Local government has a huge impact on our daily lives — but it's often hard to understand. To help you make sense of it all, KUT News is bringing you Civics 101 — a series of stories about how things work in Austin — the week of May 20.
What's behind your property taxes? What is Central Health, and why should you care? Who's responsible when your power goes out? Check here for the answers to these questions.
Civics 101 is made possible by our sponsor League of Women Voters Austin Area.
-
Travis County's public hospital district funds medical care for low-income residents. -
While we love to complain about them, property taxes are also incredibly misunderstood. (Kind of like teenagers.) Let’s try to demystify them. -
They don't preside over court cases like a Supreme Court justice or Judge Judy. And the position is arguably not as high profile as a mayor or governor. But they do have a lot of power. -
If you live outside city limits, there's a good chance you get your water from a municipal utility district. But what exactly is a MUD? -
Austin Energy is Austin's city-owned electric utility. That means customers have a greater say in its operations than in other parts of Texas. -
Long before she was elected to serve as the District 1 Trustee, Candace Hunter understood the ins and outs of the school board. The former Austin ISD teacher has spent a lot of time trying to help other people understand it too. -
Highways cost billions of dollars in state and federal tax revenue to build and maintain. Then there are the hidden costs: polluted air, traffic congestion and increased greenhouse gas emissions. -
For Civics 101 week, we're hosting an interactive event that pulls back the veil on the city's budget and a community discussion exploring our individual civic duty. -
Join KUT News and 1A's Jenn White for a live conversation on May 22, exploring how our individual civic duty contributes to how well our democracy works. -
Join us Tuesday, May 21, for a fun, interactive event where you can choose your own city budget adventure. We’ll have educational games and hands-on activities to learn about how elections impact local taxes, Austin ISD, property taxes and more.
