Protect Austin's Future - Speak Up for Democracy at Thursday's City Council Meeting

​            As we gear up for the crucial City Council meeting this Thursday, July 18th, we need your collective voices to protect Austin's future. While we understand the items related to South Central Waterfront and residential site plans (drainage review) are likely to be postponed (Items 99, 120, and 100), the stakes are high for Item 96, which proposes anti-democratic amendments to our City Charter that will push us backward. 
           The Charter amendments propose raising the signature thresholds for voter-initiated ordinances and City Council recalls, making it nearly impossible for citizens to initiate change or hold council members accountable. The increase from 20,000 to 3.5% of total voters for ordinances, and from 10% to 15% of district voters for recalls, is a blatant attempt to stifle our voices and dismantle the very mechanisms that have driven transformative change in our city. This move aligns with the current administration's efforts to limit public participation and transparency, allowing more decisions behind closed doors.
           Voter-led petition efforts have been catalysts for change in Austin policy for decades, bringing together voices and encouraging more citizens to participate in the democratic process. The impacts of these efforts have brought about generational and transformative change, such as the SOS Initiative Ordinance leading to the prioritization of environmental protection throughout the City of Austin and the 10-1 Geographic Representation Charter amendments that led to the prioritization of equity and geographic fairness in the City policy. SOS urges the City Council to reject these amendments. The Council will consider placing a raft of proposed amendments to the Austin City Charter on the November ballot, and now is the time to tell them no. 
           These proposed actions against our local democratic processes are in line with our current Mayor and Council's blatant hostility towards public participation at City Council meetings. We urge you to join us on July 18th to speak out on these critical issues. Please sign up to speak today and make your voice heard. 

Sign Up To Speak at City Council This Thursday

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SOS Beer Launch This Saturday, Let's Gose Swimming!
Saturday, July 20th, 3-6 pm @ Hold Out Brewery. Local brew heroes, Hold Out Brewing & GoodGood have teamed up with SOS to create a delightful Gose beer made with local hill country peaches and a lot of love. A percentage of all proceeds goes to SOS efforts. Come raise a glass with us to celebrate this unique collaboration! 
***Barton Springs stamp gets you 10% off your entire tab***
Upstairs mezzanine @ Hold Out Brewing
1208 West 4th St. Austin TX, 3-6 pm

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SOS Snorkel Tour This Saturday!
Saturday, July 20th, 8 am, Barton Springs. Join us for an exclusive behind-the-scenes Snorkel Tour this weekend and experience the springs like never before. Dive down into the wonders of Edwards Aquifer, marvel at diverse plant and wildlife, explore underwater hydro-geologic features, and discover how we can all help keep our springs clean and flowing for future generations. Perfect for confident swimmers aged 7 and up. Don't miss this underwater adventure! South Gate of Barton Springs, 906 Azie Morton, 8 am
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Tickets Here!