The first and second memos are reviews of Mr. Broadnax's time as city manager of Dallas and Tacoma, respectively. The information was pulled from news articles from the time. We've provided links where appropriate.
The last is a review of the seven city of Dallas budget's Mr. Broadnax spearheaded. This was compiled through review of publicly available budget documents.
BG Memo Link - Contact me for general questions or comments. If there are specific business/policy concerns, we’re happy to schedule time to consult -> [email protected].

✅ BG Podcast Ep. 246: 2024 Elections - Austin Mayoral Round Up

On this episode we welcome back Jack Craver, independent reporter and founder of The Austin Politics Newsletter. Jack and Bingham Group CEO A.J. Bingham discuss the candidate field for the 2024 Austin Mayoral elections, including incumbent Mayor Kirk Watson.

CLICK HERE TO REVIEW CITY OF AUSTIN PUBLIC MEETINGS / AGENDAS FOR THE WEEK OF MAY 13, 2024

[AUSTIN METRO NEWS]

Funding freeze for I-35 expansion denied in heated CAMPO vote (KUT)

An attempt to freeze funding for the I-35 expansion through Central Austin until the project's impact on air quality can be more fully assessed was easily defeated Monday in a vote by the Capital Area Metropolitan Planning Organization's planning board. The 22-member panel allocates billions in federal transportation cash throughout the Austin area.

The political clash saw a handful of Austin City Council members – anxious about the environmental effects of the highway expansion – face off against elected officials from Bastrop, Burnet, Caldwell, Hays and Williamson counties. The suburban politicians were backed by the Travis County commissioners on the CAMPO board.

"Both jurisdictions that this project passes through, the City of Austin and Travis County, have expressed concerns about the overall impact of the highway expansion on air quality," Austin City Council Member Alison Alter said, citing new EPA regulations that found previously acceptable levels of air pollution would no longer meet new rigorous standards. "Again and again, we have heard that air quality is a major concern."… (LINK TO FULL STORY)

ACL Fest shows $499M economic impact, with $8.1M donated to parks improvements (Austin Monitor)

The 2023 edition of the Austin City Limits Music Festival generated nearly half a billion dollars in economic impact for the area, according to results of an analysis released Monday. The fest’s $499.9 million in financial activity represented a 12 percent increase over the impact of the 2022 festival, with that figure equaling 3,766 full-time jobs in the local economy.

The festival also announced an $8.1 million donation to the Austin Parks Foundation, another substantial increase for the nonprofit, which will use the funds to make improvements at local parks in all 10 City Council districts. Parks and amenities that will benefit include Little Walnut Creek Greenbelt, Grand Meadow Neighborhood Park, Montopolis Neighborhood Park, Barton Creek Greenbelt, Zilker Hillside Theater, Deep Eddy Pool and support of lifeguard training across all districts.

Those improvements come on top of the money that the festival’s promoter, C3 Presents, pays to the city each year to cover the cost of returning Zilker Park back to normal following the two weekends of concerts on nine stages that draw approximately 450,000 attendees… (LINK TO FULL STORY)

Austin wants more EV charging stations. City Council will vote on where they can go. (KUT)

In early April, the electric vehicle infrastructure company Voltera brought a proposal to Austin’s Planning Commission to build an EV charging station on the 2700 block of East Cesar Chavez. The station would be built on the parking lot of an empty restaurant space.

Nearby homeowners bristled at the idea.

“Voltera seems to be pursuing a worthy goal ... to foster this large-scale electric transportation revolution,” resident Michael Phelan told commissioners. But “this project will only take from the neighborhood, while offering nothing in return except for security fencing, surveillance cameras and increased vehicle traffic.”

The commission rejected the plan.

The failed effort to build the charging station on Chavez is just one example of what city planners are running up against as electric vehicles become a fixture in Austin. More EVs mean a greater need for charging stations throughout the city, but finding the sweet spot for stations is complicated by city zoning restrictions and community opposition. City Council is looking into regulating the construction of stations on Thursday — here's what to know… (LINK TO FULL STORY)

Austin-based Indeed to lay off 1,000 employees amidst tech downturn (Community Impact)

The Austin-based job search company Indeed will lay off approximately 1,000 employees—or 8% of its workforce—according to a May 13 announcement.In the announcement, Indeed CEO Chris Hyams said the layoffs will mostly affect U.S. employees across different regions, but a company representative declined to comment on how Austin offices, including the global headquarters downtown, would be affected… (LINK TO FULL STORY)

UT commencement ceremony goes off without a hitch, but protesters rally after event (Austin American-Statesman)

The University of Texas' 141st commencement Saturday evening was followed by a pro-Palestinian protest of students, faculty and supporters in red gloves demanding that the university divest from businesses and weapons manufacturers that contribute to Israel because of its war against Hamas in Gaza. The protest followed numerous demonstrations at UT and national calls for institutions to divest as the war continues. UT held its commencement despite some other universities around the nation canceling commencement or facing protests during ceremonies. The university posted clear conduct guidelines on its commencement page that prohibited disruption.

