Austin, TX
Council rejects Texas Gas Service rate hike – Austin Monitor
Despite reining in its initial proposal, Texas Gas Service has still failed to win over City Council in its endeavor to raise prices for Austin ratepayers.
The utility faced backlash this summer with news of its plans to aggressively hike fixed monthly fees, prompting Austin and 16 other cities in its service area to join forces in campaigning for a compromise. Though the coalition has reached a settlement, Council voted last Thursday to reject the new proposal, claiming the utility’s concessions were not enough to seal the deal.
TGS’s initial proposal would have seen its $16 monthly service fee rise to $25.50 and $39 for new classes of small and large residential customers, a hike amounting to a 14 percent increase for the average consumer’s bill. Similarly, “small” and “large” commercial customers would have seen their $53.33 fee rise to $85 and $100, respectively, though new rate designs would have ultimately meant bill decreases for the average commercial consumer.
Now, the utility is offering a scaled-back plan, proposing an increase to $18 and $30 in monthly service fees for small and large residential customers, and $60 and $75 for commercial customers. Still, watchdogs at City Council, Austin’s Resource Management Commission and organizations like Public Citizen, Environment Texas and Sierra Club are dissatisfied with the concessions.
“If the gas company wins its proposal, it will have increased residential rates by 105 percent since 2019,” Resource Management Commissioner Paul Robbins said at last week’s City Council meeting. “Austin should not have to deal with this constant onslaught of price gouging. … San Antonio’s municipal gas utility only 70 miles to the south charges just half of these rates.”
While TGS says the increases are necessary to cover rising gas prices and the demand to expand infrastructure, critics argue that the cost is being unfairly shouldered by existing ratepayers. In contrast, Austin’s municipally owned water and electric utilities recover 100 percent of the cost to expand services through premiums charged to new customers.
Additionally, critics say the utility’s proposal is out of line with Austin’s equity and environmental values, with a regressive rate structure that disproportionately burdens low-income customers and fails to send price signals encouraging conservation.
Despite their objections, Council shares jurisdiction in the matter with Texas’ Railroad Commission, which is set to review the case in coming weeks. While there is reason to doubt the industry-friendly body will share its concerns, the review process will provide an opportunity to appeal to the state’s Office of Public Utility Counsel, which could help to further challenge the case.
In the meantime, exasperated critics are looking ahead to 2026, when the city’s franchise agreement with the utility is set to expire.
“We are reaching a crisis of affordability where municipalization needs to be considered,” Robbins said.
“It seems that the city needs to get serious about finding a way out of this situation,” Resource Management Commissioner Rafael Schwartz added. “Whether that’s municipalization or some other outcome, one initial action Council can take is to adjust the Resource Management Commission’s purview to include gas utility issues, as has been previously asked.”
Photo made available through a Creative Commons license.
The Austin Monitor’s work is made possible by donations from the community. Though our reporting covers donors from time to time, we are careful to keep business and editorial efforts separate while maintaining transparency. A complete list of donors is available here, and our code of ethics is explained here.
You’re a community leader
And we’re honored you look to us for serious, in-depth news. You know a strong community needs local and dedicated watchdog reporting. We’re here for you and that won’t change. Now will you take the powerful next step and support our nonprofit news organization?
Austin, TX
More dangerous Texas floods expected after at least 2 killed and hundreds of people rescued in high water, governor says – WTOP News
AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — More dangerous Texas floods expected after at least 2 killed and hundreds of people rescued in…
AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — More dangerous Texas floods expected after at least 2 killed and hundreds of people rescued in high water, governor says.
Copyright
© 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, written or redistributed.
KERRVILLE, Texas (KXAN) — The City of Kerrville issued a shelter-in-place Thursday morning, with heavy rain causing reported evacuations early Thursday morning. A Flash Flood Warning is currently in place for Kerr County as the Guadalupe River continues to rise.
Around 5:30 a.m., the National Weather Service said a “large and deadly flood wave is moving down” the Guadalupe River.
KXAN First Warning Weather Meteorologist Kristen Currie said approximately 11 inches of rain have fallen northwest of Kerr County since 10 p.m. on Wednesday. The Guadalupe River is expected to reach major flood stage in multiple areas.
