10-1 plan for Council districts approved

AUSTIN (KXAN) - Austinites will be seeing a big change at City Hall -- a historical change, in fact, with the passage of single-member Council districts on Tuesday.

Citizens will soon be represented by their own council members, depending on where they live.

Both plans to move to single-member districts -- Propositions 3 and 4 -- garnered enough votes once early ballots were counted, and both passed following election night. Because both passed, City Council will opt to go with the plan that gained more support: the "10-1" plan.

The "10-1" plan came through with 60 percent voting "yes," and the "8-2-1" plan received 51 percent approval.

• View election results

There will no longer be seven City Council members, each representing the entire city.

Lines will now be drawn for 10 Council seats, with each person representing a different part of the city and the mayor will be the one "at large" member.

Supporters said the system is more fair. This is something that has failed time and time again in past votes.

"It's been a long, hard road and we're really excited to move forward into a new vision for Austin," said Jessica Ellison, with Austinites for Geographic Representation. "We're ending the gentleman's agreement, we're finally bringing fair and equal representation to all Austinites."

Austin has been the largest U.S. city without geographic representation -- which will now change.

More on the non-bond propositions

All of the other propositions -- with the exception of Proposition 6 -- passed. Proposition 6 called for an amendment to the city charter to provide that the City Council appoint the city attorney.

PASSED: PROPOSITION 1: (Note: If Proposition 1 and 2 both pass, Proposition 2 will prevail because it incorporates Proposition 1.) Question: Shall the city charter be amended to move the City’s general election date from May to November?

PASSED: PROPOSITION 2: (Note: If Proposition 1 and 2 both pass, Proposition 2 will prevail because it incorporates Proposition 1.) Question: Shall the city charter be amended to move the City’s general election date from May to November, to provide that council members serve four-year staggered terms, to provide that council elections occur in even numbered years, and to limit the mayor and council members to two terms.

PASSED: PROPOSITION 3:  Question:  Shall the city charter be amended to provide for the election of council members
from 10 geographical single-member districts, with the mayor to be elected from the city at large, and to provide for an independent citizens redistricting commission?

PASSED: PROPOSITION 4:  Question:  Shall the city charter be amended to provide for the election of council members
from eight geographical single-member districts, with the mayor and two additional council members to be elected from the city at large?

PASSED: PROPOSITION 5:  Question:  Shall the city charter be amended to permit the members of the city council and the city council’s appointees to hire and manage their own staffs?

DID NOT PASS: PROPOSITION 6:  Question:  Shall the city charter be amended to provide that the city council appoint the city attorney?

PASSED: PROPOSITION 7:  Question:  Shall the city charter be amended to reduce the number of signatures needed for
a citizen initiated ordinance or referendum?

PASSED: PROPOSITION 8:  Question:  Shall the city charter be amended to allow council members to raise political funds  for 30 days after an election in which the council member was elected?

PASSED: PROPOSITION 9:  Question:  Shall the city charter be amended to permit the city council to lease parkland to
an independent school district for a purpose that the council has found, by a two-thirds majority, is a park purpose?

PASSED: PROPOSITION 10:  Question:  Shall the city charter be amended to provide a civil service system for most city
employees who are not already covered by a state civil service statute?

PASSED: PROPOSITION 11:  Question:  Adoption of the emergency medical services personnel civil service law. A vote of for or against. This is not a city charter amendment.