Leander latest Texas city to ‘de-Flock’

LEANDER, Texas — A northwest Austin-area town joined a host of other Central Texas cities in voting to end its contract with an embattled automatic license platek reader (ALPR) manufacturer. 

The Leander City Council decided unanimously early this morning to direct city staff to cancel its contract with Flock Safety. The Flock devices were being taken down as of today  

The Flock cameras had been in place since last year, originally leaving many residents puzzled as to what the black poles festooned with cameras and solar panels were for. Opposition to the devices grew along with their implementation, with nearby jurisdictions such as Austin, Elgin, Burnet County, San Saba County, Pflugerville …

“And Manor. Manor, for crying out loud!” one of roughly 60 registered opponents said last night as the meeting stretched on to the wee hours. 

The decision took place at 1:04 a.m.

Opponents and skeptics had met earlier at adjacent Leander Beer Market for a rally, drawing around 50 people, sporting yellow shirts and “De-Flock Leander” yard signs  

Leander Police Department personnel defended the contract, insisting it was only using the devices to scan license plate data and help solve local and area major crimes. “It will take longer to do our jobs, now,” an officer stated following the meeting, while hoping for a future solution that may not involve Flock.

Place 2 City Council member Mike Herrera said he expects all cameras to be taken down in the next working day or two. 

Council member for Place 4, Annette Sponseller, clarified the agenda called for staff direction and not a formal vote. “We were to provide direction, not take a vote. We did and I clarified with [city manager and chief of police] next steps. The system is no longer in use as of this morning and the cameras are being taken down as we speak.”

The opposition’s website may be viewed at DeflockLeander.org.  

Team Talarico play for Republican crossover votes reeks of desperation

The James Talarico campaign wants so badly for Republicans to vote for him.

First came a questionable poll immediately following the Runoff which claimed a 47-44% lead for the Democrat nominee in the race for U.S. Senator from Texas.

The poll reported that one-third of John Cornyn's supporters from the Runoff would break for Talarico, thereby splitting their tickets and giving the carpetbagger Austin Representative a slight edge.

Then came the attacks on the conservative grassroots. 

FLECK: Travis Democrat Chair Ouster Attempt Is 'True To Form'

TCDP Chair Cohen (Instagram campaign video screenshot)

by Jennifer Fleck, Travis GOP Chair

The Travis County Democrats plan to petition the oust of their new County Chair, Jessica Cohen.

Will the Democrats use false narratives to oust their own duly elected candidate? Akin to Joe Biden winning the 2025 Presidential nomination by the voters, but the “party” supplanting their own nominee.

So much for democracy. 

The first sign something was awry came on March 3, 2026, during election night activities at Central Count. After early voting results were released, county officials appeared noticeably surprised by the outcome of the Democratic Chair race.

Your Conservative Local Election Guide: May 2, 2026 Election

Just over 1,000 Travis County residents submitted their ballots as early voting began Monday, April 20, in the May Local Election.

While that may seem like a small total, consider that not every Travis County resident will have something to vote on this time. Voters may also be confused about the Primary Runoffs, taking place later in May. Adding even more chaos: San Jacinto Day is Tuesday, April 21, interrupting what is already a short early voting period. 

But if you've read this far, you want to know who and what to vote on! We've got you covered. First. check with Travis County (www.votetravis.gov) and see your sample ballot to verify if you're eligible this election. 

Second, while our friends with the Travis GOP do not (yet) have any endorsements, local Republicans and conservatives have put together a complete list of local races and some recommendations where applicable. We include that list below. Happy voting, and we'll see you again during the Runoff.

Are Democrats eclipsing Republican voters in Texas? Some things to consider

It's common political chatter by now that there's no real path to controlling the country without taking Texas. 

Democrats know this, and have been pouring increasing amounts of national resources into taking the Lone Star State, which hasn't seen a Democratic statewide official in what is going into a fourth decade.

U.S. Senate and gubernatorial races have tended to become hopeful battlegrounds, with Dems lining up every two years behind a rising star such as Beto O'Rourke as a seemingly solo standard-bearer.  In 2020, O'Rourke as a contender for Governor brought in 1,869,419 Democrat Primary voters as compated to 1,934,047 Republican Primary voters. That's about as close as it has been in recent memory.

