Austin City Hall Resource Guide: Council Members, District Finder, Meetings and Public Comment

Written By AJ Bingham

Austin residents, businesses and organizations can follow City Council business, contact elected officials, speak at public meetings and research past decisions. The difficulty is often knowing which City resource to use.

This FAQ brings the most useful official links together in one place. Use it to find your Council district, track an agenda, watch a meeting, register to speak or locate a City record.

Last updated: July 28, 2026. Meeting procedures, deadlines, links and officeholders can change. Confirm the instructions posted for the specific meeting or matter you plan to follow.

Austin City Hall quick links

How does Austin city government work?

Austin uses a council-manager form of government.

The mayor and 10 district Council members adopt policy, approve the budget and perform the City’s legislative functions. Council appoints a professional city manager to oversee City operations and carry out Council policy.

Start with the Austin City Council homepage for elected officials. Use the City Manager’s Office for administrative leadership and the City organization chart.

How do I find my Austin City Council district?

Enter your address in the City’s Council District Lookup Map.

Austin has 10 geographic Council districts. Your district office is generally the first Council contact for a neighborhood concern, policy question or unresolved constituent issue. The mayor represents the city at large.

Who serves on the Austin City Council?

The City Council homepage maintains the official roster. As of July 28, 2026, the mayor and Council members are:

Each office page provides contact information and may include staff assignments, newsletters, district updates and scheduling information.

How do I contact the mayor or Council members?

Use the elected official’s page above for a district-specific matter. To send the same message to every office, use the City’s Contact All Council Members form.

For an item already scheduled for Council consideration, include:

  • The meeting date;

  • The agenda item number;

  • Your address or Council district, when relevant;

  • A brief explanation of the effect on you or your organization; and

  • The action you are asking Council to take.

For an operational matter, the appropriate contact may be the City Manager’s Office or a department in the City’s department directory.

Where can I find Council meetings and agendas?

Use the Council Meeting Information Center for upcoming and recent meetings.

A meeting page may include:

  • The agenda and any addendum;

  • Public-comment and speaker-registration instructions;

  • Individual agenda-item pages;

  • Staff recommendations and backup documents;

  • Questions and answers;

  • Actions taken; and

  • Approved minutes and other meeting records.

For earlier notice, subscribe to the City’s Austin City Council Draft Agenda email. A draft agenda can change, so check the final posted agenda before relying on it.

What types of Council meetings should I know about?

Regular Council meetings are used to consider the posted agenda, receive public comment and vote on City business.

Work sessions are generally used for briefings, questions and Council discussion.

Special-called meetings address a specific purpose and may follow different schedules or speaker deadlines.

Budget meetings focus on the proposed budget, property taxes, fees and related policies.

Council committee meetings allow smaller groups of Council members to examine defined policy areas before an issue reaches the full Council.

The posted agenda and meeting notice control. Check the Council Meeting Information Center for the rules and schedule for each meeting.

How can I watch Austin City Council meetings live?

Use the City’s ATXN livestream page.

  • ATXN1 carries the primary City channel, including Council meetings and other public programming.

  • ATXN2 may carry a second public meeting when events overlap.

  • ATXN3 carries Spanish-language programming and content.

The City also states that regular Council meetings are broadcast on KAZI 88.7 FM. See the ATXN frequently asked questions for current viewing information.

Where can I watch a past Council or public meeting?

Use the ATXN Video Archive for recordings of televised Council, committee, board and commission meetings. Some recordings are divided by agenda item.

Use the City Council Meeting Archives for agendas, backup documents, actions and minutes. The records are organized by year.

What is the Austin City Council Message Board?

The City Council Message Board is a public forum where Council members and authorized staff post information about City business.

The public can read and search the message board. Only Council members and authorized staff may post.

The board can help you track:

  • Proposed amendments;

  • Requests to postpone or withdraw an item;

  • Statements from Council members;

  • Questions raised before a meeting; and

  • Support for an item sponsored by another Council member.

The message board supplements the official agenda. It does not replace a meeting notice, ordinance, resolution or approved minutes.

Where can I see how Council members voted?

Use the Council Voting History page to search votes from 2023 forward.

The database can be filtered by Council member, meeting date, vote, agenda item and other fields. Voting records are updated after meeting minutes are approved.

For earlier years or a recent action that is not yet in the database, check the relevant meeting page, action document or approved minutes in the Council archives.

Where can I find City staff memos to the mayor and Council?

Search the City Clerk’s Official Distribution Memoranda database.

These memos can include policy responses, project updates, status reports and information sent by City management or departments to the mayor and Council. They are often useful for following implementation after Council adopts a resolution or requests additional work.

How do I speak at an Austin City Council meeting?

Review the City’s Participate in a City Council Meeting page and follow the registration link for the specific meeting.

The City provides two main forms of public participation:

  1. General Public Communication for a subject that is not on the agenda; and

  2. Comment on a specific agenda item.

General Public Communication

Regular Council meetings reserve time at noon for up to 10 people to address Council on non-agenda subjects.

Advance registration is required. The City currently opens registration 21 days before the meeting and closes it 14 days before the meeting.

