Latest news with #PaigeEllis
Axios
30-06-2025
- Business
- Axios
Park upkeep fees floated by Austin City Council
Austin City Council members are contemplating levying a new fee to pay for city parks. Why it matters: Facing a budget deficit, the City Council is searching for ways to raise money instead of slashing maintenance and key park programs. The parks department has an operating budget of $185 million this fiscal year. What they're saying: Parks, splash pads, playgrounds and recreation centers — as well as park programming such as summer camps — "are vital to our city's identity and quality of life," Council Member Paige Ellis posted on a city message board last week. "But maintaining them requires sustained, reliable funding, and it is clear that the status quo is not enough," How it works: Without offering details, Ellis proposed "a small, dedicated fee on utility bills, with all revenue going directly toward the maintenance and improvement of Austin's parks system." Residents enrolled in a city-sponsored financial assistance program could be exempt from paying the monthly fee, she suggested. Between the lines: ParkScore, a national comparison of park systems across the 100 most populated cities in the U.S., produced by the Trust for Public Land (TPL), rated Austin 54th in 2025, down from 44th in 2024. "Austin's slip mostly has to do with other cities rising faster and that the city's score has largely remained the same," Rebecca Bullis, a spokesperson for TPL, tells Axios. The intrigue: A 2023 state law restricted Austin's ability to require developers to build new parks alongside new construction. Zoom out: The ParkScore drop "shows we can't keep doing things the same way," Council Member Vanessa Fuentes wrote on the message board last week in support of a fee. "But let's make sure we get the equity piece right, both in how we structure the fee and where the money actually goes. Too many neighborhoods have been left behind when it comes to quality parks and amenities." Zoom in: Residents living in lower-income neighborhoods have access to 64% less nearby park space than those in higher-income neighborhoods, per the TPL ParkScore report. Nearly 70% of Austin residents live within a 10-minute walk of a park, TPL says. Nationally, the figure is 76%. Austin also scored below average in the amenities category, which assesses the availability of popular park features like basketball hoops, off-leash dog parks, playgrounds and senior centers. The other side: Last year, Austin parks officials noted underlying "historic injustices" with park acquisition and said the city "is balancing the cost of acquiring parkland in an expensive market with rapid population growth and limited departmental resources." The bottom line: Washington, D.C., remains the system to beat, after claiming the top spot in the TPL report for a fifth consecutive year.
Yahoo
20-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Council Member Ellis announces run for reelection, challenged by former EMS union president
AUSTIN (KXAN) — Both Paige Ellis, incumbent Austin City Council Member, and Selena Xie, an Austin-Travis County EMS commander and former Austin EMS Association president, announced they will run for the Austin City Council District 8 seat next year. 'As a frontline worker, I don't work from home—and I don't think our City Council should either,' Xie said Wednesday. 'I came to the decision to run after meeting with numerous district residents from many different backgrounds. They all said the same thing—that D8 deserves a Councilmember who shows up. On council, I will bring the same energy to improving affordability, public safety, infrastructure, the environment, constituent services, and communication with residents to District 8 that I brought as EMS Association President. I know we can do better for the people who I've been proud to serve.' Ellis, who is serving her second term as the representative of District 8 (southwest Austin), has hit her term limit, but Austin allows council members to run for reelection for a third term if they get five percent of qualified voters in their district to sign a petition to get back on the ballot. According to the city of Austin, there are 67,918 qualified voters in District 8 as of Jan. 31, 2024, 'but this voter data will change soon as we recently received new voter data from the counties,' the city of Austin said. That means Ellis would need 3,396 signatures. 'We cannot determine how much the number will vary, but as previously stated, we recently received new voter data and will be updating the page soon,' the city said. ''Qualified' voter means a duly and timely registered voter,' the city's website said. Ellis announced she will seek that option and run for reelection Wednesday: Councilmember Paige Ellis will seek a third term to the Austin City Council in 2026. Ellis, one of the most tenured members currently serving on council, will continue to bring a steady hand to policy making and expertise in the areas of housing, mobility, environmental responsibility, and emergency services. Paige Ellis has also served a leadership role on major events in Austin such as hiring a new City Manager, the COVID-19 pandemic, and navigating the aftermath of two winter storms. 