Austin City Council

Unicameral legislature of Austin, Texas

Austin City Council

Type
Type|

Unicameral

Leadership

Mayor

Kirk Watson (D)

Mayor Pro Tempore

Leslie Pool (D)

Structure
Seats| 10-1

Political groups

| officially nonpartisan

Majority

* Travis County Democratic Party (10)

Minority

* Travis County Republican (1)

Elections

Last election

| December 15, 2022 (runoff)
Meeting place
Austin City Hall
Website
Council Meeting Information

The Austin City Council is the unicameral legislature of the city of Austin, Texas, United States of America. The mayor is included as a member of the council and presides over all council meetings and ceremonies. The current mayor of Austin is Kirk Watson. The duty of the council is to decide the city budget, taxes, and various other ordinances.[1] While the council is officially nonpartisan,[2] all but one current council member are affiliated with the Democratic Party.

Before 2012, the council was composed of six at-large elected members and the mayor, and members could only serve three terms (nine years) on the council. However, in 2012 the citizens of Austin approved two propositions that established ten single-member districts within the city and assigned council and mayoral seats staggered four-year terms, with members limited to two terms. However, the mayor remains as the 11th member on the council, an arrangement known as 10-1. The new setup was first implemented after the 2014 elections.[1]

## Duties[edit]

The duty of the Austin City Council is to oversee and decide on the city budget, local taxes, amendment of laws, and creation of ordinances and policies. The council members meet every Thursday.[1] There are several boards and commissions that are composed of non-elected appointed citizens to give advice and recommendations to council members. These board generally review, debate, and comment on recommendations for the council.[3][1]

## Members[edit]

Members of the council are elected to 4 years terms and can serve a maximum of 2 terms. The current council was elected in 2022.[1] The council is officially nonpartisan; however, all but one current council members and the mayor are affiliated with the Democratic Party.

District | Name | Party (officially nonpartisan) | Term start | Location[4] | References

|
|
|
|
|

Mayor | Kirk Watson | Democratic | January 6, 2023 | Citywide | [5][1]
1 | Natasha Harper-Madison | Democratic | January 7, 2019 | East Austin (North), Harris Branch, MLK | [6][5]
2 | Vanessa Fuentes | Democratic | January 6, 2021 | Southeast Austin, Airport, South End of Congress | [7]
3 | José Velásquez | Democratic | January 6, 2023 | East Austin (South), Montopolis, St. Edwards/Elmo | [8][5]
4 | Jose "Chito" Vela | Democratic | February 4, 2022 | North Central Austin, Highland, Rundberg | [9][5]
5 | Ryan Alter | Democratic | January 6, 2023 | South Lamar, Menchaca, Westgate | [10][5]
6 | Mackenzie Kelly | Republican | January 6, 2021 | Northwest Austin, Lakeline, Lake Travis | [11][5]
7 | Leslie Pool | Democratic | January 6, 2015 | North Austin, Burnet Road, The Domain | [12][5]
8 | Paige Ellis | Democratic | January 7, 2019 | Southwest Austin, Oak Hill, Circle C | [13][5]
9 | Zohaib "Zo" Qadri | Democratic | January 6, 2023 | Downtown, Central Austin, South Congress | [14][5]
10 | Alison Alter | Democratic | January 6, 2017 | West Austin, Tarrytown, Northwest Hills | [15][5]

## Notable Past Members[edit]

* Greg Casar (D), U.S. Representative (2023-present)
* Sheryl Cole (D), State Representative (2019-present)
* Delia Garza (D), Travis County Attorney (2021-present)
* Jimmy Flannigan (D), Austin councilmember (2017-2021), first openly gay city council member in Austin history
* Brigid Shea (D), Travis County Commissioner (2017-present)
* Ellen Troxclair (R), State Representative (2023-present)

## History[edit]

The city of Austin was officially incorporated by the Fourth Congress of the Republic of Texas on December 27, 1839. The city was established at the confluence of the Colorado River and Shoal Creek, which was then the site of a small community known as Waterloo. The city was founded to act as the capital of the Republic of Texas and was named in honor of Stephen F. Austin, the so-called Founder of Texas.[16] The governmental structure established by the original Austin charter called for "one mayor, and eight Aldermen", with the mayor being elected city-wide, and each Alderman representing one of the city's eight wards.[17] Austin had its first mayoral election on January 13, 1840, in which citizens elected Edwin Waller to be the city's first mayor.[18]

