Leander voters to elect new City Council Place 3 member Nov. 4
Leander residents will have the chance Nov. 4 to elect City Council member David McDonald’s replacement for Place 3.
What you need to know: Anna Yelaun, Mohan Marchetty and Natomi Blair are facing off for the seat, according to Leander’s elections page.
More information about each candidate can be found on the city’s website, and important dates to know leading up to the election are listed below.
Sept. 5: Drawing for a place on the ballot
Oct. 20-Oct. 31: Early voting period
Nov. 4: Election Day
Leander comprises both Williamson County and Travis County, and voters can vote at any polling location in their county, according to the city’s website.
Leander City Council clears way for affordable housing development to proceed
Leander City Council on Sept. 4 authorized a resolution to allow the Housing Authority of Travis County to move forward with an affordable housing complex that will be called the Preserve at Mason Creek.
The resolution authorized a cooperation agreement with the city that included parameters for payments in lieu of taxes, as the development will be exempt from property taxes as long as the HATC holds an ownership interest in the project or land, according to agenda documents.
The details: Cascade Homes, LLC. will partner with the HATC on the project. Cascade will pay the annual PILOT, which will be equal to the amount of ad valorem taxes that would have been assessed on the property and gone to the city, beginning 11 years after the project is completed, according to the documents.
The roughly 7.7-acre property is located south of Horseshoe Drive, approximately 480 feet west of S. West Drive, according to the documents. Site plans for the property include 64 residential units.
Austin's first-ever logo was unveiled Sept. 4 as the city moves to implement a new, unified brand.
The rebranding initiative was conducted by consultants Pentagram Design Inc. and Austin-based TKO Advertising Inc. over the past year-plus through a $640,000 contract, and with almost $500,000 in other city expenses. Officials said the process, which included public surveys and focus groups to inform final designs, is needed to improve the consistency of Austin's branding.
The new blue and green logo is meant to reflect the area's natural features and energy, according to the city. The rebrand officially starts in October, when the new logo will be used for digital assets like websites alongside other new materials being produced. Going forward, it'll be gradually phased in by city departments as they replace or purchase new clothing, vehicles and other items.
What to know: Most Texas school districts required to display donated Ten Commandments posters under state law
Most Texas public schools are required to display donated posters of the Ten Commandments in classrooms under Senate Bill 10, a state law that took effect Sept. 1.
The details: On Aug. 20, a Texas federal judge temporarily blocked the following 11 school districts from displaying the Ten Commandments:
Alamo Heights ISD
Austin ISD
Cy-Fair ISD
Dripping Springs ISD
Fort Bend ISD
Houston ISD
Lackland ISD
Lake Travis ISD
North East ISD
Northside ISD
Plano ISD
Attorney General Ken Paxton appealed the ruling and directed other school districts to begin displaying donated copies of the Ten Commandments.
The debate: Proponents of SB 10, including Paxton and Republican state lawmakers, have argued that seeing the Ten Commandments on a daily basis will help Texas students better understand U.S. history and learn about morality.
Some religious scholars have stressed the importance of teaching students about religion in an “appropriate educational context.” Democratic lawmakers have expressed concerns that non-Christian students will feel left out or be bullied by their peers for not following the Ten Commandments.
