owner signs contract with city to revive Trail of Lights

04/24/2012 06:33 PM

Rio Grande bicycle boulevard opens

AUSTIN CITY COUNCIL

City officials celebrated the opening of its new bicycle boulevard Monday. Bicyclists made the inaugural ride on the Rio Grande Roadway. The two-lane cycle track runs from Martin Luther King Drive to 24th Street.

04/24/2012 10:01 AM

Martinez: 'Gentleman’s agreement' vital to city representation

AUSTIN CITY COUNCIL

East Austin Mexican-American political leaders are joining forces to try to preserve a "gentleman’s agreement" in the upcoming city council election. Council Member Mike Martinez said Monday he wants to preserve the unspoken agreement that one Hispanic and one African-American member serve on council at all times, a tradition dating back to the 1970s.

Martinez: 'Gentleman’s agreement' vital to city representation

Updated 04/24/2012 07:15 AM

Council considers tax hike to evade budget gap

AUSTIN CITY COUNCIL

The Austin City Council conducted a work session Wednesday about the city’s budget for the next five years. Members of the council are proposing a 1.8 cent tax increase to avoid a $15.1 million shortfall.

Council considers tax hike to evade budget gap

04/18/2012 06:44 PM

Speak Up Austin: Imagine Austin to go before Council

AUSTIN CITY COUNCIL

Imagine Austin, the plan for the city's long-term future, is slated to go before Austin's City Council soon. Council members will be briefed on the plan and the public's input before a final public hearing will be held. Learn how to have your voice heard in this "Speak Up Austin."

<span style="color:#CC0000"><em>Speak Up Austin: </em></span>Imagine Austin to go before Council

04/15/2012 12:28 PM

Council postpones vote on sale of Green Water plant

AUSTIN CITY COUNCIL

Thursday, the Austin City Council postponed a vote on whether or not to sell the valuable block that used to house the Green Water Treatment Plant in downtown Austin. A development firm wants to turn the space into a mixed-use area, including apartments, condos, office and retail space.