City Extends Deadline for Flood Insurance Assistance: Following the catastrophic July 4 floods that took place this past summer, the city has announced that it is continuing its pilot program partnership with Del Valle Community Coalition to provide flood insurance assistance. With a goal of supporting Austinites who reside in high-risk flood locations, the Flood Insurance Assistance Program provides up to $2,000 for homeowners to obtain or maintain a year’s worth of flood insurance. In order to receive the program’s benefits, residents must be homeowners of a property located within the 100-year floodplain and have a household income at or below 140% of the median family income. Eligible residents can apply through Del Valle Community Coalition’s website.
Convention Center Lawsuit: The coalition of Austinites trying to force a vote on the convention center is not going away. In mid-November, the Austin city clerk rejected Austin United PAC’s bid to establish a voter referendum at an election next May on whether to continue construction on the new convention center. On Monday, the PAC filed suit against the city for rejecting the petition, claiming the city violated the Texas Public Information Act by keeping secret how it reviewed the more than 25,000 voter signatures collected by the group to get the proposal on the ballot. Austin United’s leaders criticized the cost of creating the convention center at a press conference on Tuesday. The city currently estimates the cost at $1.6 billion, but Austin United’s leaders say the true cost, with interest payments, is closer to $5.6 billion. The group proposed better uses for the six blocks of prime, Downtown real estate on which the new convention center will sit, namely the creation of an arts district.
Bathroom Bill Enforcement at Capitol: As Senate Bill 8, also known as the “bathroom bill,” has been enacted, different institutions around the state differ on how they enforce the new law. On Dec. 6, state troopers stood guard outside of the Capitol building’s restroom facilities, mandating that those wishing to use the restroom provide identification, while protesters voiced their opposition to SB 8, stating that the restrictions could influence an individual to photograph or harass others using public restrooms. City Council approved a resolution, authored by Mike Siegel, last Thursday that is set to establish ways to replace multi-occupancy restrooms that are affected by the changes with single-person restrooms. “We don’t know if anyone else has done this,” Siegel said. “In some ways, Texas is the testing ground for new discriminatory and hateful policies, and we’re just responding as creatively as we can.”
Time Ticks on Cap and Stitch: As TxDOT continues its work on expanding I-35, time is ticking for city officials to make a decision on what the cap-and-stitch initiative will look like, currently divided on the best routes. After Council agreed to allocate $104 million in the long term, counting on the funding to come from a federal grant that fell through, they now have until May of next year to inform TxDOT on the city’s funding route, and must decide this month how many caps they intend on building and where they will be placed. Commenting on the potential capping areas, Council Member Chito Vela told KUT, “Looking at that highway cap between Cesar Chavez through Seventh Street, if we were to cap that area of the highway and put some nice amenities on it, we are potentially building one of the best downtown parks in Texas.”
Council Approves Disannexation of Lake Austin Properties: At the last scheduled Council meeting of the year, on Dec. 11, Council members approved the removal of multiple properties on Lake Austin from being within city limits, after 140 property owners petitioned for the removal. According to Statesman reporting, the change will result in a loss of $290 million in taxes from the city. Council’s decision comes after a 2019 vote that added the properties to city limits, followed by over 300 owners suing the city. Austin Fire, Austin-Travis County EMS, Austin Energy, and Austin Water will still continue to serve the area.
Former Mayor Frank Cooksey Passes: At 92 years old, former Austin Mayor Frank Cooksey died on Monday, Dec. 15. Cooksey is remembered for being an activist for civil rights and progressive policies during his time serving as the city’s mayor from 1985 to 1988. During that three-year period, the city approved the Comprehensive Watershed Ordinance that protects water quality by regulating land development and usage. He also helped craft the Department of Economic Development and Trade, along with other notable achievements in and out of office.
Austin Energy Grid Efforts: On Tuesday, Dec. 16, Austin Energy announced its goal for a “stronger, smarter, more reliable” grid: Electric System Resiliency Plan. The proposed plan comes after over a year of engagement from stakeholders, reviewing costs, and conducting third-party studies. The strategy is to ensure that the energy system will be reliable during extreme weather conditions and other hazards and quickly respond to outages. The plan comes as a 10-year rollout, with an overall cost of $735 million for a variety of infrastructure developments starting in 2026, according to Austin Energy.
