City says special election on charter amendments no longer on November ballot

AUSTIN (KXAN) -- The City of Austin said Friday that amendments to the Austin City Charter are no longer on the November 2024 ballot, a city spokesperson told KXAN in a statement.

This comes after a lawsuit was filed against Austin Mayor Kirk Watson and Austin City Council, which challenged all 13 amendments on the Austin City Charter. That lawsuit said Watson and the city council violated the Texas Open Meetings Act when adding those amendments to the November ballot, a news release from the Save Our Springs Alliance said on Aug. 19.

A temporary injunction was issued Friday on that lawsuit between Save Our Springs Alliance and the city.

In the signed temporary injunction, Judge Maya Guerra Gamble said the city did not "provide adequate notice" during its Aug. 14 city council meeting to approve the special election. Therefore, the judge decided the city did not comply with the Texas Open Meetings Act.

In that meeting earlier this month, Austin City Council added those 13 amendments as propositions that were going to appear at the end of the ballot ticket.

A city spokesperson released the following statement to KXAN, which can be read below:

Due to recent court decisions, the City has decided it is in the best interest of the public that the special election on charter amendments not be included in the upcoming election. To be clear, the City’s general election for council offices and the special election on disannexations will remain on the November ballot. Staff is responsible for notice and posting language for agendas. Staff takes full responsibility for any inconsistency with the Texas Open Meetings Act and, as such, staff will ensure that future council action items are posted to provide notice and opportunity for public comment in full compliance with the Texas Open Meetings Act.

City of Austin spokesperson