Austin, Texas
| Austin, Texas | |
 | |
| General information | |
Mayor of Austin
Kirk Watson | |
| Last mayoral election: | 2024 |
| Next mayoral election: | 2028 |
| Last city council election: | 2024 |
| Next city council election: | 2026 |
| City council seats: | 11[1] |
| City website | |
| Composition data (2019) | |
| Population: | 950,807 |
| Race: | White 72.6% African American 7.8% Asian 7.6% Native American 0.7% Pacific Islander 0.1% Two or more 3.5% |
| Ethnicity: | Hispanic 33.9% |
| Median household income: | $71,576 |
| High school graduation rate: | 89.4% |
| College graduation rate: | 51.7% |
| Related Austin offices | |
| Texas Congressional Delegation Texas State Legislature Texas state executive offices | |
Austin is the state capital of Texas. It is located in Travis County, Texas. The city's population was 961,855 as of 2020, according to the United States Census Bureau.
Click on the links below to learn more about the city's...
- Mayor
- City council
- Other elected officials
- Elections
- Census information
- Budget
- Contact information
- Ballot measures
- County government
City government
- See also: Council-manager government
The city of Austin utilizes a council-manager system. In this form of municipal government, an elected city council—which includes the mayor and serves as the city's primary legislative body—appoints a chief executive called a city manager to oversee day-to-day municipal operations and implement the council's policy and legislative initiatives.[2][3]
Mayor
The mayor is a member of the city council. He or she presides over council meetings and official city ceremonies. The mayor also represents the city on the state, national, and international levels.
The current Mayor of Austin is Kirk Watson (nonpartisan). Watson assumed office in 2023.
City manager
The city manager is Austin's chief executive officer. The responsibilities of the city manager include overseeing the city's day-to-day operations, planning and implementing the city's operating budget, and appointing a deputy city manager, five assistant city managers, and the directors of the city's governmental departments.[2]
City council
The Austin City Council is the city's primary legislative body. It is responsible for approving and adopting the city budget, levying taxes, and making or amending city laws, policies and ordinances. The council also possesses the legal authority to inquire into the conduct or activities of city departments, agencies, and individual employees.[4]
The widget below automatically displays information about city council meetings. The topic list contains a sampling of keywords that Voterheads, a local government monitoring service, found in each meeting agenda. Click the meeting link to see more info and the full agenda:
Mayoral partisanship
Austin has a Democratic mayor. As of November 2024, 63 mayors in the largest 100 cities by population are affiliated with the Democratic Party, 25 are affiliated with the Republican Party, one is affiliated with the Libertarian Party, four are independents, five identify as nonpartisan or unaffiliated, and two mayors' affiliations are unknown. Click here for a list of the 100 largest cities' mayors and their partisan affiliations.
Mayoral elections are officially nonpartisan in most of the nation's largest cities. However, many officeholders are affiliated with political parties. Ballotpedia uses one or more of the following sources to identify each officeholder's partisan affiliation: (1) direct communication from the officeholder, (2) current or previous candidacy for partisan office, or (3) identification of partisan affiliation by multiple media outlets.
Elections
2024
The city of Austin, Texas, held general elections for mayor and city council on November 5, 2024. A general runoff election is scheduled for December 14, 2024. The filing deadline for this election was August 19, 2024.
2022
The city of Austin, Texas, held regular general elections for mayor and city council on November 8, 2022. The filing deadline for this election was August 22, 2022. A general runoff election was scheduled for December 13, 2022.
The city also held a special general election for the District 4 seat on the city council on January 25, 2022. The filing deadline for this election was December 16, 2021. A general runoff election was scheduled for March 22, 2022, but it was not necessary.[5]
2020
- See also: City elections in Austin, Texas (2020)
The city of Austin, Texas, held general elections for city council districts 2, 4, 6, 7, and 10 on November 3, 2020. The filing deadline for this election was August 17, 2020.
2019
Austin voters also voted on two citywide ballot measures on November 5, 2019. Click here to read about Austin's Proposition A and Proposition B as well as other local ballot measures and statewide measures on the November 5 ballot in Texas.
2018
The city of Austin, Texas, held general elections for mayor and city council on November 6, 2018. The deadline for candidates to file to run in this election was August 20, 2018.
2016
The city of Austin, Texas, held elections for city council on November 8, 2016. The filing deadline for candidates who wished to run in this election was August 22, 2016. Five of the ten city council seats were up for election.[6]
2014
The city of Austin, Texas, held nonpartisan elections for mayor and city council on November 4, 2014. The candidate filing deadline was August 18, 2014. Delia Garza and Ann Kitchen won contested races for Districts 2 and 5 respectively. Kathie Tovo was declared the winner in District 9 after Chris Riley withdrew on November 7.[7][8]
A runoff election took place on December 16, 2014, to decide the outcome of the mayoral and remaining city council races. In that election Stephen Adler defeated Mike Martinez in the mayoral race. Ora Houston, Sabino "Pio" Renteria, Greg Casar, James T. Flannigan, Leslie Pool, Ellen Troxclair and Sheri P. Gallo won the runoffs in Districts 1, 3, 4, 6, 7, 8 and 10 respectively.[9]
Redistricting
In conjunction with the November 2014 elections, the city of Austin implemented the "10-ONE" plan, a charter amendment approved by voters in 2012, which shifted Austin's city government from at-large representation to district-based, geographical representation. Under "10-ONE," members of the city council are elected by ten new districts instead of at-large.
