- Coming up on "Austin InSight", last fall, Austin voters made it clear they did not want a property tax increase.

But could a new bond election be on the ballot?

Plus, move over, espresso martinis, a new coffee cocktail may be the coolest drink this summer.

"Austin InSight" starts now.

- [Announcer] Support for "Austin InSight" comes from Sally and James Gavin, and also from Daniel L. Skret.

(upbeat music) (upbeat music continues) - Hi, there, and thanks for joining us.

I'm Laura Laughead.

It's been more than six months since Austin voters resoundingly rejected Proposition Q, the measure that would've raised property taxes to pay for city services.

Now, the defeat is shaping how some city leaders are thinking about another potential tax increase, a November bond election.

Our local government reporter, Sam Stark, is at City Hall with the latest on that and more.

- Hey, Laura.

Not everyone on the city council dais is on the same page about whether a bond proposal to pay for capital improvement projects should go to voters this fall.

In fact, on May 28th, Mayor Kirk Watson and Councilmember Marc Duchen voted against continuing the bond development process for 2026, arguing instead the city should wait until 2028 before asking voters to take on more debt.

The bond development process started back in 2024 when the city formed a Bond Election Advisory Task Force.

Over the next 18 months, that group researched to identify some of Austin's most pressing capital improvement needs.

After receiving guidance from the city council, the task force delivered two potential bond packages, one totaling about $760 million in projects and a second, smaller option with roughly half that amount.

City financial staff later returned with their own recommendations.

While they outlined both a larger and smaller bond option, their official recommendation was to delay any election until 2028, when the city expects to have spent the vast majority of funds from previous bond elections.

On May 28th, Mayor Watson signaled he agreed with staff and did not think the financially responsible move was calling another election.

- Our leadership sometimes means saying, "Yes."

But our leadership also means being willing to say, "Not yet," especially when saying, "Yes" would be politically easier in the moment because of people wanting a bond election.

- [Sam] However, six city council members voted to move the process forward, asking staff to continue developing a potential bond proposal that would finance parks, transportation, and community facilities projects.

A final decision about whether to call an election will be made in July.

- And I'll just say that, for me, I continue to believe we should ask voters to invest in Austin Parks, which have not received a bond investment since 2018.

Parks are one of the amenities almost universally enjoyed across our community, and our green spaces, our play spaces, and our open spaces are a big part of what makes Austin great.

- And that wasn't the only city council item I was tracking at the last meeting.

On May 28th, council members voted to further regulate and define e-motos.

Those are electric bikes capable of motorcycle-like speeds that are growing in popularity.

Councilmember Paige Ellis, who represents Southwest Austin, filed this resolution, saying she was receiving a, quote, "Growing chorus of complaints" about these vehicles in her neighborhoods.

The main problem, she says, is that they are popular among children and teenagers who often don't have licenses and aren't always following the rules of the road, raising concerns that it's only a matter of time before a serious incident occurs.

Council members passed a resolution that does a few things.

It directs the city manager to define in city code what these vehicles are, develop licensing for operations, and establish penalties for violations, create a public awareness campaign, review Austin Police Department's training and enforcement practices, and explore if the city could create a designated area where riders could use them safely and legally.

- So, we know that these are gifts that are typically given to kids for birthdays or Christmas.

And with summer approaching very quickly, we wanted to make sure we took proactive and dedicated action to be able to look at how we can enhance safety among kids who really are just trying to play, but are oftentimes doing so in a dangerous way.

(upbeat music) - Meanwhile, an update on local education and a blow to the Austin Independent School District.

State education officials have rejected Austin ISD's turnaround plans for three struggling middle schools to avoid a possible state takeover.

Dobie, Webb, and Burnet Middle Schools have received four consecutive F ratings from the Texas Education Agency, and a fifth after this year's standardized testing could trigger orders to close the schools or a state takeover of the whole district.

Earlier this year, Austin ISD submitted a plan to partner with the nonprofit Texas Council for International Studies to run the schools, with hopes of providing more time to improve academic performance ahead of the TEA's latest accountability ratings.

However, last week, TEA officials said that the Texas Council for International Studies did not meet all the criteria required to qualify as a partner.

AISD superintendent Matias Segura said in a written statement to families that the district will submit additional information to TEA to support their application.

