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Join us in addressing our City Council concerning a number of critical items on this Thursday, May 2nd agenda. These key issues concern water quantity (Items 4, 5, 6 and 7), direct democracy (Item 69), and creek protection/historic preservation (Item 16).
Water Quantity (Items 4, 5, 6, & 7)
Austin's water supplies are becoming rapidly less climate resilient, and we need a strong water conservation plan and drought management strategy to ensure that we have clean, safe, and affordable water supplies for this generation and beyond. With these items, the City would backtrack on over a decade of progress made on water conservation efforts. The Water Forward Task Force, which is a group of Austin residents and stakeholders that put together recommendations to bring about a more water resilient future have been omitted from the process to approve these plans. They were not given time to review and make proper recommendations on proposed changes that would remove the administrative review process and increase the daily water consumption goal, despite the rapidly declining state of our highland lakes drinking water. We are asking the City Council to POSTPONE these items and allow the Water Forward Task Force time to weigh in.
Direct Democracy (Item 69).
Item 69 threatens Austin’s direct democracy by proposing to raise signature requirements for voter-initiated ordinances and Council Member recalls. We urge the City Council to reject these amendments, preserving accessible petition signature thresholds. Petition processes have been catalysts for change in Austin policy, bringing in voices and encouraging more to participate in the democratic process. Their impacts go beyond their initial efforts, such as the SOS Initiative Ordinance that brought about over a decade of environmental reforms and the 10-1 Geographic Council Reform that led to a new focus on equity and geographic fairness.
Creek Protection / Historic Bridge over Barton Creek (Item 16)
Item 16 calls on Council to vote on an $11 million plus budget to demolish the historic Barton Springs Road Bridge, overlooking its significance within the Zilker Park National Register Historic District. We oppose this unnecessary demolition and advocate for enhancing bike and pedestrian access to Zilker Park. There are other options that the City Council could consider, such as parallel pedestrian and bicycle infrastructure projects, that would not require the creek disturbance and money associated with the removal.
Act now by using our targeted email form to share your concerns directly with the City Council.
The City of Austin Charter Commission, composed of appointed representatives from the City Council, is pushing forward a proposal to increase signature requirements for voter-initiated measures. Council Members, fearing recall, aim to raise the signature requirement from 10% of qualified votes, falsely claiming it "raises the price" for entry, when in reality, it undermines democracy. These efforts lack practical basis, with zero successful recall efforts in Austin's recent history. Now, a few powerful individuals seek to strip Austin voters of their direct democracy power. Take action now to preserve Austin's last bastion of direct democracy by urging the Austin City Council to reject these harmful proposals.
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