Presented By

✅ Today's BG Reads include:

🟪 The City of Austin FY 25-26 proposed budget will be posted today.

🟪 President Trump to visit Texas Hill Country flood region on Friday (Dallas Morning News)

🟪 Austin implements new air conditioning standards on July 10 (KVUE)

🟪 Related Cos. moves forward with 18-story condo, apartment tower along Lady Bird Lake (Austin Business Journal)

🟪 Delaware North selling off $500M travel hospitality division (Austin Business Journal)

🟪 State leaders form select committees to investigate deadly Texas floods (Dallas Morning News)

🟪 State Sen. Angela Paxton files for divorce from Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton (KUT)

[CITY OF AUSTIN]

💰 The City of Austin 2025 - 26 Proposed Budget will be available online today here.

🏛️ City of Austin Org Chart (as of June 2025)

💰 2026 City of Austin Bond - Public Input

ℹ️ 2025 Essential Resources for Navigating the City of Austin

[AUSTIN METRO NEWS]

✅ President Trump to visit Texas Hill Country flood region on Friday (Dallas Morning News)

President Donald Trump is scheduled to visit the Texas Hill Country on Friday to meet with local officials and first responders in the region devastated on July 4 by floods that killed at least 121 people. About 160 were still missing Thursday as search and recovery teams worked in towns up and down the Guadalupe River. President Trump, who will be joined on the visit by first lady Melania Trump, is scheduled to arrive in Kerrville at 11:20 a.m. local time before participating in a roundtable discussion.

They are scheduled to leave at 2:15 p.m. The White House did not release the location of the event. He will be joined by Texas Sens. John Cornyn and Ted Cruz, Cornyn told The Dallas Morning News. U.S. Congressman Pete Sessions, R-Waco, will also attend.

“I really appreciate him coming down. It’s entirely appropriate,” Cornyn said of the president. “When I talked to him last Saturday he said whatever you need and certainly when Sen. Cruz and I requested a federal disaster declaration that the governor had requested, they said immediately yes. So there’s been no constraint, no limitation, on resources or money or anything else.”… 🟪 (READ MORE)

✅ Austin implements new air conditioning standards on July 10 (KVUE)

Starting Thursday, all property owners in Austin are required to comply with new air conditioning standards adopted by the Austin City Council earlier this year. 

The city council approved the code amendment in April, providing a three-month notice period before the new rules took effect. With summer temperatures rising, city officials hope the standards will help ensure safer living conditions for all residents.

Under the new amendment, all buildings – including both new construction and existing structures – must maintain indoor temperatures no higher than 85 degrees. Indoor temperatures must also be at least 15 degrees cooler than the temperature outside. The resolution specifies that open windows don't qualify as a substitute for air conditioning.

These standards were introduced in response to a resolution passed by the council in August 2023, which focused on improving public health and livability during high-heat conditions.

City leaders said the new rules are designed to hold landlords accountable and to provide tenants with a clear process for seeking assistance if their… 🟪 (READ MORE)

🟪 Related Cos. moves forward with 18-story condo, apartment tower along Lady Bird Lake (Austin Business Journal)

As New York-based Related Cos. makes waves with its vision of a sky-high redevelopment along South Congress, one of its other major developments on the southern shore of Lady Bird Lake is one step closer to becoming a reality.

The site plan for Related’s One Lady Bird Lake, which will be at 151 S. First St. at the Hyatt Regency Austin parking lot just south of the river, was approved July 1. The project was first reported in late 2022 and was originally expected to break ground in late 2023 and be completed this year. Despite the delays, the recent site plan approval means that the project is still alive and could soon begin to rise.

The approved site plan states the 18-story, 200-foot-tall One Lady Bird Lake will be 507,567 square feet with 493,946 square feet of multifamily space, 10,415 square feet of restaurant space and 3,206 square feet of retail. The original vision was for it to be a 475,000-square-foot office building with ground-floor retail, but plans have changed since 2022.

One Lady Bird Lake will have both condos and rental units with separate lobbies for each, according to the site plan. The 101 condo floor plans will range from one- to three-bedrooms, and the 197 apartments will have one- and two-bedroom floor plans.

Kohn Pederson Fox Associates PC is the architect, TBG Partners is the landscape architect and GarzaEMC is the engineer.