The new districts can be seen on the map to the right. The "10-One" plan also expanded the size of the city council from 7 to 11 (the eleventh member is the mayor, who is still elected at large).
Census information
The table below shows demographic information about the city.
| Demographic Data for Austin | |
|---|---|
| Austin | |
| Population | 961,855 |
| Land area (sq mi) | 320 |
| Race and ethnicity** | |
| White | 63.2% |
| Black/African American | 7.9% |
| Asian | 8.4% |
| Native American | 0.8% |
| Pacific Islander | 0% |
| Two or more | 11.5% |
| Hispanic/Latino | 32.5% |
| Education | |
| High school graduation rate | 91.1% |
| College graduation rate | 56.5% |
| Income | |
| Median household income | $86,556 |
| Persons below poverty level | 8.2% |
| Source: population provided by U.S. Census Bureau, "Decennial Census" (2020). Other figures provided by U.S. Census Bureau, "American Community Survey" (5-year estimates 2017-2022). | |
| **Note: Percentages for race and ethnicity may add up to more than 100 percent because respondents may report more than one race and the Hispanic/Latino ethnicity may be selected in conjunction with any race. Read more about race and ethnicity in the census here. | |
Budget
The city's budget process operates by fiscal years running from October 1 to September 30 of the next year. The city charter gives responsibility for drafting an expense and capital budget to the city manager. The city manager presents the council with the proposed budget at least 30 days before the start of the budget year. A public hearing is held during the city council meeting at which the budget is submitted. The budget is adopted no later than September 27.[10]
Fiscally standardized cities data
The fiscally standardized cities (FiSC) data below was compiled by the Lincoln Institute of Land Policy to make municipal budgets comparable across cities in the United States.[11]
| “ |
FiSCs are constructed by adding revenues and expenditures of each central city municipal government to a portion of the revenues and expenditures of overlying governments, including counties, independent school districts, and special districts. The allocations to FiSCs are estimates of the revenues collected from and services provided to central city residents and businesses by these overlying independent governments. Thus FiSCs provides a full picture of revenues raised from city residents and businesses and spending on their behalf, whether done by the city government or a separate overlying government.[12] |
” |
| —Lincoln Institute of Land Policy[13] | ||
The tables below show estimated finances within city limits. As such, the revenue and expenses listed may differ from the actual city budget.
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Historical total revenue and expenditure
To see the historical total revenue or expenditures as a rounded amount in this city, hover over the bars.[11]
Austin, Texas, salaries and pensions over $95,000
Below is a map of the nationwide salaries and pensions in this city over $95,000. To search a different ZIP code, enter it in the search bar within the map.
Contact information
Mayor's office
Austin City Hall
301 W. Second St.
Austin, TX 78701
Phone: 512-978-2100
City Clerk's office
Austin City Hall
301 W. Second St.
Suite 1120
Austin, TX 78701
Phone: 512-974-2210
Click here for city council contact information.
Ballot measures
- See also: Travis County, Texas ballot measures
The city of Austin is in Travis County. A list of ballot measures in Travis County is available here.
Noteworthy events
2020: Events and activity following the death of George Floyd
During the weekend of May 29-31, 2020, demonstrations and protests took place in cities nationwide, including Austin, following the death of George Floyd. Events in Austin, Texas, began on Friday, May 29, 2020, with an unplanned gathering outside of the Austin Police Department headquarters.[14] On May 30, Gov. Greg Abbott (R) announced that he had sent state resources to Austin, though it is unclear whether or not the Texas National Guard was deployed.[15] No curfews were issued.
2018: Paid sick leave ordinance
On November 16, 2018, the Texas Third District Court of Appeals ruled Austin's paid sick leave ordinance was unconstitutional, saying it was preempted by the state's minimum wage law.[16]
The Texas Public Policy Foundation filed a lawsuit against the city of Austin in district court on April 24, 2018, regarding the city's paid sick leave ordinance. As passed, the ordinance required private businesses to provide paid sick leave and safe leave of up to eight calendar days per year. It allowed employees who work at least 80 hours in a calendar year to accrue paid sick and safe leave at a rate of one hour for every 30 hours worked. The ordinance was set to go into effect on October 1, 2018, for businesses with five or more employees, and on October 1, 2020, for smaller employers.[17]
The Texas Public Policy Foundation, representing several plaintiffs including the Texas Association of Business and the National Federation of Independent Business, argued the ordinance violated the Texas Constitution and preempted state minimum wage law. Jeff Moseley, CEO of the Texas Business Administration, said the organization thought "the best place for sick leave to be settled is with the employer and employee, not with some vague and unenforceable ordinance." Will Newton, state executive director of the National Federation of Independent Businesses, said Austin's ordinance would "create a patchwork of rules and regulations that are difficult for small businesses to navigate." Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton filed an intervening plea in support of the lawsuit.