Our Decibel community reporting project has spent the last year and a half covering what these closures would mean for these middle school communities.

You can find their stories on the Austin PBS YouTube channel.

(upbeat music) (upbeat music continues) (upbeat music continues) For many teenage girls, a quinceanera is a literal once-in-a-lifetime celebration marking their transition into adulthood.

But for those living in foster care, the cost and planning involved with the tradition can put that milestone out of reach.

Here in Austin, some girls at The Settlement Home for Children got to throw the quinceanera of their dreams.

Decibel multimedia journalist Jackie Ibarra got an invite and takes us there.

- [Jackie] Has there been anything that you heard from the girls about what they're most excited for for today?

- Really, the dresses.

(bright music) They loved putting on the dresses, putting on the petticoats and spinning around, and... (bright music) Being really girly.

That was, I feel like, the best part for them.

(bright music) So, today is our quinceanera.

(festive music) (guests clapping) We get to celebrate five of our girls coming of age, and we're really excited for them.

(festive music) Today, they will be escorted in.

They will perform a dance.

♪ And there's nowhere in the world I'd rather be ♪ - They will receive a tiara and a rose and brand-new Bibles with their names on them, and get to spend time and eat with their families and visitors.

(guests clapping) (bright music) I can see already the excitement that they're feeling, how happy they are to be a part of this.

- [Girl] I love being dramatic.

- [Stylist] I do too, girl, I love it.

- [Girl] It's a one-in-a-lifetime quinceanera, so- - That's right!

- Be dramatic!

- The quinceanera is just another way that we can help them feel and live a normal life, even though they're not living at home with their families.

Yeah, my name is Kelly Betz, and I am the community relations coordinator.

The Settlement Home for Children is a group home for kids in foster care.

They come to us when they are not ready to be in a foster home.

So, our job is to prepare them to either live on their own out of care or to move into a foster home.

So, my role before becoming the community relations coordinator was a house parent.

(uplifting music) So, I actually have a relationship with most of these girls.

I've spent time with them.

I've got to literally hang around them and do things with them.

So, that was really the motivating factor, just seeing how excited they are as it's all coming together.

Obviously, it's what I hoped for, but they are the reason that, at the end of the day, and I'm tired, and I'm going home, and my feet hurt, they are the reason why I wanna put so much effort and make sure everything came together as perfectly as possible.

Look at that!

Everything we do is for the kids and it's just to make sure that the kids get to live as normal a life as possible.

(hair dryer blowing) - [Girl] Uh, let's see.

- [Stylist] Okay, I got that out.

It's okay, you're gonna see.

- [Girl] Yeah, I'm just gonna... (uplifting music) - I'll get it from my set, I don't mind.

It's your special day.

You are the princess, girl!

- We don't want them to feel any less than anybody who's living in a home.

We want them to be able to go to the zoo in the summer, to be able to do trips, and all of that takes money.

And so, for us as a care provider, it's really important to know that we go above and beyond what the state provides.

(upbeat music) - Last summer, Austin PBS launched its Digital Originals grant program to help local creators tell Texas stories in their own voices.

After receiving hundreds of amazing submissions, Austin PBS awarded two creators $35,000 each to produce their own original nonfiction series for our digital platforms.

This week, one of those series made its debut.

- The gap between this and the second-best cheesesteak in Austin is bigger than the gap between my two front teeth as a kid.

It's made with brisket sauce.

- If you're on social media in Austin, there is a good chance you've come across David Douglass.

He's been exploring the local food scene for years and has racked up millions of views and hundreds of thousands of followers.

His new web series, "David Eats Everywhere", takes you inside local immigrant-owned kitchens, uncovering the stories, traditions, and hustle behind some of Austin's favorite spots.

Here's a look.

- For the last three years, I've explored Austin to find the best food.

Now, I wanna find out how the best food got to Austin.

(crowd cheering) (bell ringing) (upbeat music) As a food blogger, I've had a chance to eat at hundreds of restaurants.

But my favorites are in strip malls and owned by immigrants who cook a piece of their childhood.

- [Restaurateur] Hey, come on David, let's go!

- [David] From Colombia to Japan, we'll tell the stories of the incredible entrepreneurs that bring their culture to Austin and give our city its flavor.

♪ We, we love this one ♪ ♪ We, we, we love this one ♪ - Joining us now is David Douglass.

