Table of Contents

• Version 0.0.1 Alpha News

• Spotlight: Local Politics Around the Country

• We Need Your Help

Newsletter Schedule Update

Starting this week, we’ll be posting the TownhallOS newsletter regularly every Monday morning. This will be your go-to source for the latest updates, feature releases, and community news—right at the start of your week.

Version 0.0.1 Alpha Release Status

We did a soft launch of version 0.0.1 on Saturday night to test things in production and discovered some last-minute bugs related to our authentication and verification routes. Because of this, the full public release has been delayed slightly. We’re actively fixing these issues and hope to launch the official public alpha later today. We’ll send a follow-up email as soon as the release is live and ready for you to explore. Thanks for your patience and enthusiasm!

Spotlight: Local Politics Around the Country

April 12th 2025 - April 19th 2025

Cook County: Traffic Violation Amnesty Week Announced

Source

• Cook County launched "Amnesty Week" allowing payment of overdue traffic fines without additional costs

• Program announced on April 15, offering a rare chance to clear traffic violations without penalties

• Initiative coincided with launch of a new court data dashboard enhancing public access to case information

• Dashboard provides transparency to court case data dating back to 2020

Harris County: New Report Shows Positive Voter Experience

Source

• 95% of Harris County voters rated their 2024 voting experience as either "excellent" (65%) or "good" (30%)

• Satisfaction was bipartisan with similar ratings from both Republican and Democratic voters

• 62% of voters believed elections were administered "very well" in Harris County

• Top reasons non-voters gave for not participating included disliking candidates and believing their vote doesn't matter

Houston (Harris County): City Council Approves Short-Term Rental Regulations

Source

• Houston City Council unanimously approved short-term rental regulations on April 17

• Property owners must register units for $275 annually and provide 24-hour emergency contacts

• City will begin accepting registrations August 1, with full compliance required by January 2026

• The ordinance allows for registration revocation after multiple violations

Orange County: Irvine Special Municipal Election Held

Source

• City of Irvine held Special Municipal Election for Council District 5 on April 15

• Orange County Registrar of Voters offered multiple voting methods including mail, drop boxes, and in-person voting

• Two Vote Centers operated with extended hours leading up to Election Day

• Early voting began April 5 with increasing availability of voting locations as Election Day approached

Los Angeles County: Bernie Sanders Holds Massive Rally

Source

• Bernie Sanders' Los Angeles rally drew 36,000 attendees, his largest crowd ever

• Sanders warned about authoritarian trends under the Trump administration

• Event featured Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and musical performances by Neil Young, Joan Baez, and Maggie Rogers

• Rally was part of a broader tour with upcoming events in Utah, Idaho, and other California locations

Miami-Dade County: Mayor Vetoes Fluoride Ban

Source

• Miami-Dade Mayor Daniella Levine Cava vetoed a measure to remove fluoride from county drinking water on April 11

• The Miami-Dade Board of County Commissioners had approved the ban in an 8-2 vote on April 1

• Mayor cited unequivocal evidence supporting fluoridation and potential consequences for families lacking dental care

• Nine commissioner votes would be needed to override the veto at the May 6 board meeting

Have a Local Story to Share?

If you know of noteworthy developments in your community or want us to spotlight a specific issue, we’d love to hear from you! Please send us details at [email protected].

We Need Your Help: Connecting with Local Leaders

We seek connections with local lawmakers, representatives, and civic organizations that share our commitment to a transparent and accessible government. If you have contacts interested in partnering with TownHallOS, we’d love to hear from you! Please reach out to [email protected] with any relevant introductions or suggestions.

Join Us in Building the Future of Civic Engagement

TownHallOS isn’t just a platform — it’s a movement to make democracy more accessible and responsive. Together, we can create a society where every voice matters and every voice becomes action.

Thank you for being part of our story!

Your TownHallOS Team

Where your voice becomes action.