A measure filed in the Texas Legislature could reduce the burden of government in Texas’ capital city.
House Bill 274, by State Rep. Briscoe Cain (R-Deer Park), would abolish the Austin City Council in favor of a “District of Austin” in which the state government would reside. The State of Texas would directly oversee district governance.
Functionally, little would change in the short-term. Over time, however, residents of the state Capitol would likely see the encumbrance of government decrease as the current council’s left-wing prerogatives are wound down. County functions, such as courts and jails, would be unaffected.
Outright abolition of the city council came up for serious consideration following the council’s decision to embrace the so-called “defund the police” movement in 2020. This was concurrent with the city council’s disastrous experiment in homeless camping. While the worst impacts of those policies were subsequently negated, the long-term legacy remains.
While the policy issues discussed above created an acute crisis, they are hardly the only examples of the Austin City Council exceeding its constitutional boundaries. In 2015, the council banned a category of Airbnb-style short-term rentals in the city. In 2016, the council banned ride-share companies such as Uber and Lyft from operating profitably within city limits. In 2018, the council invented a municipal entitlement to sick leave from private employers. All of these items eventually required state intervention.
James Quintero of the Texas Public Policy Foundation told Texas Scorecard:
Austin is one of the worst governed cities in Texas. Traffic is a nightmare, homelessness and crime are rampant, and the cost of living is out of control. All thanks to a radical leftist city hall. Texans everywhere should care deeply about what Austin has become. After all, the city represents Texas to the outside world, it is home to the state’s workforce and chief institutions, and it is the seat of government. These factors make it uniquely important. Soon, state lawmakers will have a chance to eliminate Austin city government and replace it with a state-managed system that is better run and more befitting the Texas ethos. That type of change will spur endless possibilities.
The version of HB 274 currently on file would also require voter approval of a constitutional amendment.
Concerned Texans may contact their state representatives to discuss the matter further.