## References[edit]

1. ^ a b c d e f "Austin, Texas". Ballotpedia. Retrieved March 18, 2024.
2. ^ "Austin City Council signals progressive unity with Ruth Bader Ginsburg accessories". KXAN.com. December 18, 2019. Retrieved February 17, 2020.
3. ^ "Boards and Commissions | AustinTexas.gov - The Official Website of the City of Austin". www.austintexas.gov. Retrieved February 17, 2020.
4. ^ "Geocortex Viewer for HTML5".
5. ^ a b c d e f g h i j "Terms of Office | AustinTexas.gov - The Official Website of the City of Austin". www.austintexas.gov. Retrieved February 17, 2020.
6. ^ "Our Campaigns - Candidate - Natasha Harper-Madison". www.ourcampaigns.com. Retrieved November 22, 2019.
7. ^ "About | VANESSA FUENTES FOR AUSTIN CITY COUNCIL". Vanessa for Austin. Retrieved January 24, 2021.
8. ^ "District 3 Council Member | Statesman Votetracker". City of Austin. Retrieved May 23, 2020.
9. ^ "Jose Vela". Ballotpedia. Retrieved February 4, 2022.
10. ^ Smith, Amy. "District 5 Council Member". www.austinchronicle.com. Retrieved January 13, 2023.
11. ^ "Mackenzie Kelly". Ballotpedia. Retrieved January 8, 2021.
12. ^ "Leslie Pool". Ballotpedia. Retrieved November 22, 2019.
13. ^ "Paige Ellis represents sharp political shift for Southwest Austin's District 8". Austin Monitor. December 28, 2018. Retrieved November 22, 2019.
14. ^ "About Council Member Zohaib Zo Qadri". City of Austin. May 30, 2011. Archived from the original on February 17, 2020. Retrieved January 13, 2023.
15. ^ "Alison Alter". Ballotpedia. Retrieved November 22, 2019.
16. ^ "When was Austin founded?". The Austin Public Library. Retrieved May 5, 2020.
17. ^ "City of Austin Resource Guide" (PDF). Austin Public Library. Retrieved May 5, 2020.
18. ^ "Edwin Waller". Texas State Cemetery. Retrieved May 5, 2020.

## External links[edit]

* Council Meeting Information

* v
* t
* e

Austin, Texas

Slogan: Live Music Capital of the World

Attractions|

* Austin Zoo
* Circuit of the Americas
* Darrell K Royal–Texas Memorial Stadium
* Dell Diamond
* Driskill Hotel
* Frank Erwin Center
* NLand
* State Capitol
* Texas Governor's Mansion
* Treaty Oak
* UFCU Disch-Falk Field
* University of Texas Tower
* Zach Theatre

History|

* 1839 city plan
* 1928 city plan
* Austin Dam failure
* Capitol View Corridors
* COVID-19 pandemic
* French Legation
* Greater Austin
* Stephen F. Austin
* Texas Archive War
* Timeline
* Treaty Oak
* Waterloo, Texas

Education|

| Tertiary|

* Austin Community College
* Concordia University Texas
* Huston–Tillotson University
* St. Edward's University
* University of Texas

|

School districts|

* Austin ISD
* template
* Del Valle ISD
* Eanes ISD
* Hays CISD
* Leander ISD
* Lake Travis ISD
* Manor ISD
* Pflugerville ISD

State schools|

* Texas School for the Blind and Visually Impaired
* Texas School for the Deaf

| Closed|

* Texas Blind, Deaf, and Orphan School

|

Libraries|

* Austin Public Library
* Lorenzo de Zavala State Archives and Library Building

Government|

* City Hall
* Camp Mabry
* City Council (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9,10)
* Fire
* Health
* Police

Industry|

| General|

* Amy's Ice Creams
* Golfsmith
* Keller Williams Realty
* Schlotzsky's
* Whole Foods Market

|

Creative arts|

* Alamo Drafthouse Cinema/Drafthouse Films
* Austin Film Society
* Collings Guitars
* Devolver Digital
* Gunfire Games
* Inner Sanctum Records
* Powerhouse Animation Studios
* Retro Studios
* Rooster Teeth
* Troublemaker Studios
* Waterloo Records
* Western Vinyl

