Episodes
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What's On Your Ballot? Austin City Council District 9
Host Amy Stansbury sits down with three of the five candidates running to be the next City Council member for District 9 (downtown/central Austin): Zo Qadri - 01:28 - 23:39 Rich Heyman - 23:53 - 49:45 Katie Kam - 49:58 - End
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What's On Your Ballot? Austin City Council District 1
Host Amy Stansbury sits down with all six candidates running to be the next City Council member in District 1 (east Austin): Steven Brown - 01:28 - 18:30 Alexandria Anderson - 18:44 - 34:22 Amber Goodwin - 34:35 - 51:08 Michael Nahas - 51:22 - 1:05:39 Portia Riggins - 1:05:50 - 1:20:30 Misael…
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What's On Your Ballot? Austin City Council District 5
Host Amy Stansbury sits down with three of the four candidates running to be the next City Council member for District 5 (in South Austin): Ryan Alter - 01:29 - 22:43 Liz Brink - 23:00 - 40:36 David Weinberg - 40:53 - End
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What's On Your Ballot? Austin City Council District 3
Host Amy Stansbury sits down with four of the five candidates running to the next City Council member for District 3 in east/south Austin: José Velásquez - 01:29 - 21:58 Brock Skinner - 21:10 - 41:43 Gavino Fernandez Jr. - 42:58 - 01:03:50 Neha Shaw - 01:04:03 - End
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What's On Your Ballot? Austin City Council District 8
Host Amy Stansbury sits down with the two candidates running to be the next Austin City Council member in District 8 (southwest Austin) - Jeffery Bowen and Selena Xie.
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Travis County Commissioner, Precinct 2: What's On Your Ballot?
Austin Common Editor-In-Chief Amy Stansbury sits down with all four candidates running in the 2026 Democratic primary election for Travis County Precinct 2, which is in central/western Travis County. Have no idea what a commissioner even is? Don't worry. We'll walk you through it all with this...
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What's On Your Ballot? Travis County Commissioner, Precinct 4
Austin Common Editor-In-Chief Amy Stansbury sits down with all four candidates running in the 2026 Democratic primary election for Travis County Precinct 4, which is in eastern Travis County. Have no idea what a commissioner even is? Don't worry. We'll walk you through it all with this episode!
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Let's Talk About Prop Q
This episode of The Austin Common Radio Hour gives you a more in-depth look at the arguments and for and against Prop Q, featuring interviews with Council Member Duchen (who voted against the city's budget) and Council Member Vela (who voted for it).
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What's Going On With The City's Budget?
On August 13th, Austin City Council will vote on a new budget for next year, one that will likely include a TRE or a tax rate election. In this episode of The Austin Common Radio Hour, host Amy Stansbury sits down with three Council Members (Ellis, Vela, and Duchen) to help explain what a TRE is...
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Your State Senator Recaps The Legislative Session
How did this past legislative session impact Austin? Host Amy Stansbury sits down with state Sen. Sarah Eckhardt (who represents most of the Austin area) to hear her thoughts. Podcast music by Blue Dot Sessions and The Tiarras
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Should Austin Build Caps Over I-35?
Should the City of Austin build caps over I-35? That's the question Austin City Council has to decide on May 22nd. To dive deeper into the details and learn more about the debate over this issue, host Amy Stansbury sat down with Julio Gonzalez Altamirano, Council Member Ryan Alter, and Tom Wald.
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The Past And Present Of Regulating Short-Term Rentals (Airbnbs) In Austin
On February 27th, Austin City Council will vote on a new set of rules regulating short-term rentals (Airbnbs and Vrbos) in Austin. To learn more about what's been proposed, host Amy Stansbury spoke with Daniel Word (from the City of Austin Development Services Department) and Austin City Council...
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Your Ballot, Explained: Runoff Edition
Thought the elections were over? Not quite. If you live in Austin City Council District 7, you still have a runoff election to vote in. In this episode of The Austin Common Radio Hour, host Amy Stansbury sits down with both of the candidates -Mike Siegel and Gary Bledsoe. PS - And for info on the...
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Deciding Austin's Climate And Energy Future
On December 12th, Austin City Council will vote on an update to Austin Energy's Resource, Generation, and Climate Protection Plan. The name might sound boring, but the plan contains lots of important information that will influence everything from Austin's carbon emissions to what we all pay for...
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Austin City Council District 2: Your Ballot Explained
Election season is back! This fall, half of Austin's City Council seats are up for election... and that's a lot of candidates! But don't worry, as always, we're here to break it all down for you. In this episode we cover the District 2 (southeast Austin) City Council race. Host Amy Stansbury sits...
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Austin City Council District 4: Your Ballot, Explained
Election season is back! This fall, half of Austin's City Council seats are up for election... and that's a lot of candidates! But don't worry, as always, we're here to break it all down for you. In this episode we cover the District 4 (north/east Austin) City Council race. Host Amy Stansbury…
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Austin City Council District 6: Your Ballot, Explained
Election season is back! This fall, half of Austin's City Council seats are up for election... and that's a lot of candidates! But don't worry, as always, we're here to break it all down for you. In this episode we cover the District 6 (northwest Austin) City Council race. Host Amy Stansbury sits...
