fbpx

Top Stories

Austin City Manager: Dallas discard vs Austin retread

Council members make policy. The city manager’s job is to implement those policies. A great city manager can get that done and keep the ship of state sailing smoothly. A good city manager can get most assignments done and avoid...

Will lawsuit blow up Project Connect train tracks?

Plaintiffs in the lawsuit Dirty Martin’s et al v. Mayor Kirk Watson et al claim they’re victims of a bait-and-switch scheme because Project Connect will deliver improvements vastly inferior to what voters were promised when they approved Proposition A...

Latest articles

City Council Tackles Charter Recommendations

City Council Tackles Charter Recommendations

Redistricting Expert, Charter Revision Committee Members,
and Grass-roots Group Critical of Task Force Plan


By Ken Martin
© The Austin Bulldog
Posted Thursday, April 26, 2012, 9:30 pm

Although the City Council could wait until August to set the ballot for the City Charter revisions to be put before voters in November, action is already moving forward.

Seven items were on the April 26 council meeting agenda that dealt with recommendations offered by the 2012 Charter Revision Committee. Four were passed, two were postponed, and one was withdrawn in the face of strong opposition and advice from outside counsel.

Background Investigation: Brigid Shea

Background Investigation: Brigid Shea

Here's What the Public Records Say About
the Former Council Member Running for Mayor

by Rebecca LaFlureMa
© The Austin Bulldog 2012
Posted Tuesday, April 10, 2012 10:10am
Updated Monday, April 16, 11:19am

Brigid SheaAfter a nearly 16-year hiatus from public office, environmentalist and former Council Member Brigid Shea is challenging incumbent Mayor Lee Leffingwell for the city’s top spot on election day May 12.

Known largely for her public feuds with high-power developers in the early ’90s, Shea said she hopes to bring a fresh leadership approach to City Hall.

“There’s nothing personal in this,” Shea said. “I’ve known Lee Leffingwell a long time. We’ve worked on projects together. But City Hall needs a new direction.”

The Austin Bulldog’s Reporting Produces Results

The Austin Bulldog’s Reporting Produces Results

Our High-Impact Reporting Was Made
Possible by Strong Community Support

by Ken Martin
© The Austin Bulldog 2012
Posted Tuesday April 3, 2012, 2:05pm

Like baseball Hall of Famer Dizzy Dean said, “It ain't bragging if you done it.”

The Austin Bulldog has been able to hold elected officials and governmental bodies accountable, thanks in large part to nearly 200 people who have contributed money to finance our work over the past two years. Our investigative reporting has resulted in numerous reforms to provide more open and transparent government to the citizens of Austin and Travis County.

Individual donations in 2011 to support this important work totaled $33,045. The Kirk Mitchell Public Interest Investigative Reporting Fund donated $15,000 through December, for total funding of $48,045.

Our expenses totaled $39,242. For details on how we used this crucial funding, you can review our Profit and Loss Statement for 2011.

Marking our second anniversary is a good time to report to those whose financial backing made this work possible, as well as other readers, and take a quick look at some of our major accomplishments.

Brief overview of what public support made possible

Background Investigation: Bill Spelman

Background Investigation: Bill Spelman

Here’s What the Public Records Say About
the Council Member Running for Re-election

by Rebecca LaFlure
© The Austin Bulldog 2012
Posted Wednesday, March 28, 2012 1:35pm
Updated Thursday, May 3, 2012 11:05am
(Updated 12:05pm, Monday, May 7, 2012.)

Bill SpelmanCampaign season is in full swing for candidates vying for a seat on the Austin City Council, and Council Member Bill Spelman faces more opposition than any of his fellow incumbents.

Six citizens—all first-time City Council candidates—have signed up to challenge Spelman for Place 5, a seat the University of Texas at Austin professor has held since June 2009.

As the May 12 election approaches, The Austin Bulldog went to work researching Spelman’s personal and political background in an effort to educate Austin residents about their City Council candidates. We used an organized plan to find, copy, and publish every public record we found, and compiled news articles from The Austin Bulldog and other publications.