David, thank you so much for being here.

- Hey, thanks for having me.

This is pretty fun for me.

- Well, I'm so glad, it's fun for us, too.

I've been a fan of yours for a while, now.

And we've all said before that, while Austin has always been a music town, it is clearly becoming a food town as well, especially the last few years.

You think of the James Beard Awards, the Michelin Guide, but what are you seeing right now in the food scene that excites you the most?

- I think Austin has a really strong young chef scene.

I think when you compare it to other cities, I think it's really easy for people to be like, "Oh, LA is so much better.

New York is so much better."

But those are a lot larger in terms of population than Austin.

And I feel like if you compare Austin to other cities with a million, a million half people, we're really strong.

We struggle with having ethnic groups, honestly.

Austin's a pretty pale city.

But the young chef crews of people that worked at a really good restaurant but wanted to do their own thing, I think that's a lot easier here than it is in other cities.

And so, instead of just keeping on the grind, they'll start a food truck that's really good sandwiches or amazing tacos.

And then, we also do pull from really strong immigrant populations with Mexico, and a lot of the chefs that are our best are from like Valley area.

And I think that's probably what brings the strength to our food scene is those two things.

- And that's a really good point you make, how, in a sense, it's maybe easier for people to make it into this very difficult business here.

And how many of our favorites started out as food trucks?

So, what inspired you to make this series and apply for the Austin PBS grant opportunity in the first place?

- I was really lucky, 'cause the person who directed and edited a lot of the show went to my coffee shop, and we would just sit and talk about work sometimes.

And when I got notified about this grant, I was just telling him, like, "Yeah, I was thinking about applying, but I just don't know what I would do."

And he was like, "Well, you know, I do a lot of that sort of work at my studio."

I'm like, "Oh, my god, right!"

And then once he got involved, then Amanda, our producer at Spots In, that became a lot more concrete of what the show, how the show would be made.

And then, the idea for the show is just that I just thought it was gonna be interesting.

There's tons of great restaurants, but I just think those are the most interesting stories is when someone has a reason behind what they're doing.

And a lot of times, it's their family, and a lot of times, it's a journey that they've been on physically, a journey they've been on.

And I just think those are more interesting than just, maybe, someone chasing a Michelin star or something.

Those are really competitive environments and I see that a lot in food media, but I'm just drawn to someone who's really passionate about making something that they wanna make 'cause it's their family's recipe or something like that.

- Well, it's so readily apparent beyond just the delicious food that everybody loves.

You dig a little deeper and there are so many incredible stories of hardship and passion.

There's so many places in town that fit that bill.

How did you decide where to go first and who to feature first in the series?

- Yeah, I think a lot of these places, I have been fortunate in that I had been there before.

So, I got to know some of these people a little bit, and so I knew some of their stories.

Like, I knew Desnudo was doing a lot of work with Colombian farmers.

They weren't just saying, "We get our beans from Colombian farmers."

They were going to farms physically and convincing farmers, "Hey if you take some of your land and you move it to a higher-end bean process, we're gonna pay you a lot higher."

Yes, they have really great coffee.

Yes, they're really popular.

Yes, people are drawn to them.

But the story will be better.

We'll have more to tell, here.

They have so much more than just the food that they're offering.

- Well, we've had the Desnudo team on our show, too.

They really have a remarkable story.

What do you think, though, it is about food that makes it such a powerful way to tell people's stories?

- I don't, honestly, I don't even know if, I think there's two things.

One, food is incredibly relatable, right?

So, that is something that everyone can see someone eating a food and imagine themselves there.

- Everybody's gotta eat.

- Everybody's gotta eat.

And for a while I didn't put my face in my videos, before they weren't any popular, and it was 'cause, who cares about me?

But what was really happening when people, I think, a lot of times are seeing me eat, is that they're imagining themselves eat.

So, I think that's one of the reasons why it's a good lens to tell a story from, is that it's just a huge moment of empathy for people.

It's really hard for someone to view someone as other, or, "I don't know who that person is," or, "I don't wanna hear from them or hear their side of the story," when they're eating, 'cause they're like, "Well, I eat with people.

I eat, myself."

It's just a really easy thing to imagine yourself there.

I think the other thing is that it's a thing that people on the production side, like people who make the food, they care so much about it that a lot of them tend to have good stories to tell.

