Austin Metric

The most consequential feature of this November's Proposition I is not its efficiency "audit" report. Instead, it's the new legal right it creates allowing anyone to sue City Council - and potentially hold its budget process hostage - if one doesn't like the conclusions or methodology of the audit. That new litigation …

Yesterday marked "CEA Day" at the Austin City Council Audit and Finance Committee. Following the Mayor’s proposal for a Comprehensive Efficiency Assessment (CEA), the committee began digging into the operational realities of auditing every city department.

While the spirit of the initiative remains promising, the discussion highlighted several issues …

Mayor Kirk Watson recently proposed a new Comprehensive Efficiency Assessment (CEA) for the City of Austin. On its face, the proposal has merit. The "comprehensive" designation stems from its focus on department-by-department auditing, offering a chance at genuine insights that yield operational improvements. This is a significantly better approach than …

This November's police staffing measure will cost more than official estimates.

The City's Chief Financial Officer (CFO) released a series of much-cited cost scenarios for Save Austin Now's police staffing ballot measure. However, a critical look at the core assumptions behind those scenarios reveals that the likely costs for Proposition …

A set of proposals to improve the City of Austin's community engagement routines.

1. Verified, digital "preference" voting platform

Austinites should be able to register to "vote" on a web application that allows them to express their support on public matters before Council (or other public bodies). Identity must be …