'I have lived and worked in Southwest Austin for 15 years and I understand the unique needs of our friends and neighbors. Together we have improved parks and roads, come together in crisis, and worked to make life a little bit better for everyone. I would be honored to have the community's support once again.' Paige Ellis, Austin City Council District 8 'The petition is required to be turned in along with the ballot application. The ballot application window is July 20 – August 17, 2026,' the city of Austin said of Ellis' petition. District 8 voters will vote in this election on November 3, 2026. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
22-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Parks over I-35: In final push, some Austin city council members pitch new $143M plan
AUSTIN (KXAN) — The day before Austin City Council is set to vote on how much money it will commit to the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) for the roadway elements of future covers over TxDOT's I-35 expansion project, some council members are putting forward a new plan. As of Wednesday, there are two sub quorums of five city council members — each with different ideas on how to proceed. The council is made up of 10 members, meaning the vote is split right down the middle. That leaves the tiebreaker to Austin Mayor Kirk Watson. One group — Council Members Ryan Alter, Chito Vela, Jose Velasquez, Zo Qadri and Natasha Harper-Madison — want the city to invest in roadway elements for as many highway covers, known as caps and stitches, as possible. The other group — Mayor Pro Tem Vanessa Fuentes, Council Members Krista Laine, Marc Duchen, Mike Siegel and Paige Ellis — are willing to go only as far as city staff's latest proposal, a paired down plan that commits funding to the early construction elements of two downtown caps. The mayor announced Tuesday he will vote with this group. Parks over I-35: Mayor to vote for more conservative plan amid council split That latter sub quorum posted on the message board earlier this week and said in-part: 'We understand that the staff recommendation for Thursday's decision will require a $49M commitment. Given our overall debt capacity of $750M, Council can commit this sum towards building the support structures for two important caps and still have $701M remaining for the 2026 Comprehensive Bond package to address our community's wide range of needs – from parks to housing to mobility to libraries to climate resilience – or caps. This is a balance we can support.' You can read more about each stance in my coverage from Tuesday. Wednesday afternoon, that first group put forward a new proposal they hope will sway council members from that second more conservative group. 'And that compromise is to do the roadway elements for the downtown caps — that's Cesar Chavez to 4th, 4th-7th and 11th-12th as well as one northern cap,' Alter said. The divide between these sub quorums isn't necessarily the desire to have caps — but concern about the city being on the hook for paying for them and what spending money on this venture might take away from other city services. 'Yes, and approach': Council members combing through alternate funding options for I-35 covers 'My sub quorum said let's be realistic about our limited dollars and create a plan that we know we can fund that when we promise to build something we can deliver it,' Austin City Council Member Paige Ellis said Tuesday (before the new proposal came out). The new proposal includes new funding methods that don't take away from the city's borrowing capacity, Alter said. The funding proposal boils down to this: Pay for the roadway elements for the Cesar Chavez to 4th Street cap ($40M) by asking Austin voters to approve a car rental tax for this purpose Fund the roadway elements for the 4th-7th Street cap ($29M) and the 11th-12th Street cap ($9M) using a state loan the city has already been awarded for this project And finally, the sub quorum proposed the city pays for a northern cap ($65M) using right-of-way fees and through a Tax Increment Reinvestment Zone (TIRZ) Altogether, that proposal shakes out to $143 million. The new proposal also 'directs staff to generate a funding plan for the roadway elements and future caps that can incorporate the sources we have offered here or come up with additional ideas, but which does not rely on any additional debt that limits the City's ability to issue GO debt, beyond the $49 million amount we all seem to agree on,' the sub quorum wrote. 