- It's very accessible to everyone.

It's a language everyone can speak.

And also, it makes your job easier for all these beautiful dishes and these even better stories behind it.

What can we look forward to most this season?

- I think this season, the best part of the show, compared to my normal content, which is just me talking about the food and eating it- - Which we love.

- Which we do love, and I'll keep making that stuff.

This show is a lot more about these restaurant owners.

So, if people have an interest in what makes the food really good, what the techniques are, what are the morals behind some of these businesses and their thought process of putting in all this effort to produce something, I think that's what you're gonna see on the show.

You'll see how hard these people are working and how passionate they are.

So, if that's something people have an interest in, that's, I think, probably the best thing they're gonna get out of this show.

- Well, I know everyone here in Austin tries, for the most part, to be really intentional.

So, these are some great new ideas if you've never been.

Or, if you have been and you love them, it's like, okay, you can feel all the better about spending your money there.

- And I always tell people, take your friends to these places and don't tell them that you watched the video.

Don't tell them you watched the episode.

Just be like, "Yeah."

- Take credit themselves.

- "It's two brothers in this Sichuan restaurant, House of Three Gorges, and this dish, it's one of the brothers' favorite."

And then just pretend that that's your knowledge, and you'll seem cooler.

Your date will think you're hotter.

Everyone will be more on board.

So, that's the other reason to watch this show.

It's like you can get all this information and then just hawk it out as if it's yours, and it's a win-win.

You watch the show, the restaurants get busy, you get married, it's good.

It's good stuff.

- You know what, that's very magnanimous of you.

I am absolutely gonna take that and run with it.

I'm gonna dunk on all my food snob friends- - Exactly!

- And be like, "I knew this already, how could you not?

Like, y'all are so behind."

- 100%.

- Well, the first episode of "David Eats Everywhere" is available now on the Austin PBS YouTube channel, with new episodes every Wednesday for the next six weeks.

We cannot wait.

David Douglass, thank you so much for sharing your series with us.

- Thanks so much for having me.

- And if you'd like to stay informed on future opportunities like grants and networking events for filmmakers, visit austinpbs.org/producers.

(upbeat music) Speaking of food and drink, Tito's, Siete, Poppi.

You might know these names.

For years, Austin has been the home to innovative new food and beverage products that have gained national attention and distribution.

For instance, in early 2025, PepsiCo acquired the local Siete Foods in a $1.2 billion deal.

And just a few months later, Pepsi doubled down, acquiring the also locally-founded prebiotic soda brand Poppi for $1.65 billion.

Y'all hiring?

Now, a local entrepreneur is setting out to follow in their footsteps.

She's rolling out a new canned beverage, a ready-to-drink Carajillo just in time for summer.

Espresso martini lovers, this one's for you.

We previously spoke with Stephanie Everett Martin, the CEO and founder of Jillo.

Stephanie, thank you so much for joining us.

- Thank you so much for having me.

- So, Stephanie, first, tell us a little about Jillo.

It's a Carajillo, which is like a coffee cocktail, right, from Mexico?

- It's kind of like the Mexican cousin of the espresso martini.

So, a little bit sweeter, a little bit with some different notes, but in my opinion, a little bit better, too.

- Okay, say less.

I hear "A better espresso martini," I am sold, okay?

And I love that it's in a can.

So, can you tell us a little bit about this version?

It's a little bit different from a traditional Carajillo, and what's the decision to put it in a can, too?

- Yeah, so the inspiration comes from the Carajillo because it's such a beloved drink in Mexico.

And when I moved to Austin, I would be asking for Carajillos at restaurants, at bars, and it wasn't as popular yet here.

So, I just wanted to put it in a can so it would be more accessible for people to bring it and into a more modern way, too, so a more modern approach to it.

- Okay, so I think, after hearing this, I need to try it.

Let's dive right in.

They're so beautiful.

- Yes, any occasion, you can bring it with you on your outings, wherever you decide to bring it.

Or you could serve it as a beautiful dinner treat, too.

I love it, a bang for your buck.

- A lot of the times, the Carajillo, people will shake it, and you will get the little foamy on top of it, but this naturally does it once you serve it.

So, if you can see, it starts creating that foam.

And then, we just do a little to garnish it.

