The specifics
Council's new committee assignments were set after brief discussion Jan. 21, and can still be adjusted throughout the year.
No changes were made to the Audit and Finance Committee, which reviews reporting from the city auditor's office and various budgeting issues. The committee next meets Feb. 3 and will continue to include:
- Mayor Kirk Watson, serving as chair
- District 5 council member Ryan Alter, serving as vice chair
- Vela
- District 2 council member Vanessa Fuentes
- District 10 council member Marc Duchen
The expanded
Climate, Water, Environment, and Parks Committee—
created last year to replace an Austin Water oversight body and handle other environmental issues—also maintained its membership. Its next meeting is Jan. 28 and includes:
- Alter, chair
- District 8 council member Paige Ellis, vice chair
- Siegel
- Duchen
The recently revived
Economic Opportunity Committee overseeing local business, workforce, child care and development issues will next meet in March with:
- District 9 council member Zo Qadri, chair
- Fuentes, vice chair
- District 3 council member José Velásquez
- Siegel
The
Housing and Planning Committee met briefly Jan. 27 with the same membership as last year, although it has a new vice chair:
- District 1 council member Harper-Madison, chair
- Siegel, vice chair
- Vela
- Ellis
Harper-Madison stepped off the
Mobility Committee for 2026. Its next meeting will be Feb. 12 with:
- Ellis, chair
- Qadri, vice chair
- Vela
- District 6 council member Krista Laine
The
Public Health Committee, which also considers social service topics like homelessness response, next meets Feb. 4 with:
- Fuentes, chair
- Duchen, vice chair
- Alter
- Velásquez
And the
Public Safety Committee remains largely the same ahead of its first meeting of the year Feb. 2, with Siegel replacing Watson:
- Velásquez, chair
- Laine, vice chair
- Siegel
- Qadri
- Duchen
Also of noteA ninth body will also soon be re-formed, due to interest in reinvigorating the Regional Affordability Committee that's been inactive for years. Laine will be joined by at least Watson and Fuentes when it relaunches in the near future.
