#NEWS // BG Reads | November 10, 2022
[AUSTIN METRO]
Planning Commission recommends allowing housing in commercial zoning (Austin Monitor)
The Planning Commission recommended a code change Tuesday to allow housing in more parts of the city.
The change, if approved by City Council, would allow housing on 7,474 commercially zoned properties, boosting the city’s housing capacity by up to?46,324 units ?amid a housing crisis caused in part by lack of supply.?
Council voted unanimously to?initiate the code amendment ?last December via a?resolution ?sponsored by Mayor Steve Adler and Mayor Pro Tem Alison Alter.?
The change applies to properties zoned Commercial Liquor Sales (CS-1), General Commercial Services (CS), Community Commercial (GR), Neighborhood Commercial (LR), General Office (GO) and Limited Office (LO), and Neighborhood Office (NO)…(LINK TO FULL STORY)
Austin ISD’s $2.44 billion bond package passes with overwhelming support (KUT)
Voters have approved Austin ISD’s $2.44 billion bond package, the largest in the district’s history. Five seats on the AISD Board of Trustees were also up for grabs. Four new members were elected to the board and one incumbent won reelection.
AISD’s $2.44 billion bond package is made up of three separate propositions:
Proposition A: $2.3 billion in general purpose funds
Proposition B: $75.5 million for technology
Proposition C: $47.4 million for stadiums…?(LINK TO FULL STORY)
Austin OKs $350M affordable housing bond (Austin Business Journal)
Austin voted in favor of a $350 million affordable housing bond Tuesday night. This is the city’s largest housing bond to date.
For an owner of a $400,000 home, that would mean an increase in your annual property tax bill of about $53,?according to the city . For landowners, developers and affordable housing players, it also means business opportunities tied to one of Austin's biggest economic threats.
The?city of Austin?Proposition A ?reads:
“The issuance of $350,000,000 in tax-supported general obligation bonds and notes for planning, designing, acquiring, constructing, renovating, improving and equipping affordable housing facilities for low and moderate income persons and families, and acquiring land and interests in land and property necessary to do so, funding loans and grants for affordable housing, and funding affordable housing programs, as may be permitted by law; and the levy of a tax sufficient to pay for the bonds and notes.”…?(LINK TO FULL STORY)
Austin's muggy days are numbered; autumn chill coming this weekend (Austin American-Statesman)
For Veterans Day on Friday, Austin has a 30% chance of showers with a high of 69. North winds of 10 to 15 mph could include gusts as strong as 25 mph, forecasters said. Rain chances grow to 40% Friday night under mostly cloudy skies.
But the passage of the cold front could send overnight temperatures to as low as 45 degrees. Adding bite to the chill will be north-northeast winds of 10 to 15 mph with gusts as strong as 20 mph, forecasters said.
"Rain chances will linger into Saturday morning over the Coastal Plains," the?weather service said in another bulletin ?Tuesday. "Precipitation will be mainly from showers with only isolated thunderstorms mixed in."…?(LINK TO FULL STORY)
Travis County puts millions toward food access (Austin Monitor)
On Tuesday, Travis County commissioners unanimously approved a series of contracts with local nonprofits and community groups, totaling $3.1 million, to help at-risk residents access healthy and fresh food.
“The organizations receiving these funds will use the money in various ways,” a county press release explains, such as “enhancing their food delivery services, expanding pantry locations, or funding their food distribution programs, to make it easier for families in need to afford and access healthy foods.”