Technology|

* Advanced Technology Development Facility (ATDF)
* Cirrus Logic
* Dell
* Freescale Semiconductor
* Luminex Corporation
* MCC
* National Instruments
* Silicon Labs
* Valence Technology

Museums|

* Arthouse at Laguna Gloria
* Arthouse at The Jones Center
* Austin History Center
* Austin Museum of Digital Art
* Blanton Museum of Art
* Bullock Texas State History Museum
* The Contemporary Austin
* Dolph Briscoe Center for American History
* Elisabet Ney Museum
* French Legation Museum
* George Washington Carver Museum and Cultural Center
* Harry Ransom Humanities Research Center
* Jacob Fontaine Religious Museum
* Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center
* Lyndon Baines Johnson Library and Museum
* Mexic-Arte Museum
* Neill-Cochran House Museum
* O. Henry Museum
* South Austin Museum of Popular Culture
* Texas Memorial Museum
* Texas Military Forces Museum
* Texas State Capitol Visitors Center
* Umlauf Sculpture Garden and Museum
* Women and Their Work

Music|

* Antone's
* Armadillo World Headquarters
* Austin City Limits
* Austin Opera
* Austin Symphony Orchestra
* Cinematic Symphony
* Emo's
* Germania Insurance Amphitheater
* SXSW

Neighborhoods|

* Allandale
* Anderson Mill
* Barton Hills
* Blackland
* Bouldin Creek
* Bremond Block Historic District
* Brentwood
* Bryker Woods
* Canyon Creek
* Chinatown
* Circle C Ranch
* Clarksville
* Congress Avenue
* Copperfield
* Crestview
* Dawson
* Dove Springs
* Downtown Austin
* The Drag
* East Cesar Chavez
* East Riverside-Oltorf
* Easton Park
* French Place
* Galindo
* Granada Hills
* Hancock
* Hyde Park Historic District
* Jollyville
* Montopolis
* Moore's Crossing Historic District
* Mueller Community
* North Burnet–Gateway
* North Shoal Creek
* Northwest Hills
* Oak Hill
* Old West Austin
* Onion Creek
* Pemberton Heights
* Rainey Street
* Rosedale
* Saint John
* Scenic Brook
* Shadow Lawn Historic District
* Sixth Street
* South Congress
* South Lamar
* South River City
* Spyglass-Barton's Bluff
* Swedish Hill
* Tarrytown
* Travis Heights
* Waters Park
* West Campus
* Westgate
* West Line
* Willow-Spence Streets
* Windsor Hills
* Windsor Park
* Wooten
* Zilker

Parks and
recreation|

* Auditorium Shores
* Barton Creek
* Barton Springs
* Big Walnut Creek
* Bull Creek
* Colorado River
* Deep Eddy Pool
* Emma Long
* Hippie Hollow
* Lady Bird Lake
* Lake Austin
* Lake Travis
* Lake Walter E. Long
* McKinney Falls
* Mount Bonnell
* Pease Park
* Republic Square
* Rosewood Park
* Walnut Creek Park
* Wild Basin
* Zilker Park

Transportation|

| Public|

* Austin–Bergstrom International Airport
* CapMetro
* CapMetro Bus
* CapMetro Rail
* CapMetro Rapid
* Capital Area Rural Transportation System

|

Freeways|

* MoPac Expressway
* Interstate 35
* Pickle Parkway
* SH 71
* US 290
* US 183

Streets|

* Congress Avenue
* Guadalupe Street
* Sixth Street

Bridges|

* Ann W. Richards Congress Avenue Bridge
* Lamar Boulevard Bridge
* Larry Monroe Forever Bridge
* Montopolis Bridge
* Pennybacker Bridge
* Pfluger Pedestrian Bridge
* West Fifth Street Bridge
* West Sixth Street Bridge

Culture|

* Keep Austin Weird
* Leslie Cochran
* Occupy Austin
* Spamarama
* Weird City

Sports|

* Austin Aztex FC
* Austin Bold FC
* Austin FC
* Austin FC II
* Austin Gilgronis
* Austin Huns
* Austin Lightning
* Austin Lady Lone Stars
* Austin Lone Stars
* Austin Outlaws
* Austin Rise FC
* Austin Spurs
* Austin Thunder
* Austin United FC
* FC Austin Elite
* Round Rock Express
* Texas Stars

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