Wednesday
October 14, 2026
Today at a glance
- Weather 94° / 78°Sticky again, with a shot at afternoon storms. Relief arrives Friday.
- Air quality 24 · GoodClear air. A great day to be outside.
- Lake Travis 94.6% fullThe lake is near full, a comfortable cushion heading into fall.
- Allergies ModerateRagweed and elm and grasses are up. Allergy folks, take the pill before it takes you.
- Power grid NormalA warm afternoon load, with plenty of supply to spare.
- Sunrise 7:32 a.m.The sun is up for 11 hours and 29 minutes today, and down by 7:01 p.m.
Good morning, Austin. One more sticky one: a high near 94, a heat index around 103, and a 40% chance of storms this afternoon that might rinse the patio. Thursday stays warm. Then the front. Friday tops out near 76 with a north wind gusting to 40, Friday night drops to about 53, and Saturday holds near 73. Dig out a light jacket.
The Briefing
The city debt that never goes on the ballot
Austin voters will decide $295 million in park and library bonds on November 3. They had no vote on the $566 million the City Council has borrowed since 2024 through certificates of obligation, Austin Current reports. That is more than 60% of the $883 million in certificates Austin has issued over the last decade.
These never go to voters. Both kinds of debt are repaid through property taxes, and each $100 million adds $14 to the average tax bill. Some of the recent borrowing restored projects left out of this fall's smaller bond package: $33 million for sidewalks, urban trails and traffic programs, and $3 million for Austin Animal Services facilities.
Council Member Chito Vela said the City has to move fast to buy property. "No one's going to wait for us," he said. John Bonura of the Texas Public Policy Foundation, a conservative think tank, said it will ask lawmakers to limit certificates to emergencies, "not just to fulfill your wishlist that didn't get passed." A City spokesperson said policy and state law allow it when costs are urgent or unexpected, among other reasons.
In August alone, the Council approved $142.6 million in certificates, with an estimated $86.2 million in interest on top.
What's next: Early voting on Propositions A and B begins Monday, October 19. Our guide to the two bonds explains what each would build and cost.
Sources: Austin Current (borrowing totals, tax cost, restored projects, quotes, August approval and interest)
City Desk
Money & bills
The Austin City Council recently passed Council Member Marc Duchen's resolution directing the city manager to set a six-year cycle for bond elections, Austin Current reports. Austin Current
Council Member Chito Vela said the $120 million headquarters approved in 2024 at Barton Skyway and South MoPac (Loop 1), for fire, police and Austin-Travis County Emergency Medical Services (ATCEMS), was well timed. Austin Current
Adam Haynes of the Texas Conference of Urban Counties said the debt is vetted in public: notices run in a local newspaper, and the borrowing is approved in open meetings. Austin Current
Public safety & courts
Pedestrian killed on North Lamar
A person walking near North Lamar Boulevard and Sagebrush Drive was hit by a vehicle and killed around 8:16 p.m. Tuesday, ATCEMS said. Medics pronounced the person dead at the scene. Neither the victim nor the driver had been identified. KXAN counts 65 traffic deaths in Austin this year through October 10, after 99 in all of 2025. KXAN
Also
Yasel Rodriguez Girado, 34, died in a two-vehicle crash early Saturday at the East Anderson Lane eastbound service road and Cameron Road, the Austin Police Department (APD) said. KXAN
APD's Animal Cruelty Unit filed 11 warrants in September; two surviving dogs from an August case in a hot garage have since been adopted, Austin Animal Services said. CBS Austin
The APD bomb squad rendered safe six apparently live World War II-era grenades a resident found Monday in estate-sale boxes on Gentle Breeze Terrace. CBS Austin
After the July police shooting of 17-year-old Anthoneil Williams II, APD said its 911 center's coming move to civilian management will bring regular quality reviews of call takers. KUT
City code bans feeding deer anywhere in Austin, private yards included, along with hunting; each is a Class C misdemeanor. KXAN
Growth & infrastructure
Light rail still waits on $4 billion in federal money
Austin Transit Partnership (ATP) is still seeking more than $4 billion in federal grants, about half the cost of the nearly 10-mile, 15-stop light rail line, KXAN reports. The U.S. Department of Transportation put the project at $8.2 billion in September. Federal officials estimate the construction grant could come in summer 2027, or as late as 2028. ATP expects to break ground in 2027. KXAN
Overheard on X
I just walked down to the original P Terry’s on South Lamar at the intersection of Barton Springs Rd in the heart of Austin, Texas. While waiting for my fast food order I saw 14 Cybercabs and Robotaxis drive by. 8 Cyber 6 Robo. People in vehicles too ⚡️⚡️⚡️⚡️⚡️
