Ben Thompson

3 weeks ago | communityimpact.com | Chloe Young |Ben Thompson

The Texas Senate has passed bills that are headed to the Texas House for consideration. These legislative proposals—many of which are authored by Central Texas lawmakers—could become law if passed by both chambers and signed by Gov. Greg Abbott. 1. Guaranteed income ban advancingSeveral Texas counties and cities, including Austin, have launched programs offering unrestricted payments to select residents. House Bill 530 from Rep.

3 weeks ago | communityimpact.com | Ben Thompson

A new zoning use for science industries could support the growth of facilities in the biotech, diagnostics, medical, pharmaceutical and research fields in Austin, and build on the hundreds of companies and tens of thousands of jobs in place today. In a nutshellAustin's extensive zoning rulebook includes different land uses that can be allowed on property around town, covering a range of residential, commercial, industrial and civic activities.

3 weeks ago | communityimpact.com | Elisabeth Jimenez |Ben Thompson

A new medical complex set to rise on the former Frank Erwin Center property in downtown Austin is moving closer to development, potentially with some support from the Texas Legislature. The future site of The University of Texas system's new hospital campus is currently constrained by Capitol View Corridors that limit development within sight lines of the Capitol dome.

3 weeks ago | communityimpact.com | Gracie Warhurst |Ben Thompson

A likely new local requirement will require all Austin residents to have access to air conditioning in their homes or apartments. The big pictureToday, there's no statewide standard for housing in Texas to offer residential cooling service. Some cities have adopted their own air conditioning rules, but Austin doesn't yet have any in place.

3 weeks ago | communityimpact.com | Ben Thompson

Austin officials are readying to call an election to hike local property taxes in the near future, and potentially continuing on a four-year basis. The big pictureUnder a state law approved in 2019, Texas cities aren’t able to raise revenues from local property taxes by more than 3.5% year-over-year. That limit is a drop from a past annual revenue cap of 8%. If city leaders believe more funding is needed, they can ask voters to approve a higher tax rate to collect revenue beyond the 3.5% limit.