'I would just highlight that what we're trying to do here is preserve future options and do it with the least amount of debt possible,' Alter said. KXAN has reached out to the members of the other sub quorum as they look through those new details. We will update this story when they issue a response. A spokesperson for the city of Austin said staff couldn't immediately comment but would be at the city council meeting Thursday to answer council questions on any of the proposals put forward. You can read the latest full proposal here. Sen. Sarah Eckhardt, D-Austin, and Representatives John Bucy, Sheryl Cole, Lulu Flores, Vikki Goodwin, Gina Hinojosa, Donna Howard and James Talarico sent a letter to Austin leaders making this decision Thursday. Austin staff recommend reduced number of 'caps' over I-35 expansion project 'We urge you to prioritize this project and to secure the necessary funding and support from local, state, and federal stakeholders. By pushing for State financial support and exploring additional funding streams in place of the General Fund, we can ensure adequate financial backing without a significant impact to Austin's other priorities. As a result of this investment, the I-35 Cap and Stitch will create lasting positive change for generations to come. We are eager to see it move forward and assist in whatever ways we can,' the letter said in-part. 'We all care about these values. What the city is working through right now is how much money we can spend on a State project and what we should use on city projects. I appreciate any assistance from our local delegation to help secure funding to mitigate adverse impacts for I-35 when we have little control over the schematics. I know they are working hard for our constituents right now at the Capitol,' Ellis responded. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
14-02-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Parking in an Austin bike lane is now illegal thanks to new amendment
The Brief Austin City Council approved an amendment making it illegal to park in a bike lane Bikers across Austin voiced their concerns leading to the amendment AUSTIN, Texas - Austin City Council members have adjusted the parking code in an effort to protect cyclists. Council members approved an amendment on Thursday which makes it illegal to park in a bike lane, even if there isn't a "no parking" sign. You also can't block an EV charging station, or right-of-way closure area for special events. The only exceptions are emergencies or permitted work. What they're saying "This started because a handful of advocates that came to us and told us their stories of conflicts about having to veer out of the bicycle lane and get into a lane of traffic reserved for cars," Paige Ellis, District 8 Council Member said. Spencer Schumacher, who is on both the Bicycle Advisory Council and Urban Transportation Committee, bikes to work every day. "This is, I think, a long time coming," Schumacher said. He says vehicles stopped in bike lanes is a common encounter. "It's frustrating, and I think it frankly should be frustrating for every single person that we've spent millions of dollars on beautiful bike infrastructure, but there are places where you just can't use it," Schumacher said. Aaron Chamberlain also bikes to work every day. "You've got to quickly make the decision to get into the lane of traffic, which sometimes can be hard because it's so busy, and it just makes things unsafe," he said. Local perspective Walter Benny, who is visiting Austin from New York State, shared his perspective as a truck driver. "It's next to impossible to park a tractor trailer, especially in a city alongside a road," he said. "I guess safety with a bike lane might be an issue, but for me, if I had my tractor trailer down here, and I wanted to deliver, get something to eat, I just leave it right in the road." Dig deeper In a memo, the city says they will do a three-month period of public education, where only warnings will be given to people so they are aware of the ordinance change. "There's never a need to run quickly if you come across someone's safety. This is about public safety. When folks park in the bike lane that forces bikes to go out into traffic, people get hit, people get hurt and people get killed," Schumacher said. When it comes to delivery trucks, drivers with a permit can stop in the curbside travel lane if there are two or more travel lanes in one direction. "It's a lot safer to ask a car to go around another parked car than it is to ask a bicyclist to go into oncoming traffic to go around a parked car," Schumacher said. The city is also doing a curbside management study, which looks at how that space is being used. "I do really think that we need to create spaces that people can get to their work, make their drop-offs, and not block traffic," Chito Vela, District 4 Council Member, said. The city is also considering the option of mailing parking citations in the future, but that is still in the talks. Schumacher said a volunteer enforcement program is still being evaluated. The Source Information from interviews conducted by FOX 7 Austin's Angela Shen
