Austin’s city manager fired over botched winter storm response
Spencer Cronk, who headed the city since 2018, fell out of favor with council members after communication failures that mirrored problems from the 2021 winter storm. Full Story
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Joshua Fechter is the Dallas-based urban affairs reporter for The Texas Tribune, covering policy — including housing affordability, housing and property taxes, evictions, policing and transportation — and politics in Texas' major metropolitan areas. Before joining the Tribune in August 2021, Joshua covered City Hall for the San Antonio Express-News. He holds a bachelor's degree in journalism from the University of Texas at Austin.
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![Austin City Manager Spencer Cronk sits in a special called city council meeting at Austin City Hall on Feb. 15, 2023.]()
Credit: Eddie Gaspar/The Texas Tribune -
A new winter storm and old problems raise questions about Austin leaders’ response to crises
As newly elected Austin Mayor Kirk Watson and a City Council with an array of fresh faces review their first major crisis, the city’s top officials once again find themselves trying to figure out why the city botched its response to a significant weather event. Full Story
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![Austin Mayor Kirk Watson speaks with the press to discuss the city's response to mass power outages after a ice storm, at the Combined Transportation, Emergency, and Communications Center in Austin on Feb. 3, 2023.]()
Credit: Evan L'Roy/The Texas Tribune -
Austin city manager’s job could be on the line after winter storm response
Austin City Council members will evaluate Spencer Cronk’s employment during their Thursday meeting. Cronk was hired in 2017. Full Story
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![Austin City Mangaer Spencer Cronk gives the opening remarks during the Swearing in Ceremony for police chief Joseph Chacon at the LifeAustin Muller Church in Austin on Oct. 29, 2021. Chacon will be Austin's 10th police chief.]()
Credit: Evan L'Roy for The Texas Tribune -
Texas cities debate costly infrastructure investments in age of extreme weather
Experts say local governments should prioritize extreme weather preparedness. Cost can be a deterring factor. Full Story
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![Holly Phillips, an employee at 7-Eleven, finally waits for a bus to get home after she was stuck in the store for two nights as the roads iced over and other employees were not able to come in to take over her shift as winter weather moved through Dallas on Feb. 2, 2023.]()
Credit: Shelby Tauber for The Texas Tribune -
Here’s what you need to know about the fight over property tax cuts in the Texas Legislature
Republicans are wrestling over how much of the state’s nearly $33 billion budget surplus to spend on property taxes. Democrats have their own ideas about what to do with the cash. Full Story
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![An Aerial image of a suburban neighborhood in San Marcos on October 18, 2021.]()
Credit: Jordan Vonderhaar for The Texas Tribune -
Newly elected Austin Mayor Kirk Watson hopes to find common ground to solve city’s housing crisis
The former state senator, returning for a second term as Austin’s mayor, spoke at a Texas Tribune event about how he can help reframe the conversation on affordability and the city’s relationship with state leadership. Full Story
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Austin voters elect Kirk Watson, who served as mayor two decades ago, to lead the city again
Watson, a former state senator who was Austin’s mayor from 1997 to 2001, pitched himself as a back-to-basics candidate who could ease the city’s growing affordability crisis. Full Story
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![State Rep. Celia Israel and former State Sen. Kirk Watson debate on ATX Decides, hosted by Austin PBS at Studio 919 on Monday, Dec. 5, 2022.]()
Credit: Azul Sordo/The Texas Tribune -
How Austin’s housing crisis has shaped the race for a new mayor
The capital city’s mayoral race is something of a test case in how the state’s rising housing costs might influence local races in major cities. Full Story
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![State Rep. Celia Israel and former State Sen. Kirk Watson debate on ATX Decides, hosted by Austin PBS at Studio 919 on Monday, Dec. 5, 2022.]()
Credit: Azul Sordo/The Texas Tribune -
Suspect in Vanessa Guillén’s killing pleads guilty
The 20-year-old Fort Hood soldier’s murder prompted nationwide outrage and calls to reform the way the military addresses sexual violence within its ranks. Full Story
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![People gather outside of Power House Gym in Houston to honor Army Specialist Vanessa Guillen on July 5, 2020.]()
Credit: Briana Vargas for The Texas Tribune -
Herschel Walker, running for U.S. Senate in Georgia, still gets tax break on $3 million Texas residence
Under Texas law, homeowners can claim a homestead exemption only on their primary residence. The GOP Senate candidate registered to vote in Georgia last year. Full Story
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![Herschel Walker, candidate for U.S. Senate in Georgia, speaks during a campaign stop on Thursday Nov. 18, 2022 in Savannah, Georgia.]()
Credit: Richard Burkhart/USA TODAY NETWORK via REUTERS