The city of Austin said it stood by the ordinance.[18][19]
On June 25, District Judge Tim Sulak ruled against the Texas Public Policy Foundation's request to block the ordinance from going into effect.[20] On August 17, the Texas Third District Court of Appeals temporarily halted the ordinance while an appeal of Judge Sulak's decision was ongoing. The court said its ruling did not reflect an opinion on the merits of the case.[21][22]
2018: Freedom city policies
On June 14, 2018, Austin became the first city in Texas to adopt freedom city policies. Freedom city policies are aimed at decreasing arrests and decriminalizing minor offenses. The city council unanimously adopted a pair of resolutions directing city police to collect data on when, where, and why an arrest is made. They also instructed police to inform individuals of their right to remain silent before asking about the individual's immigration status.[23][24]
Several other cities also adopted freedom city policies, including Madison, Wisconsin; Portland, Oregon; Ann Arbor, Michigan; Albany, California; and Silver City, New Mexico, among others.[23]
Supporters of Austin's resolutions said the policies would help create a bond between police and communities. City Councilmember Gregorio Casar argued the policies would decrease discriminatory arrests and prevent undocumented immigrants from deportation.[24]
Opponents, such as state Attorney General Ken Paxton (R), said the policy showed "disrespect for the rule of law." Gov. Greg Abbott (R) said it would endanger residents.[25]
2015: Study on city's nondiscrimination laws
In July 2015, the Movement Advancement Project described Austin, Texas, as a city or county that prohibited discrimination in employment on the basis of gender identity via ordinances that apply to public and private employers. At that time, a total of 71 of America's largest 100 cities prohibited private employers from discriminating on the basis of sexual orientation, while 69 of those cities also prohibited discrimination based on gender identity. This did not include those jurisdictions that prohibited discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity for government employees.[26]
Nondiscrimination laws can cover a variety of areas, including public employment, private employment, housing, and public accommodations. Such laws may be enacted at the state, county, or city level.
See also
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ The mayor is included in this number as one of the city council members.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Office of the City Manager, "About," accessed August 19, 2014
- ↑ Austin City Charter V 1-3, accessed August 26, 2014
- ↑ Austin City Charter: Article II accessed on August 20, 2014
- ↑ Austintexas.gov, "CITY OF AUSTIN ELECTION CALENDAR JANUARY 25, 2022 SPECIAL ELECTION TO FILL A VACANCY," accessed November 19, 2021
- ↑ City of Austin, "City of Austin Election Calendar," accessed February 25, 2016
- ↑ Travis County Clerk Election Results, accessed September 15, 2015
- ↑ Austin Chronicle, "Breaking: Chris Riley Withdraws From Run-off," November 7, 2014
- ↑ Travis County Clerk Election Results December 16, 2014, accessed September 15, 2015
- ↑ City of Austin, "The Code of the city of Austin, Texas," accessed August 24, 2023 (Article VII Sections 3-6)
- ↑ 11.0 11.1 Lincoln Institute of Land Policy, "Fiscally Standardized Cities database," accessed August 24, 2023
- ↑ Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
- ↑ Lincoln Institute of Land Policy, "Fiscally Standardized Cities," accessed August 24, 2023
- ↑ KVUE, "'Several arrests' made as protesters shut down area near Austin Police Department in downtown," May 30, 2020
- ↑ KXAN, "Gov. Abbott sends state resources to Austin, other Texas cities to help maintain peace during protests," May 30, 2020
- ↑ The Texas Tribune, "State appeals court says Austin's paid sick leave ordinance is unconstitutional," November 16, 2018
- ↑ Law and the Workplace, "Austin, Texas Enacts Paid Sick and Safe Leave Law," February 22, 2018
- ↑ Austin Monitor, "Business groups sue to block city’s paid sick leave law," April 25, 2018
- ↑ The Texas Monitor, "TAB will try to put a stop to paid sick leave ordinances," June 7, 2018
- ↑ Statesman, "Court denies injunction in Austin’s paid sick leave ordinance," June 26, 2018
- ↑ The Dallas Morning News, "State appeals court temporarily halts Austin's paid sick leave ordinance," August 19, 2018
- ↑ Texas Tribune, "State appeals court temporarily blocks Austin’s paid sick leave ordinance," August 17, 2018
- ↑ 23.0 23.1 NBC News, "The crackdown on sanctuary cities gives birth to 'freedom cities,'" September 15, 2018
- ↑ 24.0 24.1 KVUE ABC, "Austin made first ‘Freedom City’ in Texas at tense city council meeting," June 15, 2018
- ↑ The Garden City Telegram, "Cities, states resist — and assist — immigration crackdown in new ways," August 19, 2018
- ↑ Movement Advancement Project, "Local Employment Non-Discrimination Ordinances," accessed July 7, 2015
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