Biggest tax hike in Austin history defeated

UPDATES:
(11/4/25): Prop. Q officially defeated with over 64% in opposition.

If you live in Austin AND Travis County, it’s very possible your taxes may go up $1,200 (or more) next year thanks to the far-Left monopoly in local government wanting to use YOUR tax dollars to play politics with the Trump Administration.

W'e’re already taxed enough. Now is not the time for political games, as hard-working Travis County residents are saddled with rising living costs, a tight job market, and high home prices. Evictions are on the rise, families are hurting, and we’re still licking our wounds from the July Fourth floods.

'Democrats price Democrats out of Austin?' State HQ moves to Dallas

Hum along. You know the theme song!

The venerable Adam Cahn pontificated yesterday, "Democrats price Democrats out of Austin? LOL."

Whether it's sky-high rent for businesses suites or so the Democratic state chairman has a quicker commute to the office, TDP is moving to Dallas. The Hayride has more on this rumored relocation, which we reprint below.

Maybe they took the nickname "Big D" a little too seriously.

If Texas Democrats fleeing to Chicago over the summer were one thing, pulling up stakes and leaving the state capital is certainly another. After a hard slog of a legislative year for Democrats in the Lone Star State, the Texas Democratic Party's state exeuctive committee looked at their chances in 2026 and decided to move from Austin to Dallas.

Proposed Austin, Travis County tax hikes could cost residents $1,200 extra per year

If you live in Austin and Travis County, your taxes may go up by around $1,200 next year.

The City of Austin's biennial budget, approved today by the City Council, raised the budget by just under a billion dollars ($5.5B to $6.3B) for 2025-26, meanwhile Travis County Commissioners are mulling a $2B budget and an estimated 9.12% tax hike.

If these numbers seem high it's because they are. According to City Council member Marc Duchen, the proposed tax rate election will ask voters to decide on a tax increase of "almost 19%, the biggest hike in 35 years."

How to directly help Travis County flood victims

Aerial view of Sandy Creek (X.com)

The July Fourth flooding event was tragic. That much has been the focus of national news over the weekend and into this week, with now over 100 deaths reported throughout Central Texas. Nothing more about that needs to be repeated here but here is a quick summary, followed by some ways to help.

• The majority of the deaths were along the Guadalupe River in Kerr County and, where numerous campers were evacuated, several died, and a few are still unaccounted for. 14 inches of rainfall on average hit the river basin.
  
  
• The San Gabriel River (including north and south forks) was also hard hit with around 16 inches of rain and the brunt of the infrastructure damage in Georgetown, where a pedestrian bridge was taken out and nearby apartments evacuated. A boil water notice is in effect for areas north of Georgetown.
  
  
• Cow Creek on the Burnet-Travis county line near Lago Vista was also devastated, with many trailer homes taken out and the only bridge between Lago and Marble Falls completely taken out.
  
  
• The heaviest rainfall of the flooding event was along the area known as Sandy Creek, just west of Leander in far northwestern Travis County. Numerous homes were emaciated, with about as many missing person reports in the wake of the flood. At least one teenager is dead, a student from Tom Glen High School in Leander. The only road into a portion of the Sandy Creek Ranches neighborhood is gone, as rescue workers are using kayaks to deliver relief supplies to homes and properties -- some of which are without utilities at the moment.

Lake Travis Dems to polling place voters: Pay no attention to our candidates on the loudspeaker!

Visit any polling place during voting hours in Texas and you'll pass distance markers, legal postings, and the watchful gaze of poll watchers and election staff. If you happen to step on the wrong eggshell then get ready to hear all about it.

That is, if you're not a member of a local Democrat club in a town just west of Austin. Then, according to various complaints, you can get away with not only violating the distance limit but outright mocking the regulations from a loudspeaker in an open-door rally for candidates. You can even illegally campaign for candidates on ballots just feet away, or be one of the candidates yourself. Neither the election judge, or the county sheriff, or even the media will apparently step in to warn you.

“We’re obviously, like, 40 feet away from a polling place? And there's an investigative reporter from the Texas Tribune here. [laughter] ... So that's all I'm gonna to say about that," said Jonathan Bove, a Democrat-endorsed candidate for Lake Travis Independent School District Board of Trustees, Place 4, according to a recording of the meeting (see below). Bove is opposing John Severance, a Republican-backed candidate for Place 4 on the local school board.