We invite readers to study the documents and let us know if there are any important details we overlooked, or areas that warrant further investigation.

Campaign donations exceed $31,000

Shea Wants More Contribution Limits, Disclosures

Shea Wants More Contribution Limits and Disclosures

Those Affected Say Shea’s Proposals Would
Further Undermine Candidates’ Campaigns


by Ken Martin
© The Austin Bulldog
Posted Tuesday, March 20, 2012 8:22pm

Brigid SheaFormer City Council member and current mayoral candidate Brigid Shea says she wants more limits on—and more disclosure of—contributions made to City Council incumbents and challengers.

At a press conference at City Hall this morning she announced proposals that are far tougher than reforms the Charter Revision Committee has recommended for the City Council to put on the November ballot, including restrictions on bundled campaign contributions.

Bundlers are individuals who solicit and obtain contributions of $200 or more from five or more individuals. The reporting of bundlers’ names in contribution reports is already required by City Code Section 2-2-22.

A chart thatserved as a backdrop for the press conference was titled “Bundling Influence at City Hall.” The chart displayed the names of 13 individuals who bundleda total of $103,900 incontributions detailed in the incumbents’ January 2012 campaign finance reports. Not all of the bundlers listed are currently registered city lobbyists.

Investigative Reports

For more than a decade the Bulldog has published hard-hitting, in-depth investigative reports that have shaped civic discourse and public policy, resulted in criminal prosecutions, and enlightened voters about candidates' records. Here are a few samples of our work:

About us

The Austin Bulldog is the premiere investigative journalism outfit in Central Texas. Established in 2009, the Bulldog has become a trusted independent voice for government accountability, known for its incisive, in-depth coverage of local elections and local governments.

Newsletter

What's really going on in government?

Keep up with the best investigative reporting in Austin.

Follow us

Bulldog Team

Ken Martin

Founder and Editor

Our critical accountability journalism wouldn't be possible without the generous donations of hundreds of Austinites. Join them and become a supporter today!

Areas of Coverage

Austin City Manager: Dallas discard vs Austin retread

Council members make policy. The city manager’s job is...

They’re off and running for council

As in horse racing, the bugler has sounded, “Call...

Are tax subsidies for luxury development legal?

In a lawsuit filed last April plaintiffs sought a...

Lame duck council set to vote on 20-year sweetheart tax deal for developer

With just weeks to go in his term, Mayor...

Environmentalists assail plan for lakeside high rises

New development to reshape South Central Waterfront When former First Lady...

Urbanists vie to replace council member Kathie Tovo

Updated 2:30pm August 20, 2022, to correct the misattribution...

First-ever opportunity to elect appraisal board members

Right now local voters are of course focused on...

They’re off and running for council

As in horse racing, the bugler has sounded, “Call...

District 10 Council candidates jump in early

With 2024 being a presidential election year—maybe a rerun...

Trust, but verify

We would like to think people in our nation’s...

Announcing the Government Accountability Project

Local officials manage government organizations that spend billions of...

Central Health launches search for new CEO

Central Health, the local government agency that levies a...

First-ever opportunity to elect appraisal board members

Right now local voters are of course focused on...

Trust, but verify

We would like to think people in our nation’s...

Announcing the Government Accountability Project

Local officials manage government organizations that spend billions of...

Project Connect

Lawmakers weigh axing Project Connect’s ‘blank check’ loophole

At a hearing at the legislature, critics and supporters of Project Connect clashed over a proposal to rein in the newly created transit agency.

Project Connect scope drastically scaled back

Two factors have sparked renewed debate around the cost...

Austin Transit Partnership gears up for key decisions on light rail design

Billions of dollars to be spent on mass transit...

Become a Bulldog supporter

The Bulldog is funded by its readers. We're not affiliated with any political party or interest group. We're not paid by corporate sponsors. Support us today so we can continue to be a trusted voice for government accountability.