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The city took ownership of the land in Southeast Austin, which will allow it to collect hotel occupancy taxes once the project is complete. City Council approved the land acquisition on Thursday.

The balanced budget includes money for public safety, homelessness, park maintenance and the new infrastructure academy � but also includes an increase of fees and cuts to overtime.

Jesús Garza was accused of violating the city’s ethics rules when he hired two former City Hall staffers to serve as consultants after the 2023 winter storm.

Last year, the city allocated $30.3 million to help those experiencing homelessness, but that amount needs to more than double for the upcoming 2025-2026 fiscal year, according to the city's Homeless Strategy Office.

Signing up to speak during a certain public comment period is competitive. How can Austin prevent bots from clogging up the system?

Mike Siegel finished with about 40% of the vote on Nov. 5, while Gary Bledsoe finished with about 19%. The winner on Dec. 14 will fill the seat.

The new historic preservation plan Austin City Council adopted Thursday will replace the city’s four-decade-old guidelines. It includes 107 recommendations to recognize Austin’s rich and complex history and better protect its cultural heritage.

Final tallies released Thursday showed him to have earned 175,090 votes, about 13 votes more than needed to avoid a runoff. It's the fourth time Austin has elected him mayor.

The audit found Jesús Garza used his influence to pay two former city staffers roughly $200 an hour over a 10-month stint. The issue is now before the city's ethics commission.

Incumbent Mayor Kirk Watson needs a majority of votes to be declared a winner and avoid a runoff. There were 3,200 provisional ballots cast that must be verified before being counted.