Before the ceremony, a small plane circled with an Israeli and American flag and a banner that said, "Israel Strong." During the ceremony, there was no interruption. But as commencement concluded, protesters gathered outside Royal-Memorial Stadium and marched to the Lyndon B Johnson Fountain and Lawn. Police followed protesters to the lawn but did not interfere.

"Disclose, divest, we will not stop, we will not rest!" protesters chanted, carrying signs and flags and some wearing graduation regalia. About 100 gathered. A statement posted on the Palestine Solidarity Committee's Instagram account halfway through the ceremony said some UT students and faculty members walked out of commencement because they have lost faith in UT's administration and UT President Jay Hartzell "for their extreme repression of pro-Palestine voices."

"Despite our pleas for the university to divest from death, they remain obstinate in their complicity in genocide and have brutalized their students for advocating against it," the statement said. "It is shameful for us to sit and celebrate the ceremony on this field when there is not a single university left standing in Gaza."… (LINK TO FULL STORY)

Southwestern blasts student's anti-Israel commencement speech (Inside Higher Ed)

Southwestern University on Monday condemned a student's speech at its commencement Saturday, characterizing as “highly controversial and antisemitic” her use of the phrase “from the river to the sea, Palestine will be free” and asserting that she had misled institutional officials by delivering a different speech from the one she had shared with them earlier.

“We … expect that student speeches at university-wide events reflect our commitment to a respectful and inclusive environment, while still upholding academic freedom that is the center of our mission,” the university said in its statement. “Unfortunately, certain comments did not reflect our respectful and inclusive environment.” The speech by the student differed little in terms of content from many others delivered in recent weeks and months.

It described Israel as engaging in “genocide” in carrying out its war in Gaza, accused the U.S. government and some university endowments of supporting the arming of Israel, and closed with the “river to the sea” phrase that some view as calling for the elimination of Israel. Southwestern said in its statement that “many” of those who attended the ceremony had expressed disappointment with the student speaker’s comments. The university said the speaker had been chosen through a vote of Phi Beta Kappa members and that the speech the student delivered differed meaningfully from the version she had shared for feedback.

Commenters on a Facebook post about the university's statement about the speech predictably divided alumni and students. Some criticized the speech, but a majority questioned Southwestern’s response: “The Southwestern administration should be ashamed … Don't spend four years teaching students to seek truth, provide them with the skills to identify it and then condemn them for having the courage to speak it.”… (LINK TO FULL STORY)

[TEXAS NEWS]

How a Denton divorce could imperil IVF access in Texas (Texas Tribune)

The Texas Supreme Court is considering whether to take up a case that could have Alabama-esque impacts on in vitro fertilization in Texas.

What began as a Denton divorce has grown into a larger battle over whether a frozen embryo can be defined as a person. The court has not yet said whether it will take up the case, which centers on three frozen embryos created by Caroline and Gaby Antoun.

Before beginning IVF, the couple signed an agreement saying Gaby Antoun, the husband, would get any remaining frozen embryos in case of a divorce. A trial court and appeals court have upheld the contract, citing long-standing legal precedent that embryos are quasi-property that can be governed by a contract.

But Caroline Antoun, the wife, argues that Texas’ new abortion laws require frozen embryos to be treated as people and handled through the child custody process instead… (LINK TO FULL STORY)

Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick says Christianity is needed more than ever in Texas politics (Dallas Morning News)

Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Gov. Dan Patrick wants to be a minister after his political career is done. “I want to be the first elected official who becomes a pastor, as opposed to the first pastor who becomes an elected official,” Patrick said last week on Praise, a Christian talk show on the Trinity Broadcast Network. You could argue that Patrick already serves as a pastor, with his flock being the Texas Senate. That’s where he’s pushed through numerous bills influenced, he says, by his Christian faith. Politics has long been a bastion for religious expression and activism, but Patrick sees room — and the need — for more. While the debate over how religion and government should mix has raged since America’s founding, Patrick sees Christianity as an essential guide for Texas lawmakers and their approach to governing — even as polls show a steady decline in the rate of churchgoing in America.