Less than a half-mile from One Lady Bird Lake, Related also plans to turn a six-acre site into a towering mixed-use project on West Riverside Drive and South Congress Avenue… ✅ (READ MORE)

🟪 Delaware North selling off $500M travel hospitality division (Austin Business Journal)

Delaware North is selling its $500 million U.S. travel hospitality division, which includes food, beverage and retail in 22 airports around the country, including the Austin-Bergstrom International Airport.

In Austin, Delaware North is the quiet company that runs the airport storefronts for some of Austin's most popular brands, including Salt Lick BBQ, Tacodeli, Juiceland, Jo’s Coffee, Peached Tortilla, Toy Joy, Antone's and Book People. 

The division will shift to Areas, a global leader in travel dining and retail, which will take over management of 237 travel hospitality services locations employing 4,000.

Terms of the deal, which requires regulatory approvals in the U.S. and other closing conditions, were not disclosed.

Delaware North currently has 382 employees at the Austin airport who will transfer to Areas under the deal. The company has been one of three concession operators at ABIA.

The other two operators are HMSHost and Paradies Lagardère. 

The deal only affects U.S. airport operations. The company also has eight airports in Australia and New Zealand that were not part of the deal and remain part of the company’s Australia division.

Delaware North CEOs Jerry Jacobs Jr., Lou Jacobs and Charlie Jacobs issued a joint statement that said exiting the longstanding U.S. airport hospitality business was a carefully considered decision that will allow the company to focus on growth across the remainder of its portfolio… ✅ (READ MORE)

[TEXAS/US NEWS]

✅ State leaders form select committees to investigate deadly Texas floods (Dallas Morning News)

State leaders on Thursday announced the creation of special committees to investigate the deadly Texas Hill Country floods, saying they are focused on how to quickly get relief to the region where warning systems need to be shored up and answer “the many questions to which the public demands answers.”

Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick and House Speaker Dustin Burrows, both Republicans, said in a joint statement Wednesday that the new House and Senate Select Committees on Disaster Preparedness and Flooding would meet as one panel starting with a public hearing in Austin on July 23. At least 121 people have been confirmed dead resulting from the deadly flash floods that hit the Texas Hill Country on July 4, with search efforts continuing for more than 160 others who remain missing.

Gov. Greg Abbott has directed lawmakers to address several issues related to the flood when they convene for a special legislative session starting July 21, including emergency communications and response, relief funding, warning systems, and disaster preparedness and recovery. The joint panel “is just the beginning of the Legislature looking at every aspect of this tragic event,” Patrick said, in an apparent reference to calls for accountability over warning times and other disaster management questions.

“Right now, we must focus on the recovery of those still missing, then rebuilding communities in flooded areas,” he said. “In the coming year, and into the next regular legislative session, we will gather all the facts and answer the many questions to which the public demands answers. I look forward to working with Speaker Burrows on these critical issues.”

Only Abbott can direct lawmakers on what can be done during a special session. Anything outside those boundaries can be sent to his desk but would be subject to legislative vulnerabilities and delays. But the panel is willing to look outside of Abbott’s session agenda for those answers, the joint statement said. “The committees will strive to address the current needs and resources necessary to avoid such devastating impacts along our rivers in the future,” the statement said. “If solutions emerge that are not on the call, the House and Senate are committed to bringing them to the forefront to advocate for their ultimate passage.”… 🟪 (READ MORE)

✅ State Sen. Angela Paxton files for divorce from Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton (KUT)

State Sen. Angela Paxton has filed for divorce from her husband, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton. On the social media site X, Angela Paxton posted she was seeking divorce "on biblical grounds." "I believe marriage is a sacred covenant and I have earnestly pursued reconciliation," she wrote.

"But in light of recent discoveries, I do not believe that it honors God or is loving to myself, my children, or Ken to remain in the marriage. I move forward with complete confidence that God is always working everything together for the good of those who love Him and who are called according to His purpose." Ken Paxton posted on X shortly after his wife.

"After facing the pressures of countless political attacks and public scrutiny, Angela and I have decided to start a new chapter in our lives," he wrote. "I could not be any more proud or grateful for the incredible family that God has blessed us with, and I remain committed to supporting our amazing children and grandchildren. I ask for your prayers and privacy at this time." Angela Paxton, a Republican who represents the McKinney area, filed a petition for divorce in Collin County on Thursday, according to court records. In her divorce petition, she accuses her husband of adultery and noted the couple ceased living together in June 2024.