The source of the money is the federal American Rescue Plan Act, dispersed through the Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds program…?(LINK TO FULL STORY)
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[TEXAS]
GOP strengthens control of State Board of Education, setting up clash over charters, social studies curriculum (Houston Chronicle)
The State Board of Education is set to become even redder after Tuesday's election, setting the stage for a more aggressive push on charter schools and more conservative pressure over curriculum and textbooks. One seat on the 15-member board flipped to Republican control, increasing the GOP majority to 10 seats. Three existing Republican seats also changed hands to more conservative members, giving the party's activist wing a tighter grip on the board, which sets policies for public schools. Republican former educator LJ Francis defeated Democrat Victor Perez by about 1,500 votes in the South Texas 2nd district, with nearly 400,000 total ballots cast. That seat was previously held by Democrat Ruben Cortez, who vacated the seat to run for a state House district…?(LINK TO FULL STORY)
Accused can thrower says he wasn't trying to hurt U.S. Ted Cruz (Houston Chronicle)
A Houston man accused of throwing unopened cans of liquor at U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz during Monday's World Series victory parade said his aim has been misunderstood. Joey Arcidiacono's lawyer on Wednesday said he wasn't trying to hurt Ted Cruz. He was trying to get Texas' junior Senator to chug. "Political violence is never acceptable," attorney Bill Stradley said in a statement posted Twitter. "What happened at the parade was not political violence nor 'aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. ... Instead, this was an Astros fan trying to toss drinks from his cooler to the Senator during a championship parade and not realizing how it would be perceived until he saw security's reaction."…?(LINK TO FULL STORY)
DeBerry concedes race for Bexar County judge as Sakai takes early lead (San Antonio Express-News)
Republican candidate Trish DeBerry has conceded the race for Bexar County judge after former District Judge Peter Sakai took the lead in early voting totals released Tuesday night. “I will continue to be passionate about this community,” DeBerry said shortly after 8 p.m. She stood on stage with her children and said she’s enjoyed acting as a role model for them. It doesn’t matter, if they fail, she said. “Today is not a loss.” Sakai had 59 percent of the early votes, while DeBerry, former Pct. 3 commissioner, had 38 percent. Libertarian candidate Edgar Coyle had just 3 percent. Sakai will lead a Democrat-controlled Commissioners Court, managing the purse strings of a fast-growing urban county. He will take the reins from Nelson Wolff, who was appointed in 2001 and has been re-elected to the post ever since. Wolff will retire from politics when he steps down on Dec. 31 at the age of 82.
“Let me be clear, tonight’s victory belongs to all of you,” Sakai said. “It belongs to the next generation — people who have dreamed to be the first person of color to be the next governor of Texas or, hey, how about this: the next president being an Asian American.” The judge pointed out that both he and Mayor Ron Nirenberg are Asian American leaders. Nirenberg is part Filipino and Sakai is Japanese…?(LINK TO FULL STORY)
Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo wins tight race for reelection (Texas Tribune)
Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo, considered a rising star among Texas Democrats, overcame a vigorous challenge from a well-funded Republican opponent Tuesday night and barely held on to her seat overseeing the state’s most populous urban county.
Hidalgo faced a steep fundraising disadvantage, attacks tying her to the county’s high number of homicides and a midterm environment generally unfavorable to Democrats to beat Republican Alexandra del Moral Mealer, a West Point graduate and ex-Army captain, to lead the county for another four years — and with a greater Democratic majority on the county’s governing board.
Mealer conceded the race Wednesday morning…?(LINK TO FULL STORY)
[NATION]
Voters approved more money for affordable housing around the country (NPR)
Gas prices got a lot of attention from candidates these midterm elections, but rents and home prices that skyrocketed during the pandemic are a far bigger chunk of people's budgets — and those increases are fueled by a historic housing shortage. Voters in?dozens of cities ?were asked to approve more spending for affordable housing, and in some places they did so overwhelmingly…?(LINK TO FULL STORY)
[HEARINGS AND MEETINGS]
TODAY
(10AM) Travis County Commissioners Court Work Session Agenda:?Link
[BG PODCAST]
Bingham Group Associate Hannah Garcia and CEO A.J. recap and discuss the 2022 Austin City Council election night results.
Today's episode (169) features Larry Smith, Chairman of Austin-based Tokyo Electron US Holdings Inc.
Part of an ongoing series on the CHIPS and Science Act passed in August, Larry and Bingham Group CEO A.J. discuss its impact on the Austin and Central Texas.
The bipartisan bill includes more than $50 billion in incentives for manufacturers of semiconductors, or chips, to build domestic semiconductor plants.