“We as Christians shouldn’t be afraid to talk about political things,” Patrick said last Monday on Praise, where he was joined by television personality Phil McGraw and show host Matt Crouch. “People in politics shouldn’t be afraid to talk about their faith.” On the show, Patrick pointed to legislation aimed at transgender Texans as central to his political ministry. During last year’s legislative session, he spearheaded legislation that banned puberty blockers and hormone therapy for transgender adolescents seeking gender-affirming care. Lawmakers also restricted the college sports teams that trans athletes could join. Another bill outlawed some drag shows by banning sexually explicit performances in front of kids.

“We have to stand up and push back, because there’s a real group pushing God out and trying to undermine our family,” he said on the show. State Rep. James Talarico welcomes more religion in politics, but the Austin Democrat believes Patrick has a misguided view of Christian principles in the legislative arena. “It would be great to have more Christians in public office who actually practice Christian values, like healing the sick and liberating the poor and caring for God’s creation,” Talarico said. “Those are not things that I’ve seen in Lt. Gov. Patrick.”… (LINK TO FULL STORY)

Houston woman is third guilty plea in Henry Cuellar bribery case (Texas Tribune)

Mayor John Whitmire hasn't yet outlined his plans to hire a new, permanent police chief to take the place of former Chief Troy Finner. But that hasn't stopped some names from being floated as potential replacements to lead the state's largest police force. Whitmire on Wednesday said he wasn't ruling out an "internal or external chief," and that he plans to use his personal network to find candidates and lead the search himself. Here are some of the names that have been floated to be the next Houston chief.

Eddie Garcia, the chief of the Dallas Police Department, emerged as a rumored candidate for the Houston job less than a day after Finner's departure. Dallas TV station WFAA reported that Houston and Austin were "showing interest in potentially hiring" Garcia, who's been in his position since 2021.

Garcia is an at-will employee and can leave at any time, the station reported. Art Acevedo was Houston's police chief from 2016 until 2021. Previously the leader of the Austin Police Department from 2007 until 2016, he left Houston to become the chief in Miami. His time in Florida lasted just 7 months. Larry Satterwhite was made the acting chief of police the night of Finner's retirement.

A 34-year veteran of the department, Satterwhite came up as a patrol officer, SWAT team member and special operations commander, before being appointed as executive assistant chief of field operations in 2021 by Finner. In that position, Satterwhite supervised some 3,000 HPD employees who work in the department's patrol divisions… (LINK TO FULL STORY)

[US/WORLD NEWS]

The elections next door: Mexico’s cartels pick candidates, kill rivals (Washington Post)

This time, Willy Ochoa brought reinforcements. This time, unlike the last time, he’d be ready for cartel attacks. He was accompanied by three truckloads of national guard troops. Two state police cars with flashing red lights. He rode in his own bulletproof SUV, and had a complement of muscular bodyguards. One sat in the bed of a pickup truck, his eyes fixed on the sky. “He’s making sure they don’t fire a bomb from a drone,” Ochoa explained. This is what it’s like to run for the Senate today in Mexico.

“You’re at risk every minute,” the candidate said. Organized crime groups are turning Mexico’s elections into a literal battleground, making the campaign this year one of the deadliest in the country’s modern history. More than two dozen candidates have been killed leading up to the June 2 vote; hundreds have dropped out of the race. More than 400 have asked the federal government for security details. The campaign of intimidation and assassination is putting democracy itself at risk.

The armed groups’ goal is to install friendly leaders in local offices so they can better exploit Mexican communities. Once largely focused on shipping drugs to the United States, the cartels now also smuggle migrants, extort businesses and win contracts for firms they control. They want to name towns’ police chiefs and public works directors. That makes controlling mayor’s offices crucial. But candidates for governor and Congress are at risk, too. In some areas, cartels wield so much power they can decide who can enter towns — or even what people may say out loud.

“They don’t like it when you talk about the organized crime violence, the extortion, the people forced out of their communities,” said Ochoa, running as the Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI) candidate to represent Chiapas state in the Senate. When his campaign announces visits to strife-torn areas, he said, “we receive threats and warnings to not come.” He’d had his own brush with danger in February, when gunmen on motorcycles charged after him, following a campaign stop in a tense town. He wasn’t going to leave himself so vulnerable again… (LINK TO FULL STORY)

[2024 Austin City Council Race Watch]

This fall will see elections for the following Council Districts 2, 4, 6, 7, 10, and Mayor.

Declared candidates so far are:

Mayor

District 2

Council Member Vanessa Fuentes

District 4

District 6

District 7 (Open seat)

District 10 (Open seat)

_________________________

🔎 Have questions or in need of lobbying services? Fill out Bingham Group’s Service Interest Questionnaire and let us see how we can help.

SHARE BG READS FEEDBACK HERE

⬇️

Was this email forwarded to you? Click Here to Sign Up!