"The marriage has become insupportable because of discord or conflict of personalities between Petitioner and Respondent that destroys the legitimate ends of the marriage relationship and prevents any reasonable expectation of reconciliation," the petition reads. Ken Paxton, also a Republican, is running for U.S. Senate against John Cornyn. The attorney general has long been dogged with allegations of infidelity, including during impeachment proceedings in 2023 that ended in his acquittal. He was accused of securing a job for the woman with whom he was having an alleged affair… 🟪 (READ MORE)

✅ Trump endorses nearly every GOP state lawmaker in Texas. Here’s the backstory. (Washington Post)

President Donald Trump is officially endorsing nearly every Republican in the Texas legislature for reelection, rewarding them for a key vote earlier this year with the most coveted prize in GOP politics and clearing up some drama that arose in GOP circles in recent weeks. Trump this week began sending individual letters of endorsement to the over 100 members of the Texas House and Senate who are seeking reelection and also voted to approve Gov. Greg Abbott’s priority legislation on school vouchers, according to two White House officials familiar with the plan, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to preview the letters before they were sent.

Abbott signed the bill into law in May, marking a long-sought victory for the governor, who teamed with Trump in the 2024 primary to unseat state House Republicans who previously blocked the proposal. At least one Republican state representative, Cole Hefner, shared his endorsement letter Wednesday night on social media. In the letter, Trump thanked Hefner for his vote on the “tremendous School Choice Bill” and said the letter serves to inform Hefner of Trump’s “Complete and Total Endorsement in the upcoming Re-Election.”

Trump, in an aside during a recent speech at the White House, recalled his influential role in clinching the school voucher victory for Abbott. “That was a big deal,” Trump said. “They’ve been trying to get it for nine years, and they asked me if I’d call … Republicans in the legislature, and I did. Then I gave them a pep talk and everybody voted for it. It’s the first time. They were shocked.” It is highly rare, if not unprecedented, for Trump to endorse so many GOP officials at once, and the move comes as other GOP candidates across the country continue to compete aggressively for his support — the most valuable currency in Republican politics.

Even in Texas, GOP Sen. John Cornyn and primary challenger Ken Paxton, the state attorney general, are vying to appeal to Trump, who has stayed neutral so far. The president’s bulk endorsement caps a somewhat unusual chain of events that shows how various Republicans have sought to use his endorsement to their advantage. Trump’s decision to send the letters also puts to rest something that has become a political question mark in Texas in recent weeks. When Trump phoned in to a meeting of state House Republicans shortly before the school voucher vote in April, he gave a pep talk that left the impression that he would endorse for reelection any member who voted for the bill, according to GOP strategists close to the lawmakers… 🟪 (READ MORE)

✅ Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo says she could win a primary ahead of decision on reelection bid (Houston Chronicle)

As Harris County residents wait on Lina Hidalgo to make her final decision on whether she will seek re-election to her position, she told the Houston Chronicle in a Tuesday evening call she was "confident" she could win a primary as candidates emerge for the county's top job. So far, the position has gleaned the interest of both current and former city officials.

Former Mayor Annise Parker has tossed her hat into the ring, and so has Council Member Letitia Plummer, who formally announced her bid for the Democratic nomination Tuesday morning. U.S. Rep. Erica Lee Carter, too, has said she would run for the position if Hidalgo decided she was not. "I think I can certainly win a primary," Hidalgo said Tuesday. "I feel very confident in that, certainly against the candidates that have filed. Competition is part of a democracy."