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Austin City Council District 7: Your Ballot, Explained
Election season is back! This fall, half of Austin's City Council seats are up for election... and that's a lot of candidates! But don't worry, as always, we're here to break it all down for you. In this episode we cover the District 10 (west Austin) City Council race. Host Amy Stansbury sits…
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Austin Mayor: Your Ballot, Explained
Election season is back! This fall, half of Austin's City Council seats are up for election... and the mayor's race is on the ballot... that's a lot of candidates! But don't worry, as always, we're here to break it all down for you. In this episode we cover Austin's mayoral election. Host Amy...
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Austin City Council District 10: Your Ballot, Explained
Election season is back! This fall, half of Austin's City Council seats are up for election... and that's a lot of candidates! But don't worry, as always, we're here to break it all down for you. In this episode we cover the District 10 (west Austin) City Council race. Host Amy Stansbury sits…
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Solving Homelessness In Austin: Rapid Rehousing
After a bit of a break, our podcast mini series on homelessness is back with a look into one of the solutions to homelessness - Rapid Rehousing. Host Amy Stansbury speaks with Eli Cortez and Alfredo Reyes Jr. (VOCAL-TX) about what the program is, who it does (and doesn't) work well for, and their...
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What The Heck Is TCAD? And Why Is It On My Ballot?
On May 4th, voters in Travis County will get to vote for 3 seats on the Travis Central Appraisal District Board of Directors. It's a super confusing election, but as always, we're here to explain it all for ya! This episode features interviews with nearly all of the candidates, including Don...
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Nowhere To Go: Homelessness In Austin
Our podcast mini-series on homelessness continues with a focus on emergency shelter, which is meant to provide people with a safe place to sleep (temporarily), while they work to get connected to more permanent housing. But in Austin, we don't have enough emergency shelter beds, which can mean…
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Homelessness In Austin: Who Gets Access To Housing Services?
This episode of the The Austin Common Radio Hour kicks off a mini-series on homelessness in Austin. In this first episode, we focus on some of the first steps a person experiencing homelessness might take on their path toward receiving services and eventually gaining access to housing....…
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The HOME Initiative: What It Is & Why It Matters
On December 7th, Austin City Council will vote on the HOME Initiative, a proposal to allow up to three housing units to be built on single-family lots. The idea is to increase the city's supply of "missing middle" housing, but like so many debates related to housing and land use, the issue is...
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Explaining Your Ballot: State Propositions
The are 14 proposed state constitutional amendments on the ballot this year. In this episode we take a deep into several of them, including Prop 4 (property taxes), Prop 6 (water), Prop 8 (broadband internet). Our guests include state Rep. Vikki Goodwin, Jennifer Walker (National Wildlife...
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$1 Billion For State Parks? Explaining Prop 14
The are 14 proposed state constitutional amendments on the ballot this year. One of them, Prop 14, would create a $1 billion centennial parks conservation fund to grow our state parks system. To tell us all about it, host Amy Stansbury sat down with Luke Metzger (Executive Director of Environment...
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Explaining Your Ballot: Travis County Props A & B
If you live in Travis County, you have two very important propositions on your ballot this year - Prop A (which is all about roads, bike lanes, and sidewalks) and Prop (which is about parks). To help you understand exactly what you'll be voting on, host Amy Stansbury interviewed Jennifer Bristol,...
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The Way Austin Funds Its Parks Is About To Change
In this episode of The Austin Common Radio Hour, host Amy Stansbury interviews Austin City Council Member Alison Alter about HB 1526, a new law passed by the Texas Legislature that will dramatically change the way Austin funds and acquires new parkland.
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Light Rail In Austin: We Have A Route
Earlier this summer, a route was chosen for Austin's first-ever light rail system. It will start at 38th Street, run down Guadalupe Street, cross Lady Bird Lake at Trinity Street and then split, running south along South Congress (ending at Oltorf) and running east along Riverside Drive (ending…
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What Is City Council Doing About Housing Affordability?
Austin City Council has taken a lot of votes lately, aimed at changing our city's land development code. The idea? To allow more housing to be built in Austin... and at a quicker pace. To explain exactly what City Council is working on, host Amy Stansbury sat down with two Austin City Council...
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Talking Taxes & Schools With Rep. Talarico
The regular Texas legislative session officially ended on May 29th... but that's not the end of the story. One "special session" has already been called (and more are expected to come) as a debate stretches on over property taxes and public schools. To fill us in on the latest, host Amy Stansbury...
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How Many People In Austin Are Experiencing Homelessness?
How many people in Austin are experiencing homelessness? In this episode of The Austin Common Radio Hour, we dive a bit deeper into the numbers. To guide us through it, host Amy Stansbury interviews Akram Al-Turk, Research & Evaluation Director of ECHO, who shares data from the latest Point In…
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Austin's Climate Ambassadors
Concerned about climate change? Hear from people who are taking action... right here at the local level. In this episode of The Austin Common Radio Hour, host Amy Stansbury sits down with several of the city's Community Climate Ambassadors -Dylan Kazanova, Kecia Prince, Sahabel Porto, & Andres...
