A small price for trust

Today let's look at two new financial policies that will hopefully help the city build trust with taxpayers.

First up is a memo from City Manager T.C. Broadnax outlining a new policy for paying the victims of city fuck ups. Or, in his words, a "process for paying certain property damage claims when City operations damage property and the property holder had no fault in causing the damage."

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This is ostensibly in response to the city's horrendous treatment of Mindy and Glen Shield, the South Austin homeowners who were the victims of what can most charitably be described as jaw-dropping police incompetence. Based on the facts that have since emerged about the case, it's very possible that the officers who traumatized the Shields and caused massive damage to their home knew what they were doing was wrong.