Austin Metric

This Statesman piece on local candidates sparring over economic development incentives is quite frustrating.

First, it leaves somewhat unclear what the candidates actually believe.  Certainly we know that Mayor Leffingwell supports their use (downtown hotel, Apple, LegalZoom, etc.) but the article doesn't convey whether Brigid Shea is in blanket opposition …

From the Austin City Code:

The councilmember elected to and occupying the place designated “mayor” shall be the mayor of the City of Austin. At its first meeting following each regular election of councilmembers, the council shall, by election, designate one of its number as mayor pro tem, who shall …

Chris Bradford over at Austin Contrarian - the inspiration for this humble blog - argues that SMDs will institutionalize planning and zoning parochialism:

Council members whose districts will not be affected  directly will have an incentive to defer to the affected Council member; they will want and expect that deference to be …

In Austin, SMD proponents claim that a new electoral scheme will (1) improve the delivery of public services by creating geographic representation, (2) increase the proportion of Latinos elected to the City Council, and (3) address relatively low voter turnout rates. Pro-SMD arguments are often theoretical or anecdotal; luckily, empirical …

Over at Burnt Orange Report, there's a discussion afoot about the pros and cons of moving our May municipal election to November. No one seems to dispute that the number of people voting for local office holders would increase if we reduce the overall number of elections and coordinate with …