Kerr County PIO Lisa Walter said “there have been multiple swift water rescues and evacuations.” Officials emphasized not to drive through flooded streets and to turn around if water covers the roadway.
Evacuations were underway in multiple areas, according to the county, including:
- Goat Creek
- Arcadia Loop
- Lowery/Guadalupe area
- Junction Highway low-water crossings
- Other low-lying neighborhoods
Emergency shelters are open at Impact Church (Goat Creek evacuation point), Calvary Temple Church and City West Church for people in West Kerr County, the county said.
Here are the latest headlines:
Live updates
7:03 a.m.: KXAN’s Kevin Baskar is in Gillespie County providing updates on the latest flood conditions in the area. Watch his update below.
6:37 a.m.: Kerr County officials emphasized not to drive through flooded streets and to turn around if water covers the roadway.
Evacuations were underway in multiple areas, according to the county, including:
- Goat Creek
- Arcadia Loop
- Lowery/Guadalupe area
- Junction Highway low-water crossings
- Other low-lying neighborhoods
Emergency shelters are open at Impact Church (Goat Creek evacuation point), Calvary Temple Church and City West Church for people in West Kerr County, the county said.
6:27 a.m.: Video shows emergency crews hauling boats and rescue equipment through Kerrville.
6:15 a.m. NewsNation correspondent Xavier Walton and his photographer captured a structure being swept up in river water and crashing into a Kerrville bridge. The structure appears to be some sort of shipping container, pushing against the bridge.
Watch the video below:
6:08 a.m.: Kerr County PIO Lisa Walter confirms “there have been multiple swift water rescues and evacuations.”
6:02 a.m.: The Guadalupe River at Center Point is expected to crest at 35 feet, which is the same crest as July 4, 2025.
5:57 a.m.: The National Weather Service said “a large deadly flood wave” is moving down the Guadalupe River.
5:49 a.m.: The Comfort Volunteer Fire Department said it has units in Kerrville and Centerpoint alerting people along the Guadalupe River. They’re helping Kerr County with evacuations along Highway 27 between Comfort and Centerpoint. They said all VFD personnel are OK.
5:30 a.m.: The Kerr County Sheriff’s Office said in a Facebook post that it’s received reports of “street flooding in Ingram, and it’s likely many roads and city streets are flooded as well.”
AUSTIN (KXAN) — As flood threats continue across parts of South Central Texas, Austin Pets Alive! has activated emergency response efforts to support animal shelters affected by the inclement weather.
In a social media post, APA! wrote, “We began offering aid last night, working to secure fosters for 10 dogs in the Castroville shelter, an open-air shelter that sits at the bottom of a valley.”
APA! said the situation escalated overnight with additional shelters reporting flooding. One shelter confirmed that floodwaters reached its facility, APA! added.
Communities overwhelmed due to weather include Uvalde, Castroville and Sabinal.
The nonprofit is asking the Austin community to foster, adopt or donate to free up capacity for animals displaced by the disaster. APA! needs to clear out its facilities to assist the animals in need of shelter.
Here are ways you can help:
- Adopt: APA! is offering a “Name Your Own Adoption Fee” on all animals.
- Foster: The shelter is seeking foster homes for a minimum of three weeks.
- Donate: Proceeds will fund vans and response teams setting up a staging and triage center at the heart of the disaster zone, along with an expanded stockpile of preventatives, PPE and additional supplies.
If you would like to donate, click here.
-
Sports6 minutes agoOlympic great Lindsey Vonn reveals her ankle is ‘still broken’ months after shocking crash
-
Technology12 minutes agoApple AirDrop, Android Quick Share flaws put phones at risk
-
Business18 minutes agoNetflix reports higher profits as investors worry about growth
-
Entertainment24 minutes agoKris Jenner’s mom, beloved matriarch Mary Jo ‘MJ’ Shannon, dies at 91
-
Politics36 minutes agoTrump repeats debunked claims about voting vulnerabilities in prime-time speech
-
Science42 minutes agoBass administration quietly replaced chief heat officer a month ago
-
Sports48 minutes agoUCLA women embrace new players, tougher standards in bid to repeat as champs
-
World60 minutes agoChina rebukes UK over nationalisation of British Steel
