City leaders vote in Austin election as Prop B debate continues
This morning Mayor Adler and county officials cast their ballots in the City of Austin elections.
AUSTIN, Texas - After becoming ill and living on the streets for years, Alvin Sanderson has seen a lot. I’ve seen a lot of misery, a lot of things a normal person would be scared of, said Sanderson, who is voting against Proposition B for the city of Austin.
Right now, people can camp anywhere, with certain exceptions. If passed, Prop B would restore the city-wide camping ban, reinstate the sit and lie ordinance in parts of downtown and the University of Texas at Austin campus, and eliminate panhandling from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Williamson County leaders to testify over bill regarding homeless hotel purchase Drew Knight
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On Wednesday, Williamson County leaders plan to testify as the Texas House takes up House Bill 1803, relating to the requiring of county approval for the proposed purchase of a property to be converted into a space to house the homeless.
This comes as the City of Austin has been in talks to purchase the Candlewood Suites, a hotel in the Williamson County area, in order to house members of the homeless population, a proposal that has sparked numerous protests and lawsuits.
Lawyer and Hampton Inn and Homewood Suites CFO Rupal Chaudhari said her “Chaudhari Partnership” business filed a lawsuit in March, seeking injunctive relief, monetary relief and a declaratory judgment preventing the finalized purchase “without proper notice and compensation for the loss of value of its properties and easement.”
Williamson County commissioners on Tuesday approved hiring lawyers to explore legal options, including filing a lawsuit, to prevent the city of Austin from using a hotel to house homeless people.
Last week, the Austin City Council approved spending $9.5 million to buy the Candlewood Suites at 10811 Pecan Park Blvd., an area of Austin that is in Williamson County.
Commissioners had asked the Austin City Council last week to delay its decision to buy the hotel for six months because they had only recently learned of the project.
By a unanimous vote, the Commissioners Court on Tuesday approved exploring legal actions against Austin over the hotel purchase.