BG Note | News - What We're Reading (October 25, 2017)
[Austin Metro]
Here are 5 things to know about Austin ISD’s $1.05 billion bond (Community Impact) LINK TO STORY
Across the city, yard signs for and against Austin ISD’s bond can be found as election day grows near. Before heading to the polls, here are five things to know about the district’s $1.05 billion bond.
It is the largest in district history.
The $1.05 billion package before voters this November is the most costly bond referendum in AISD history. However, its bottom line only represents a quarter of the district’s total facility needs. According to AISD, the bond’s price tag represents the maximum amount the district can take on without raising its tax rate.
Capital Metro board hears about proposed changes to proposed changes (Austin Monitor) LINK TO STORY
The Capital Metropolitan Transportation Authority is making adjustments to a long-planned massive overhaul of its fixed-route bus network just weeks ahead of a scheduled vote on the sweeping changes by the board of directors.
During an extended work session on Tuesday, agency staff gave the board an overview of the tweaks they are making to the proposed June service changes. Those changes represent a wholesale network redesign that will be the largest implementation yet of the Connections 2025 service plan the board approved earlier this year.
The implosion of the Dawnna Dukes corruption case, explained (Austin American-Statesman) LINK TO STORY
1. Dukes reneged on a deal she struck with prosecutors to avoid all charges by resigning. A week after the Texas Rangers delivered their investigative report to Travis County prosecutors in the fall of 2016, Dukes announced that she would resign when her two-year term expired in January 2017. Dukes cited health reasons at the time, but prosecutors have since confirmed that the retirement plan was part of a deal struck by Dukes and then-District Attorney Rosemary Lehmberg. But after Moore became district attorney in the beginning of January, Dukes reversed course and was sworn in to a 12th term. A grand jury indicted her a week later.
Police contract with city heads to vote (Austin Monitor) LINK TO STORY
If an agreement finalized between the city and the Austin Police Association on Tuesday is adopted, the Office of the Police Monitor will have more power to investigate allegations of police misconduct and Austin police will get a 9.5 percent wage increase over a five-year period.
The union will vote on the contract in mid-November and City Council will vote on it in December, according to APA President Ken Casaday. The current contract expires on Oct. 31, but Casaday said the parties had agreed to extend the current contract until they had time to vote on it.
[TEXAS]
Red tape ties up Harvey rebuilding money (Houston Chronicle) LINK TO STORY
It could take as long as the year 2020 before some homeowners get federal funding to permanently rebuild or fix their Hurricane Harvey-ravaged homes, key state officials told a Texas Senate committee on Tuesday.
Although Congress passed a $7.4 billion initial relief bill last month to help people rebuild after the numerous natural disasters that hit the nation over the last three months, Texas General Land Commissioner George P. Bush warned that money has a lot of red tape to get through before Texans will see any of it.