Keeping an eye on local government
Get updates on happenings in and around Austin, Texas with The Austin Independent.
Topics include Land Development Code, Local Elections, the Presidential Election, Corona Virus updates and more
Most Recent Entry
The Christmas Season is Here — Time for an Austin Runoff Election
I was hoping to take December completely off to celebrate the holiday season, but I ultimately decided that, as the publisher of a local news source, I have a responsibility to remind readers that there is a runoff election for City Council on Saturday December 14....
Council Election Results – Mostly More of the Same
If you like the current make-up of the Austin City Council then you should be really happy with the recent Council election results. In fact it looks like the Council “progressive” supermajority — the one that merged progressive politics with the best interests of...
Council’s Lone Republican Loses Seat – Plus a Heretical Look at the Wisdom of November Elections for Mayor and Council
Given how long it’s been since the election I’m guessing that most readers already know how the District 6 race (far northwest Austin) turned out. Incumbent Mackenzie Kelly lost to challenger Krista Laine by less than 1,000 votes, 51% to 49%. I’m just going to...
Demographic Dreams of Texas Democrats Crash Into Reality Along the Border
The day before the election last week I made a rare foray into commenting on national politics. I mean, it was the presidential election. Everybody has a take on that. Given the widespread feeling that the race was a toss up, I listed five reasons Donald Trump might...
Why Trump Might Win, Why Harris Might Win – A Last Minute Look at Factors That Could Determine the Outcome
The Austin Independent is primarily a journal about local government and politics, but we reserve the right to occasionally comment on national affairs. It has been a long time since we did so, but now seems like the right time. What follows is just a list I made of...
Watson Delivers the Police Contract — As Election Nears
Well, love him, hate him, or indifferent, you have to give Kirk Watson credit for getting the police contract over the finish line. It passed on a vote of 10 to 1 (Zo Qadri voting no) after an even more raucous than usual public hearing. It wasn’t just Watson. This...
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