CITY & SCHOOLS
News from Austin ISD, Austin & Travis County
Austin City Council will meet May 30 and June 6 at 9 a.m. and June 1 and 8 at 10 a.m. 301 W. Second St., Austin. www.austintexas.gov/ austin-city-council Travis County Commissioners Court will meet June 6, 13, 20 and 27 at 9 MEETINGS WE COVER HIGHLIGHTS AUSTIN On May 4, City Council voted to eliminate minimum parking requirements that apply to all kinds of development, ranging from housing to retailers. A final ordinance will return to council by the end of 2023. TRAVIS COUNTY Fentanyl- related deaths more than doubled from 2021 to 2022 and particularly affected Hispanic and Black communities as well as women, a new medical examiner’s report found. The data, released on April 26, comes as local officials continue focusing on combating overdoses after declaring drug deaths to be a public health crisis in 2022. County Judge Andy Brown said commissioners could next reserve $750,000 in the fiscal year 2023-24 budget to create an overdose prevention fund. AUSTIN On May 2, the city’s library system announced a pilot program for enhanced library cards that can double as photo identification recognized by many city departments and local organizations as a valid form of identification. AUSTIN The city will pay $100,000 to a protester injured by police in the May 2020 demonstrations, the latest in a growing series of payouts from the event. Austin’s total tab for police brutality payouts from the protests now sits at $18.98 million after council approved the settlement agreement May 4.
Austin voters strongly supported increased police oversight AUSTIN On May 6, Austin voters chose between two police oversight measures; voters passed Prop A with 79.27% and Prop B failed with just 19.51%. Prop A had a landslide victory BY BEN THOMPSON based on Prop A’s text with extensive changes to language and oversight outcomes. “We’re going to have a police 79.27% For 20.73% Against PROPOSITION A Pass Fail VOTING RESULTS
oversight system now where we can be much more assured that full and thorough investigations will occur when an allegation of wrongdoing is made, and that facts about miscon- duct are going to see the light of day,” Equity Action board President Chris Harris said. Looking ahead, enacting all of Prop A’s policies could still depend on the outcome of negotiations between the city and the police association. City leaders said they hope to get a new
PROPOSITION B
in Austin’s May election as voters rejected the competing police over- sight measure, Prop B. Prop A was backed by the criminal justice nonprofit Equity Action to strengthen police transparency and accountability, its leaders said. Prop B was backed by Voters for Oversight and Police Accountability as well as the Austin Police Association and was
19.51% For 80.49% Against
SOURCES: HAYS, TRAVIS AND WILLIAMSON COUNTIES/ COMMUNITY IMPACT contract in place soon, but the police association is also reviewing the elec- tion results and “illegal provisions” in Prop A, APA President Thomas Villarreal said in a statement.
AISD trustees approve 7% raise for teachers
DPS patrols paused, profiling concerns raised
BY BEN THOMPSON
30-April 27 showed a sharp uptick in traffic stops of Hispanic drivers. DPS Director Steven McCraw said the jump in traffic stops of Hispanic/ Latino drivers was expected given increased patrols in East Austin. The DPS partnership was temporar- ily suspended May 13 when troopers were relocated to the Mexican border, but officials say it will resume.
AUSTIN Early data from a Texas Department of Public Safety operation in Austin show Hispanic people made up most of the traffic stops and arrests. Nearly 90% of 167 arrests as of April 22 were of Black or Latino people, per county attorney data, and DPS data covering March
BY AMANDA CUTSHALL
AUSTIN ISD On May 18, trustees unanimously approved Austin ISD's 2023-24 compensation package including a 7% raises for teachers. The package includes a $4 increase for all classified employees, creates a $20 minimum wage and provides a 3%-7% increase for other staff. It will require the district to spend up to $53 million of its reserve funds, according to district documents. AISD will still have about $221 million in reserve funds. “There's a little bit of risk with this budget, but there's a real risk of not educating our students,” AISD board President Arati Singh said on May 18. Trustees are expected to approve the full 2023-24 budget on June 22.
SKEWED TRAFFIC STOPS
2022
March 30-April 27 2023
18,743
11,841
Data shows state troopers mostly pulled over Hispanic/ Latino drivers over one month of a policing partnership in Austin. Alaska Native/American Indian Asian/Pacific Islander Black Hispanic/Latino White
total traffic stops
total traffic stops
4.2% 0.26% 16.5% 38.17% 40.87%
4.63% 0.35% 15.01% 54.21% 25.8%
a.m. 700 Lavaca St., Austin. www.traviscountytx.gov/ commissioners-court
DPS PARTNERSHIP
SOURCE: TEXAS DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC SAFETY/COMMUNITY IMPACT
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SOUTH CENTRAL AUSTIN EDITION • MAY 2023
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