Props 3, 4 could change City Council

AUSTIN (KXAN) - Elections are coming up fast, and two of the local propositions on the ballot might redefine Austin's City Council.

This weekend, supporters hoped to get their message out while there is still time to vote. Although the propositions may seem similar, both sides supported their proposition for different reasons.

Robin Schneider is for Proposition 3.

"Proposition 4 could easily be found unconstitutional under the voting rights act," she said. "So if we vote for [Proposition] 4 and 4 wins, then we'd go back to our same situation of having all our Council members representing only parts of the city."

Proposition 4 advocates, however, think their solution will be easier to adjust to.

"Unlike Proposition 3, we have what we call a hybrid approach, a mixture, of what we consider to be a more balanced approach," says Fred McGhee, a Proposition 4 supporter. "We don't do a complete 180-degree flip. We say that we want to create some districts. Eight districts in our case but we want to retain some Council members who are at large."

If either of these plans go forward Austin will have four extra City Council members. Keep in mind that a voter can choose either proposition or both. If both have more than 50 percent support -- the one with more votes will take effect.