Government
BY ELLE BENT, HALEY MCLEOD & BEN THOMPSON
Eligible Austinites to get ood insurance aid A new pilot program launching this year will give lower-income Austinites impacted by ooding access to new nancial assis- tance for ood insurance. What’s happening City Council members have sought to address rising insurance costs and local risks in the area known as “Flash Flood Alley.” After Austin’s ood mitigation e orts earned its residents an extra 5% discount on insurance policies last year under a federal program, city o cials funded the new local initiative now rolling out. The project Council voted March 6 to advance the $130,000 program through a contract with the Del Valle Community Coalition. The project kicked o in March and the DVCC is expected to begin reaching out to residents about available support soon. Details about qualifying are to be determined.
Drying out Travis County and other Central Texas counties remain in extreme drought conditions.
Abnormally dry
Moderate drought
Severe drought
Extreme drought
Exceptional drought
100%
March
80%
60%
40%
20%
0%
SOURCE: TEXAS WATER DEVELOPMENT BOARD COMMUNITY IMPACT
Central Texas watering restrictions ramp up The Lower Colorado River Authority, or LCRA, enacted Stage 2 outdoor water restrictions March 3 in response to continuing drought conditions. The details All customers, including municipalities like Austin, will be limited to outdoor watering once a week. The LCRA aims to cut water demand by 20%. The maximum once-per-week watering restric- tion a ects residents, businesses, industries and lakeside property owners that draw water from the Highland Lakes.
The LCRA determined the e orts were nec- essary after reported declines in water levels of Lakes Buchanan and Travis—the primary reser- voirs in the Highland Lakes system. “These actions are needed to help preserve and extend our water supplies in the face of a drought that shows little signs of easing over spring and summer,” John Hofmann, LCRA executive vice
president of water, said. What you need to know
“By providing this pilot program around ood insurance, we really will be making
O cials encourage utilizing low-water landscap- ing that can thrive on no more than once-a-week watering, and to: • Use drought-tolerant plants • Cover swimming pools when not in use • Add mulch to landscapes and compost to turf
a big di erence in our community.” VANESSA FUENTES, DISTRICT 2 COUNCIL MEMBER
Dripping Springs City Council election canceled; all candidates unopposed The city of Dripping Springs has canceled the May election as all three candidates are unop- posed. City Council has not had a contested race since May 2021. The details application to be placed on the ballot passed, and all candidates were unopposed. This means they will win their seats for the upcoming two-year term. Looking back
terms. Their seats will be up for re-election again in May 2026. Manassian, Tahuahua and Parks’ seats will be up for re-election again in May 2027. Going forward Dripping Springs ISD will hold an election in May. This includes a $402.3 million bond package— divided into two propositions on the ballot—and two seats up for election on the board of trustees.
On Feb. 4, the city ordered an election for three council members whose terms were expiring: Taline Manassian, Geo rey Tahuahua and Sherrie Parks. On Feb. 14, the deadline to le an
May elections for City Council seats were also canceled in 2023 and 2024. Last year, Mayor Bill Foulds and council members Wade King and Travis Crow were sworn in for additional two-year
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SOUTHWEST AUSTIN DRIPPING SPRINGS EDITION
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