- It's beautiful!

- And so you can get the little hints of vanilla, as I was sharing.

It's a little bit on the sweeter side, but you have the notes of the vanilla, the orange, and it is made with an agave wine.

- Okay, okay, I'm so ready.

- Cheers.

- Cheers, okay, I'm gonna metaphorically cheers you.

There we go!

(Stephanie laughing) The moment of truth.

Oh my, that is better than an espresso martini.

I'm obsessed with this.

- Yeah, so I think that that was what sparked my creation for the Carajillo, because growing up in Mexico, it's such a beloved drink.

So, every time I would share it with somebody else, they would be like, (gasps) "What is this?"

So, that little spark that you just had was what motivated me to do this drink, because it became part of our drink in our family to be sharing it with friends, bringing it to parties, just for that, (gasps) "What is this?

I wanna know more!"

And it's like, well, it's a very beloved drink in Mexico.

And that's where I was like, "Okay, I think that this could be a thing."

- I certainly agree with you.

Well, the espresso martini really is that girl right now.

Everyone I know is drinking the espresso martini.

But here's the thing.

If you love an espresso martini, this hits for you.

But also, if you don't really love that potent coffee flavor, this is still really good.

It's not too sweet.

The coffee isn't too overpowering.

It's very harmonious, and I love the intentionality.

So, you brought up your family, so your family is very deeply involved in the food scene here, fun fact, in Austin and beyond.

So, you and your mom opened a food trailer selling fish tacos in East Austin, right, back in 2022?

Your sister has a jarred salsa on shelves at local grocery stores, and your niece has competed on Fox's "MasterChef Junior".

Okay, what's it like to be like God's favorite and to have such a talent, and what is it like to share this passion with your family?

- I think that I feel like it's very, a big blessing that we've all gone on our own journeys of sharing our passions, but also that we get to help each other in all our, in this journey.

So, I think that we all share different talents, and coming from a family that has just gone on and done it, I think that that just also fuels me to keep going and just following our passions.

- Well, and some extra lore.

Your mom also used to be, apparently, a race car driver in Mexico, is that right?

- Yes, that's correct.

- Wow!

- We come from, yeah, a racing family.

It started with my dad and my mom.

She didn't wanna be left out, so she's like, "I'll join the game."

So, then she did it.

So, it looked like, growing up with that, we were like, "Okay, you can just do anything you set your mind to."

So, I feel very blessed to be surrounded by women who are very powerful in some sort of way, that they lean on their own power to go and create and not be afraid.

- Why is it important for you to share these flavors and this part of your heritage from Mexico with people here in Austin?

- Well, I think that that's the main reason also why we started Ensenada, because we wanted to share the flavors of our hometown.

Because I think the US is deserving.

Austin is deserving to getting to try those flavors.

And at that same drive was the one that created the Carajillo of not being around as much.

So, just sharing those flavors, and it's like a burst of, like, "What is this new thing?"

So, I think that sharing what we love with the people makes your job easier, I would say.

- Yeah, and people love to support something here that has a great story behind it.

They love, 'cause there's so much, we have such an amazing food scene.

And that is such a great motif in our food scene of this intentionality.

And you can feel really good about supporting this family legacy.

Okay, most important question of the hour, where and when can I buy this and show off to all my friends?

- Yeah, so we're just finishing on some certain contracts right now to get it into one of our favorite little places.

So, we will be announcing very soon where we're gonna be finding this Carajillo.

But I'm sure that it's gonna be great.

(laughs) - It's gonna elevate any dinner party.

And like I said, the espresso martini is so popular right now, and I feel like, for the Austin audience, they're going to drink this up.

Well, Stephanie, thank you so much.

I cannot wait to see how this hits shelves and how the people respond to this.

Thank you so much for sharing your cocktail with us, which is quite good, and sharing your story with us.

- Well, thank you so much.

(upbeat music) - Now, I meant what I said.

It is really good, but also surprisingly strong.

Do with that information what you will.

And that's our show.

You can catch up on all our stories on the Austin PBS YouTube channel and you can find full episodes of "Austin InSight" for free in the PBS App.

Thanks again for watching.

We'll see you next time.

(upbeat music) - [Announcer] Support for "Austin InSight" comes from Sally and James Gavin, and also from Daniel L. Skret.

(bright flute music)