Hundreds came out to speak to before the council, which ultimately passed the vote after more than eight hours of public testimony.
Austin City Council approved a five-year, $218 million contract with the city's police union Thursday. The deal passed on a 10-1 vote.
The approval came after hours of impassioned testimony from scores of Austinites. Supporters argued the contract is necessary to stem years of attrition at the department and address crime throughout the city. Opponents argued the five-year deal would likely siphon off money from other city services and could undermine recent strides to increase accountability at the department. All told, nearly 300 people signed up to speak on the contract, with testimony lasting more than eight hours.
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Austin City Council adopts new rules around allowing residents to speak at meetingsThe city was allowing residents two minutes to speak total — no matter how many agenda items they wished to comment on. Now, people will get at least two minutes per item.
Read more »
Austin Community College students make Austin City Limits Fest their classroomAbout 70 ACC students spent the first weekend of ACL Fest learning the ins and outs of putting on a music festival as they prepare for careers in the industry.
Read more »
Austin Police continue to see phone thefts rise during Austin City Limits Music FestivalAustin City Limits Musical Festival is back for the second weekend at Zilker Park, where tens of thousands of distracted music fans can be easy targets for pick
Read more »
Austin City Council discusses police contract one final time ahead of Thursday voteAustin City Council is just two days away from voting on the proposed APD contract. Members held a work session Tuesday to hear public comment and share their o
Read more »
Austin City Council approves fund search to keep Marshalling Yard homeless shelter openAustin city council has approved a resolution directing the city to find funding to keep the Marshalling Yard emergency homeless shelter open.
Read more »
Austin City Council to be briefed today on new police contract, vote delayed until Oct 24Some Austin City Council members are still looking for clarity as they prepare to vote on a new contract with Austin Police. Today, they will receive a briefing
Read more »