Austin Free Press

Black businesses, event curators, chefs, artists, and historical leaders are not only vital to the culture that makes Austin a top destination city, they feed the state economy.

One might assume, then, that finding support for Black-led organizations in the region would be easy… but you know what they say about the first three letters in “assume.”

In 2024, the data-driven advocacy organization Measure and the Austin Justice Coalition released a report titled “State of Black Lives in Austin,” which found that despite the money poured into the economy by Black residents, the City of Austin failed to invest in the Black community. Black households earned 54 cents on the dollar compared to white households, and Black creatives received only 2% of the City’s cultural funding.

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In the wake of major cuts to federal food programs, the City of Austin and area nonprofits have joined forces to help prevent Austin’s youngest and neediest from going hungry.

Last July, Congress approved $186 billion in cuts to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) over the next decade. The legislation — H.R. 1, known as the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act” — reduces support on multiple fronts. It not only slashes overall funding, but also imposes stricter work requirements: since October, able-bodied adults ages 18 to 64 without young children must work at least 80 hours a month to qualify for benefits. A change in how utility costs are calculated when determining net income also threatens to reduce benefits.

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Austin Free Press Our mission is to equip Austinites to make informed decisions through independent, in-depth reporting, diverse opinions, and civil dialogue.

On a hot afternoon, I joined a group of fellow Huston-Tillotson students to visit one of the city’s most vital resources for those living without homes: the ARCH, or Austin Resource Center for the Homeless.

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Is it possible to keep the lights on during peak demand and care for the planet and public health at the same time?

That’s the question Austin’s Electric Utility Commission plans to tackle at its meeting on Monday, May 11, as it considers Austin Energy’s proposal to build more natural gas-powered peaking units in the city.

The advisory Electric Utility Commission also plans to discuss a full economic modeling of both renewable and conventional power sources for Austin Energy. Proposals to expand local energy generation – including more peaker units – will go to city council later this month, according to Lisa Martin, Austin Energy’s Chief Operating Officer.

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Austin Free Press Our mission is to equip Austinites to make informed decisions through independent, in-depth reporting, diverse opinions, and civil dialogue.

Internal records reviewed by Austin Free Press reveal a year of stark contrast for Travis County’s public healthcare system. Although Central Health expanded services and exceeded key performance targets, its CEO faced potential termination over concerns about his relationship with the board, whose members were divided over communication and authority issues, records show.

During a closed session on April 1, 2025, the Board of Managers unanimously approved a set of corrective directives for CEO Dr. Patrick Lee, who stepped into the role in 2024. Records show agreement that if Lee didn’t demonstrate progress by the end of June, members would conclude he was “not the right fit” for the organization, “resulting in termination.”

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The small, one-story, white clapboard building that sits quietly on a hill along State Highway 21 West in Cedar Creek does not, at first glance, seem particularly impressive.

Barely 1,000 square feet in size, with a front-facing gabled roof and Craftsman-inspired details, it’s hardly imposing. But it’s not uncommon for small things to tell big stories, and such is the case with the Hopewell Rosenwald School.

Read the full story here: https://austinfreepress.org/blackboard/

Austin’s city manager is one of the highest paid metro managers in Texas, earning nearly a half-million dollars a year, according to public records analyzed by Austin Free Press using the newly launched Government Accountability Project database.

Today’s launch – and expansion of the GAP – stems from a partnership with Ken Martin and The Austin Bulldog to strengthen transparency and public oversight. At the center of the project is a public document library that gives readers direct access to records obtained through open records requests. Martin first established The Austin Bulldog in 2010, and the GAP was founded and established by The Austin Bulldog in 2023.

Read the full story here: https://austinfreepress.org/mind-the-gap/

The Austin City Council continued its near lock-step approval of rezoning requests in 2025, according to a new analysis of voting patterns that updates Austin Free Press’ 2024 report.

The council approved 110 rezoning applications in 2025 and rejected just two. What’s more, in all but three rezoning cases every present and participating council member voted together as a bloc.

Read the full story here: https://austinfreepress.org/rubber-stamp/

Austin Free Press Our mission is to equip Austinites to make informed decisions through independent, in-depth reporting, diverse opinions, and civil dialogue.