TEA Takes Over Three More Districts: After Texas Commissioner of Education Mike Morath took over Fort Worth ISD back in October, the Texas Education Agency announced on Dec. 11 that it will replace Beaumont, Connally, and Lake Worth ISDs’ school boards with state-appointed boards and superintendents. The TEA is empowered to take over a school district when any one school has amassed five consecutive failing accountability scores, which are largely based on standardized test scores, as was the case in all three districts. Each of the schools that triggered the takeover of their district serve a majority of Black, Hispanic, and low-income students, The Texas Tribune reported.
Council Declares Calhoun House City Landmark: At the last scheduled City Council meeting of 2025, Council members voted to declare the Calhoun House, one of the first suburban developments built by and for Black Austinites during segregation, as a city of Austin Historic Landmark. Located in the Rogers-Washington-Holy Cross Historic District at 2401 Givens Ave., the property was once called home by pioneer Black educators and civic leaders, Thelma and T.C. Calhoun. In a collaboration with Preservation Austin, a nonprofit that advocates for protecting historic buildings and neighborhoods in Austin, Patricia Calhoun, daughter of Thelma and T.C., prepared the nomination for the house.
City Activates Cold Weather Shelters: As temperatures began to dip this past Sunday, the city of Austin Homeless Strategies and Operations announced that it opened its cold weather shelters for those in need of a warm and safe space to lay their head. According to KXAN, over 140 people showed up as the city opened up these shelters, which only occurs when temperatures reach 35 degrees or below. For future instances, individuals must register to stay at the shelter between 6 and 8pm at One Texas Center.
Comptroller Launches Local Finance Database: Comptroller Kelly Hancock announced that his office is launching the Local Government Bond, Tax, and Project Transparency Database on Monday, Dec. 15. According to the comptroller’s press release, the directory provides Texans with “transparent access to current and historical information on local government bonds, voter-approved tax rate elections, and related projects statewide.” Hancock said that the database will offer taxpayers full transparency in terms of local spending. Future bonds and voter-approved tax rates must be reported to the comptroller’s office by Aug. 7, following the election.
Transgender Texans Tracked by the State: Over the last year, the state has been keeping track of all transgender drivers who have attempted to change the sex attributed to them on their state driver’s license. According to KUT reporting, the Texas Department of Public Safety has tracked over 100 individuals who have made the request to change their license between August 2024 and August 2025. These efforts come after the state prohibited individuals from updating their gender on their official driver’s license, except to fix clerical errors. While the state has not made clear why they have been collecting this data, transgender advocates have raised concerns that the actions put individuals’ privacy at risk.
Violent Incidents Around the Globe: Over the past weekend, on Saturday, Dec. 13, a mass shooting occurred at Brown University where at least two students died and nine others were injured. Providence Police Department said that it has a person of interest detained. The next day, three Americans – two U.S. soldiers and an interpreter – were killed in Syria by an Islamic State gunman, according to the BBC. Three other service members “engaged and killed” the gunman, who was later identified as a member of the local security force. That same Sunday, as members of Australia’s Jewish community gathered for a Hanukkah event at Bondi Beach, a father and son shot and killed 15 people, according to the BBC. The father, 50-year-old Sajid Akram, was shot and killed by local police officers, while his 24-year-old son, Naveed, is in a Sydney hospital. Australia’s Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has stated that the incident was an ISIS terrorist attack, and has since said that he plans to heighten gun laws. Reflecting on the occurrences, APD released a statement that Sunday: “Out of an abundance of caution, and as Hanukkah begins this evening, APD will maintain a visible presence at Jewish houses of worship and at related events taking place throughout the city.”
QUOTE OF THE WEEK
“This is very much likely an unconstitutional law. It is motivated by discriminatory animus. It is not backed by crime data or any evidence of safety needs. It’s designed to divide us, to conquer us, and to promote cynical political goals.”
City Council Member Mike Siegel addressing SB 8 taking effect
This article appears in December 19 • 2025.