Comment on an agenda item

For regular Council meetings, online registration currently opens at 10 a.m. on the Monday before the meeting and closes at noon on the day before the meeting. Online registration is available for remote and in-person speakers.

In-person speakers may also register at City Hall kiosks after online registration closes. Kiosk registration closes 45 minutes before the meeting’s scheduled start. Remote registration is not available after the online form closes.

Special-called, budget and other meetings may use different deadlines. The instructions for the specific meeting control.

For assistance, contact the Austin City Clerk at 512-974-2210. Request interpretation, sign-language services or other accommodations in advance under the participation-page instructions. The City also provides an ADA accommodation request page.

How do I follow or participate in Council committee meetings?

Use the Council Committees page for meeting dates, agendas, archives and participation instructions.

The City’s active committees include:

  • Audit and Finance;

  • Austin Energy Utility Oversight;

  • Climate, Water, Environment and Parks;

  • Economic Opportunity;

  • Housing and Planning;

  • Mobility;

  • Public Health; and

  • Public Safety.

Committees often receive briefings, review policy options and make recommendations before an issue reaches the full Council.

How do I engage with a City board or commission?

Use the Boards and Commissions portal to find each body’s membership, meeting schedule, agendas, approved minutes, bylaws and staff contact.

Additional resources include:

To speak at a board or commission meeting, follow the instructions on its posted agenda or contact the listed staff liaison.

How do I research ordinances, resolutions, minutes and other City records?

Start with the City Clerk’s public-record search guide and Online Document Search.

The document system includes:

  • Council and Council committee records;

  • Executed ordinances and resolutions;

  • Board and commission agendas, backup and minutes;

  • Municipal election records; and

  • Records for certain Council-created corporations and boards.

The City of Austin Open Data Portal provides downloadable datasets on City services and operations.

If a record is not online, submit a public information request. A request with a clear subject, department and date range is generally easier to process than a broad request.

Where can I find the Austin City Code and City Charter?

Use the City Clerk’s City Code and Charter page.

It links to Austin’s Code of Ordinances, City Charter and technical criteria manuals through Municode.

For a policy matter, review both the ordinance or resolution adopted by Council and the codified City Code. Codification may occur after Council acts.

Should I call Austin 3-1-1 or my Council office?

Use Austin 3-1-1 to report a service issue, request information or create a trackable service request.

Contact your Council office when:

  • A 3-1-1 request remains unresolved;

  • The matter involves a broader policy or budget question;

  • The same problem affects several residents or properties; or

  • You need help identifying the responsible City department.

Keep the 3-1-1 service-request number. It gives the Council office and City staff a specific record to review.

Where is Austin City Hall, and where can I park?

Austin City Hall is located at 301 W. Second Street, Austin, Texas 78701.

The City Hall parking garage entrance is on Guadalupe Street. The City provides parking validation for people conducting City Hall business and participating in public meetings covered by the Texas Open Meetings Act, including Council and board or commission meetings.

Review the City’s City Hall visitor and parking information before visiting.

Where can I follow the City budget?

Use the City’s Annual Budget page.

The page provides the approved budget, property-tax information, the public budget process, capital-improvement planning and financial reports.

Budget discussions begin before final adoption. Follow work sessions, department briefings and public hearings through the Council Meeting Information Center.

Do paid advocates need to register as City lobbyists?

They may. Austin City Code Chapter 4-8 requires registration when a person meets the City’s lobbyist-registration requirements.

Anyone paid or otherwise compensated to influence a municipal decision should review the City Clerk’s Lobbyists page, the applicable City Code and filing deadlines.

The City Clerk also maintains a searchable lobbyist database.

This FAQ provides general information, not legal advice. Contact the City Clerk or legal counsel if you are uncertain about registration or reporting requirements.

Can a vendor contact Council about an active City solicitation?

Do not assume that contact is permitted.

Austin’s anti-lobbying and procurement rules can restrict communications during a solicitation’s no-contact period. A respondent and its representatives may be required to communicate only through the authorized contact named in the solicitation.

Before contacting Council, City staff or a board member about an active procurement, review:

A prohibited communication can have serious consequences for a respondent. Use the authorized solicitation contact and seek legal advice when necessary.

What is the most effective way to engage at Austin City Hall?

Start before the matter reaches a final vote.

  1. Identify your Council district and the responsible City department.

  2. Determine whether a board, commission or Council committee will review the matter first.

  3. Track agendas and read the backup documents.

  4. Contact the appropriate offices with a concise, specific request.

  5. Register before the applicable public-comment deadline.

  6. Support your position with relevant facts and a practical solution.

  7. Follow the meeting, vote, staff memos and implementation.

Early, specific and well-directed participation is generally more useful than waiting until the day of a Council vote.

This FAQ is provided for general informational purposes. City links, officeholders and meeting procedures can change. Confirm current information through the City of Austin before relying on it.

//

The Bingham Group is an Austin-based municipal government affairs and lobbying firm serving corporate, real estate and nonprofit clients across Central Texas.

Learn more about our services or contact The Bingham Group to discuss your Austin or Central Texas objectives.

//A.J. Bingham

AJ Bingham
Next

Texas State or Austin Municipal Lobbyist? How to Hire the Right Firm