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Mental Health & Our Criminal Justice System
On, March 21st, the Travis County Commissioners Court voted to take the first steps toward creating a mental health diversion center right here in Travis County. And what is a mental health diversion center? We discuss it all with Travis County Judge Andy Brown.
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Police Contracts: Why They Matter & What's Happening In Austin
There's been a lot of news lately over Austin's police contract. In this episode, we break it all down for you & explain what police contracts even are, the ways they impact accountability and staffing, and how an upcoming election could impact the future of public safety in Austin. Our guests...
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The Future of I-35
By now, you've probably heard that there are plans to expand I-35 through downtown Austin... but what does that mean exactly? And what will the impact be for our community? And the climate? We cover it all in this episode of The Austin Common Radio Hour. Guests include Brad Wheelis (spokesperson...
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What This Legislative Session Means For Austin
The 88th Texas Legislative session officially began on January 10th... So what does that mean for all of us here in Austin? In this episode of The Austin Common Radio Hour, host Amy Stansbury sits down with two Austin area representatives to find out! Guests include state Senator Sarah Eckhardt &...
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What's Going On With Our Electricity Rates? A 2022 Recap
In 2022, Austin City Council approved several changes that will increase what we all pay for electricity... in 2023 and beyond. But what exactly were all those changes again? And why did Council vote the way they did? In this episode of The Austin Common Radio Hour, host Amy Stansbury breaks it…
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What's Going On With Zilker Park?
In November, the City of Austin Parks & Recreation Department released a draft of the Zilker Metropolitan Park Vision Plan. The plan has received mixed reviews, with community orgs coming out both for and against the plan. But what's actually in the plan? In this episode of The Austin Common…
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Elections 101 Runoff Edition: City Council Districts 5 & 9
Several local races are headed to a runoff! To make it easier for you to do your ballot research, we're re-publishing some of our election episodes to feature only the candidates who made it to the runoff. In this episode, you'll hear interviews with District 5 City Council runoff candidates Ryan...
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Elections 101 Runoff Edition: Mayor + District 3
Several local races are headed to a runoff! To make it easier for you to do your ballot research, we're re-publishing some of our election episodes to feature only the candidates who made it to the runoff. In this episode, you'll hear interviews with mayoral runoff candidates Celia Israel and…
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Elections 101: Austin City Council District 1
In this episode of The Austin Common Radio Hour, host Amy Stansbury sits down with the candidates running for City Council in District 1 (east Austin). You'll hear interviews with Misael D. Ramos, Clinton Rarey, Melonie House-Dixon, and Natasha Harper-Madison.
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Elections 101: Austin City Council District 8
In this episode of The Austin Common Radio Hour, host Amy Stansbury sits down with the candidates running for City Council in District 8 (southwest Austin). You'll hear interviews with Paige Ellis, Antonio D. Ross, and Kimberly P. Hawkins. (Richard Smith did not respond to our interview request.)
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Elections 101: Austin City Council District 9
In this episode of The Austin Common Radio Hour, host Amy Stansbury sits down with the candidates running for City Council in District 9 (downtown/central Austin). You'll hear interviews with Zena Mitchell, Zohaib "Zo" Qadri, Greg Smith, Joah Spearman, Ben Leffler, Linda Guerrero, Tom Wald. (Kym...
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Elections 101: Who Should Be The Next Mayor Of Austin?
In this episode of The Austin Common Radio Hour, host Amy Stansbury sits down with the candidates running to be the next mayor of Austin. You'll hear interviews with Celia Israel, Kirk Watson, Jennifer Virden, and Phil Campero Brual.
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Elections 101: Austin City Council District 3
In this episode of The Austin Common Radio Hour, host Amy Stansbury sits down with the candidates running for City Council in District 3 (south/east Austin). You'll hear interviews with José M.A. Velásquez, Daniela Silva, Gavino Fernandez Jr, José Noé Elías, and Esala Wueschner. (Yvonne Weldon…
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Elections 101: Austin City Council District 5
In this episode of The Austin Common Radio Hour, host Amy Stansbury sits down with the candidates running for City Council in District 5 (south Austin). You'll hear interviews with Ryan Alter, Bill Welch, Ken Craig, Stephanie Bazan, Aaron Velazquez Webman, and Brian Anderson II.
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Pushing For Energy Democracy In Texas
Our multi-part series on local climate action continues with an episode dedicated to energy & energy democracy. Guests include Luke Metzger (Environment Texas), Hanna Mitchell and Yesenia Rivera (Solar United Neighbors). Links mentioned in this episode include: **Shining Cities 2022...
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Climate Equity & Food Justice
Our multi-part series on local climate action continues with an episode dedicated to climate equity & food justice. Guests include Larry Franklin (The Austin Common's first-ever Food Justice Fellow), Tane Ward (equity consultant who worked on Austin's Climate Equity Plan), and Celine Rendon…
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About this show
Each week, The Austin Common Radio Hour helps Austinites be informed and make a difference... right in their own local community :)
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