May 2025 Conservative Voter Guide - Travis County

Early voting is April 22-29 with Local Election Day being Saturday, May 3, 2025.

Turnout has been under 10,000 in Travis County for the first election since the mother of all elections in fall 2024. The good news there is that this is one of those elections in which the winners will be those who turn out the most of their supporters to the polls.

The bad news is that not everyone in the county will have a ballot, so voter confusion is a factor in the May 2025 Local Elections. Have no fear: The Tracker has you covered! First, find out if you're eligible for a ballot this time at www.VoteTravis.com and generate a sample ballot.

Secondly, see below for a complete list of recommendations. While we did our best to include all races, not all will have recommendations. Actually, most won't because of lack of local input, or the fact that most are non-controversial. But look for the bold print where we think a conservative vote is needed.

'Widest bridge in Texas' to be built in South Austin?

We're taking a closer look at this situation, but thought we'd go ahead and share this email we received soliciting opposing comments on what appears to be plans for a humongous bridge south of Town Lake -- perhaps the widest in Texas. 

As you know, I [Dean Van Landuyt] am a bridge engineer with more than 40 years of design experience.  The ATP (Austin Transportation Partnership) is planning to build the WIDEST bridge in the State of Texas along Riverside Drive.  There is nothing light about the light rail bridge they have in mind.  They’re budgeting for a cheap, heavy highway structure.  The ATP has done a bait-and-switch since the bond vote and now wants to move the tracks from the street level up to a new 1-mile-long highway-type bridge.  At the junction of the South Congress and Riverside lines, the structure balloons from 35’ to approximately 150' wide.  For scale, the current widest bridge in the state is on I-10 in Houston and is 140' wide.

Ironically, at a time when TxDOT is tearing down the twin I35 elevated bridges and depressing the mainlanes downtown to improve the appearance and quality of life in the city, ATP is trying to slip in this monstrosity.  They have not been forthcoming about how massive this is.  They have only shown a few pretty renderings of people ambling next to zippy light rail stations.

I was able to track down some minimal engineering plans and expose what they are really up to.  And wouldn’t you know, a huge bridge is the preferred solution of the developers who recently bought the old American-Statesman and TxDOT buildings on the NE corner of Congress and Riverside Drive.  ...

If you would like to keep the south shore of Lady Bird Lake from turning into a blighted area, I ask that you copy and attach the attached Word file [via Google Docs] and send it to input@atptx.org.

Austin kids' museum staff: give us DEI training!

UPDATE: The Thinkery responded with a statement, not mentioning the DEI demand specifically.

Parents, children, and other visitors were taken aback today when encountering a picket line in front of a popular kids' venue in Austin due to a strike at least partially fueled by DEI.

Formerly the Austin Children's Museum, The Thinkery is funded through a combination of philanthropic gifts, ticket sales ($18/head), and local government funds, such as the Cultural Arts Division of the City of Austin Economic Development Department.

According to a note being distributed by a group of Thinkery employees and "floor staff," there were numerous safety concerns with the building and a lack of emergency training. A Reddit thread indicated that at least five employees were recently terminated, which may have sparked the dissent. The letter named a lead staff member, demanding her termination.

Among the other items was a rather politically charged demand:

One last round of elections for 2024: Your Austin-area Runoff guide

After the monumental presidential election of 2024, most of us were content to prop our feet up, pop open a Topo Chico for this warm end to the year, and take a well-deserved break from the daily political grind.

Not so fast: there remains some unfinished business in many places, and that includes Travis County. If you live in Austin ISD, City of Austin District 7, and/or the City of Manor, there's a runoff election scheduled for this Saturday, Dec. 14. More info here. So far, just under 14,000 voters have submitted their ballots.

While there are no strong conservatives in the running this time, we believe there remain candidates that are head-and-shoulders above their competitors in terms of experience and overall philosophy. That's why we put together this short voters guide for you last-minute shoppers.

Info on school bonds and propositions for the still-undecided Travis County voter

Still undecided? Don't worry -- you're not alone!

Early voting continues today through Friday, with Election Day on Tuesday, Nov. 5, 2024. If you haven't voted yet because you haven't had time to research the propositions and bonds on the ballot, we hope this article will help. We also hope it will empower you to not feel guilty about saying no to increased local government spending during the Biden-Harris recession.