Also
A partial power outage at Austin-Bergstrom International Airport's Barbara Jordan Terminal began about 5:50 p.m. Tuesday, lasted nearly two hours and delayed flights; officials did not give a cause. FOX 7
Overheard on Reddit
Heads up! AUS power outage/ flights diverted
Currently flying home to Austin and we just got diverted mid-flight to San Antonio due to power outages. Heads up, y'all! It's a mess 🫠 UPDATE: Looks like they are back up and running and we're going to head back to Austin? UPDATE #2: 2 hrs later- Finally landed and got a gate so hopefully everyone else will eventually make it here 🤠
Pearce Lane in Del Valle, closed for the City's Ross Road project, may stay blocked three to four months while a developer works on a water line, the City said. FOX 7
City Hall & county
Council votes October 22 on No Wrong Door changes
The City Council is set to vote October 22 on amendments to No Wrong Door, the City's program for people who cycle through jails and emergency care. Police and City staff said crisis contacts fell about 31% for 99 frequent users from May to August. José Velásquez proposes a community advisory group; Vanessa Fuentes wants outcome reports. Defense attorney Bradley Hargis said lawyers "need to be involved, not just in an advisory capacity." KXAN
Also
District 9 candidate Katie Kam, fired as a City project manager in late 2025, told KXAN the firing was retaliatory; the City does not comment on personnel matters. KXAN
Voting rights groups sued Texas over more than 500,000 voter registration applications filed through the Texas Department of Public Safety's online portal and never processed. Texas Tribune
October 23 is the last day to apply to vote by mail; early voting runs October 19–30, and our Vote 2026 page lists every site. Austin Current
Schools
Burnet and Webb petitions are due Thursday
Petitions asking the state to close Burnet and Webb middle schools are due to Austin Independent School District (AISD) Superintendent Matias Segura on Thursday and need parents of more than half of each school's students. If filed, the district checks signatures through November 30, Segura sends a validated petition to the Texas Education Agency by December 1, and the commissioner rules February 15, 2027. CBS Austin
Overheard on X
Parents at Burnet and Webb middle schools must decide whether to support petitions that could influence how the Texas Education Agency intervenes in Austin ISD. https://t.co/omXWuLXqat
Also
Schools Beyond Screens–Austin sent AISD a petition with more than 500 signatures asking to remove routine devices through second grade and pause student-facing generative AI tools. KVUE
The University of Texas at Austin's College of Fine Arts added music, dance and theatre minors open to all undergraduates, each requiring 15 semester hours. The Daily Texan
Business & street life
Austin-based ICON raised $200 million and will build its Titan 3D construction printer, which sells for about $900,000 and prints up to 27 feet high, in Austin. CBS Austin
Little Lucy's Mini Donuts found its stolen pink catering truck at an Austin Community College campus, but $20,000 to $25,000 in equipment was gone. KXAN
Zoom Room, an indoor dog training gym, closed its South MoPac and North Austin locations in early October after filing for bankruptcy. Community Impact
Urban Egg opened its first Austin restaurant on Burnet Road, serving breakfast and lunch, with a grand opening running through today. Community Impact
Overheard on Reddit
Mural Shadows along the LINE
Huge fan of the Shepard Fairey and Sandra Chevrier mural outside the LINE hotel. Looked pretty cool with this shadow effect 📷 iPhone 18 pro Max
The SIMS Foundation offered free counseling to performers and crews in the artist village at both weekends of Austin City Limits (ACL), drawing on more than 130 providers. The Daily Texan
Weather
The National Weather Service forecasts a partly sunny Wednesday with a high near 94, a heat index as high as 103, and a 40% chance of showers and storms from 1 p.m. into the evening. Thursday's high is near 91. National Weather Service forecast
Friday's forecast high drops to near 76, with north wind gusts as high as 40 mph and a low near 53 Friday night. Saturday's high is near 73. National Weather Service forecast
No watches, warnings or advisories were active for Travis County this morning. National Weather Service alerts
Sources: National Weather Service forecast, Travis County active-alert snapshot
The Back Page
Early voting begins October 19; Election Day is November 3. Check official registration and election links.
One Good Thing: Pickleballs can't be recycled, so Joan Cabarrus asked local courts for their cracked ones, melted them flat in a panini press and shaped them into flowers. She'll wear the result, a neon pink and yellow dress with a purse made from two paddles, at Austin Creative Reuse's Reuse on the Runway show this weekend. KUT