Hidalgo's comment comes as Harris County residents and politicos alike speculate whether or not she will run for re-election as her campaign fund account runs dry. Plummer said she based her decision to run for the job based on conversations she had with Hidalgo, and that she understood she would not seek re-election. Mayor John Whitmire, too, said in December he had heard Hidalgo would not seek re-election. Hidalgo on Tuesday did not say whether or not she would run for Harris County Judge again. She reiterated she would make her decision in the coming weeks… 🟪 (READ MORE)

✅ These Houston politicians were denied entry to a nightclub. Now they want dress codes posted. (Houston Chronicle)

A Houston City Council member is trying to pass a new law to make clubs and dance halls more transparent about their dress codes after he was denied entry to a club with Controller Chris Hollins because of his clothes. Council Member Edward Pollard on Wednesday brought forward a proposal under Proposition A, which allows any three council members to put an item on a meeting agenda as long as it’s legal. The proposal was co-signed by Council Members Carolyn Evans-Shabazz and Letitia Plummer. Under the proposal, clubs would be required to post their dress codes near the entrance of the club to allow for greater transparency about the club’s requirements, but also allow patrons to learn the club’s rules without ambiguity. “This ordinance is necessary to prevent operators of establishments from arbitrarily selecting who gains entry based on attire,” the proposal reads.

Pollard on Wednesday told the council the dress code issue at nightclubs across the city has been persistent for years. Houston’s now-shuttered Turkey Leg Hut, for example, came under fire years ago for implementing a dress code that barred patrons from wearing “excessively revealing clothing” like panties, swim wear, sports bras, ripped clothing and excessively short shorts into the establishment. Turkey Leg Hut also took the dress code a step further by eliminating the wearing of baggy pants, inappropriate language on clothing, and "house attire,” including wave caps, du-rags, house shoes and shower caps. Critics, at the time, said the dress code targeted Black culture. Pollard recalled a story where he tried to get into an establishment with Hollins, and the staff were giving Hollins a hard time because he was wearing a pair of cream and navy Air Jordans with an orange swoosh.

After some back and forth, the pair were able to enter the club only to find others inside were wearing tennis shoes. Other residents, Pollard said, have experienced the same treatment at establishments in one form or another. Council members like Letitia Plummer also chimed in with their family’s stories of discrimination. Plummer’s son, she said, tried to get into an establishment but they barred him entry because he was wearing a hat. Once he took the hat off, he was still not allowed to enter even though other people there were also wearing hats, Plummer said. The proposal, to Pollard, will be helpful in eliminating discrimination. “This amendment is in the spirit of transparency and in the spirit of fairness,” Pollard said. Hollins wrote in a statement Wednesday he supported the proposal, and that there wasn't any room for discrimination in a city built on diversity and openness… 🟪 (READ MORE)

✅ California awaits disaster relief as GOP offers full support of Texas (Washington Post)

For months, California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) has pressed the GOP-led Congress to free up $40 billion in federal relief for swaths of Los Angeles consumed by devastating wildfires. President Donald Trump and other Republicans have so far withheld the funds, with many arguing that Newsom and other Democrats in the deep-blue state have mishandled the fires and should be forced to rescind liberal policies in exchange for aid. But now deadly floods have struck ruby-red Texas — and the Republican response is much different, with Trump and others promising unfettered and prompt federal support in the months and years to come.

The contrast underscores the extent to which the Trump administration treats blue and red states differently, whether in disaster response or in targeting liberal areas for aggressive immigration enforcement. “In Texas, they have very different points of view than we do in California on policy, but I would never imagine conditioning or arguing that our congressional delegation condition aid to Texas until they changed some policy on an ancillary issue,” Newsom said during an appearance in South Carolina this week.

The tone of Newsom’s comments, tame in contrast to the barbs that often fly between him and Trump, reflect the efforts of politicians on both sides to avoid being seen as politicizing the catastrophe in Texas, where at least 117 people — nearly a quarter of them children — were killed during holiday weekend flash floods. More than 160 people remain unaccounted for, meaning the death toll is sure to rise. Trump is slated to visit the state on Friday, fulfilling a unifying public ritual for commanders in chief as he and other White House officials continue to deflect questions about whether anything could have prevented the devastation.

The stance is unusual for Trump, who is not shy about assigning blame and has done so repeatedly in the aftermath of past tragedies — at several points critiquing Newsom and other California Democrats. When Hurricane Helene hit North Carolina last year, Trump accused his Democratic predecessor, Joe Biden, of playing politics with the federal response to a Republican area. He dashed to storm-ravaged parts of the South, drawing criticism of his own that the security footprint of a presidential candidate diminished recovery efforts and that his false claims about the federal response stopped victims from getting needed help… 🟪 (READ MORE)

Have comments or questions? 📩 Contact me