2024 Travis County Voter Guide for the habitually late

Still making up your mind on candidates and propositions? Haven't been able to find a spare moment during a busy October? Or just a little lazy? We won't tell -- we just want to help you decide! 

Early voting ends 7 p.m. Friday, Nov. 1, and picks up again 7 a.m. Tuesday, Nov. 5. Details.

Below are The Travis Tracker's selections on the best choices for conservatives on this year's general election ballot. Most are Republican nominees and endorsees, while others are conservative, conservative-leaning, or liberals who are less likely do do any damage.

We start with local candidates and with federal -- because if we don't prioritize our local candidates who else will? Races with no preferred candidates or positions are not included -- you'll see many unopposed Democrats in judicial positions, for example. And remember: When in doubt, leave it blank! Your ballot will not be thrown out because you left a race empty.

Analysis: Leander ISD candidate exposes 'garbage' pro-incumbent tactics

All campaigns at any level can get ugly, dirty, and downright underhanded. Yet there's a "positive-vibes only" one-sidedness that often occurs when we're dealing with public school board races.

The tilted perception of local school board races often goes something like this: 

There's a core of board/district leadership that's essentially a booster club. To them, the school and any state and federal machinery (and associated teacher unions) can do no major wrong -- and therefore, their preferred candidates are automatically assumed to have the moral high ground and have that as an advantage at the ballot box. Win or lose, much like at your alma mater's homecoming football game, you had better cheer every play the board makes or you're a traitor. Rah-rah! Or should we say kumbaya?

Then there's everyone else, who apparently have no school spirit because of their disruption of board harmoniousness. They are immediately accused of having no other agenda than to dismantle public education, take all the kids to private school, and bring the school tax rate down to zero. Why? Because they dare to criticize. Boo! Hiss!

Any thinking voter knows the situation is more complex than the black hats versus the white hats -- it's all very much political, with both Republican and Democratic parties now weighing in, as well as various internecine conflicts taking place as an undercurrent that voters often do not see. Taxpayer-funded lobby groups are not happy about this trend one iota. Florida voters are even considering whether or not to label school board candidates by party like up-ballot races.

Child care in crisis? What's the real motivation behind Travis County Prop. A?

"One lunch per month," proponents of Travis County's Proposition A claim the final cost will be to taxpayers.

Prop. A, a property tax rate increase of 2.5 cents per $100 valuation to fund child care services and related contractors in the county, would come out to about $10 per month for the average Travis County resident.

This begs the question of why lunch is now $10 to begin with, when you used to get back to the office with a five dollar bill and some change.

We all know the familiar refrain by now: rising taxes and unrestrained spending in Austin and Travis County has led to, among other factors, a decimation of small business vitality and an exodus of working families from the urban core. Will, then, heaping on another small tax increase keep families in the middle from leaving, or bring them back? 

Prop. A bond 'won't fix problems' warn former Austin ISD Trustees

Austin ISD has been on the warpath lately to promote Proposition A, which it says will make up for an unexpected shortfall of funds allocated by the Texas Legislature last session. 

A recent article stated Prop. A would raise $171 million in new revenue, but the district will only keep $41 million of it due to state "Robin Hood" recapture. That remaining $41 million would be used to make good on a teacher pay increase agreement, supporters say, including the Austin Chamber of Commerce.

But Prop. A isn't the ticket, warned a letter from 10 former Austin ISD Trustees. The letter warns Prop. A represents a steep tax hike in exchange for "minimal benefit to students, the district, or public education as a whole." And this despite declining enrollment in Austin public schools.

Below is the letter, obtained from various social media sources.

'Marketing language' on Pflugerville ballot? Taxpayer groups sue to take it off Prop A

The Travis County ESD No. 2 board of directors voted Monday night to approve language that includes an apparent marketing nickname on the November ballot, the Tracker has learned.

Each time ESD No. 2 has been on the ballot previously they have been identified on the ballot as "Travis County Emergency Services District No. 2," without “Pflugerville Fire Department” -- a moniker the taxing entity has often employed informally.

The contested language on the November ballot, as approved by ESD No. 2, now reads, in the form of Proposition A: