If there’s anything that its critics and supporters appear to agree upon, it’s that CodeNEXT has been managed very poorly.
The controversial rezoning-and-redevelopment process is now two years past schedule, with costs more than four times as high as its original budget. The city’s Zoning and Platting and Environmental commissions have publicly complained about the quality of the CodeNEXT product, laws covering the contractors’ minority-hiring practices have been ignored, and the Austin Independent School District had to enlist the help of newspaper reporters to make its opinion on the matter heard.
In November, the City of Austin announced yet another delay in the CodeNEXT process, with no assurance of a better work product.
We’ve had enough. Community Not Commodity just sent the City of Austin’s auditor this letter requesting a formal investigation into CodeNEXT, so that local taxpayers have an opportunity to hear where the money and time consumed by this project have gone.
We don’t need to see the results of an audit to know the Austin City Council shouldn’t vote on CodeNEXT without giving local residents a chance to be heard. If you agree, download and sign this petition demanding that CodeNEXT be put to a public ballot, where you and your neighbors have a voice. Then simply mail the petition back to us at the address provided on the form.
Together we can build an Austin for everyone!