The folks behind
Proposition B, the citizen initiative to re-criminalize public camping in Downtown Austin and near the UT Campus, got the victory they sought for the more than $1 million they spent. With all votes counted Saturday night, the measure backed by
Save Austin Now prevailed by 14 points, 57.1%-42.9%.
That s a slightly weaker showing than was predicted before polls closed by SAN co-founder
Matt Mackowiak, also chair of the
Travis County Republican Party, but a win s a win:
Tonight’s decisive win for @saveaustinnow is a clear message to @MayorAdler and @GregCasar that a majority of Austinites will no longer tolerate failed policies that harm standard of living.
FOR
Back in 2004, the Austin Firefighters Association (IAFF Local 975), then led by future City Council Member Mike Martinez, won voter approval to exercise the collective bargaining rights available to police and fire unions under Texas law. For more than a decade thereafter, the AFA s political influence continued to grow, as a more progressive force than its police counterpart – but it still was often stymied in labor negotiations with City Hall. Three of the last six rounds of contract talks ended in impasse, with the city denying the union s request for arbitration; the current contract, approved in 2017, still leaves major long-term compensation and hiring issues unresolved. The AFA then gathered the 20,000 signatures needed for this charter amendment to allow either side – rather than requiring both sides – to agree to binding arbitration as allowed under state law. The ballot language drafted by city lawyers implies that
Boy Scouts selling Camp Gustin in Sabattus to raise money for abuse victims fund pressherald.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from pressherald.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
A small but significant parcel of land along the eastern shore of the Tenny River in Raymond has been conserved by the Loon Echo Land Trust, with help from Portland-area businesses, a big step in preserving clean water for southern Maine residents.
The 25 acres of forest in the conservation easement runs along the bank of the mile-long river that connects Crescent Lake and Panther Pond. That easement, along with 28 acres conserved six years ago, is crucial to the water quality of Sebago Lake, the primary water supply for the Portland Water District.
The district provides water to about 16% of Maine s population, and the watershed the area where snowmelt, rain and other bodies of water that contribute to the water supply covers more than 50 miles and 24 towns.