Council lays out budget priorities for a lean year

In a nearly three-hour session on Thursday, Mayor Kirk Watson and City Council members offered support for a lengthy variety of amendments to the budget they will vote on next Wednesday, and possibly on Thursday and Friday. With a lengthy list of proposed amendments, almost all of which would increase the General Fund budget, Chief Financial Officer Ed Van Eenoo told Council that he and his staff will be working hard throughout the weekend and will probably deliver the proposed budget to Council on Tuesday night. He urged them to keep their cell phones handy so he can consult with them throughout the weekend.

Council Member Mackenzie Kelly was absent from the meeting as well as Monday’s meeting. Her office released a statement on X, formerly Twitter, on Wednesday stating that she had been released from the hospital, but offering no other information. While every other Council member offered amendments that would increase the budget, Kelly offered some proposals that would cut the budget. She claimed that her proposals would reduce spending for Fiscal Year 2025 to the same level as FY 2024. No other member of Council indicated support for those ideas, nor did they seem interested in discussing them. A list of all the amendments discussed at Thursday’s meeting can be found here.

City Budget Officer Kerri Lang told Council the city received its August sales tax payment from the state on Tuesday. Overall growth was negative 5.7 percent, with current collections showing year-to-date growth of 1.9 percent, considerably lower than what had been anticipated. As a result, staff has reduced the FY 2025 sales tax revenue budget by $5.3 million. However, they increased the property tax revenue budget by $15.6 million, giving the city a $10.3 million increase in projected General Fund revenue.

Lang said the net impact maintains reserves at 17 percent of ongoing FY 2025 expenditures and adds $10.3 million for ongoing expenditures. In addition, the change includes a $4 million placeholder for one-time Council priorities.

During their discussion, Council members discussed a variety of proposals, many of which are designed to provide shelter for people without a reliable place to live and prevent people from becoming homeless.

In addition to those, Watson proposed creating a downtown area command for public safety agencies for about $1 million. This would operate Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights. EMS had requested $3.4 million for the downtown area command. Likewise, Mayor Pro Tem Leslie Pool proposed adding $142,000 for a pilot program for the Domain to have an ambulance and crew on those same nights. She thanked Watson, as well as Council members Alison Alter and José Velásquez, for their support. Council Member Natasha Harper-Madison also asked to be added as a co-sponsor.

Watson also proposed adding two full-time employees and one part-time employee to the Austin Animal Center to help with fostering and adopting of pets. The director of the center has indicated a strong need for more additional help. The estimated cost of adding those employees is about $200,000.

Council Member Ryan Alter proposed numerous additions to the budget. He advocated for a citywide land acquisition program for parks and climate equity, putting the price tag on that at $50 million. Though it has a large price tag, it also has co-sponsors in Council members Velásquez , Chito Vela, Vanessa Fuentes and Zo Qadri.

Ryan Alter also advocated for adding an extra cohort of firefighters to be trained. The Austin Firefighters Association has noted that firefighters have become more prone to suicide and other signs of stress and blamed that on the extreme amount of overtime they are required to perform. If the city would add that class, Alter said there would be 30 new firefighters in the ranks so that next September the city could reduce required hours for firefighters by one hour per week. The estimated cost of this class is $1,750,000.

Council Member Alison Alter strongly advocated for increasing maternity leave for firefighters. She said the city could add that benefit for three new mothers for $75,000.

As chair of the Audit & Finance Committee, Alter is strongly aware of the need for additional workers to clean park restrooms and do other maintenance duties. Along with Council Member Paige Ellis, she was one of several sponsors for adding funding to the Parks and Recreation Department to improve the services.

Ellis also proposed adding a District 8 dog park. She said many Austinites have been asking for additional space to let dogs off leash. The estimated price tag is $25,000.

Ellis also advocated for adding a firearms examiner within the Forensic Science Department. This would speed up investigation of cases so that bullets do not have to be sent to another agency for examination. In addition, she proposed continuing the city’s program of providing gun locks, which have saved the lives of many children, she said.

Council Member Fuentes proposed a number of items to assist the city in helping people without homes and also preventing some people from becoming homeless. She proposed continuing the guaranteed income program to help 97 low-income families with $1,000 mini grants every month for the next year. Council members Ellis and Vela added their support.

Vela presented a popular proposal to fund a portable building for the Gus Garcia Recreation Center. He said senior members of the community need a place to gather at the recreation center. Vela also proposed creating an international division for the Economic Development Department to help the city attract more international companies to the city.

Velásquez proposed devoting $200,000 to the Office of Violence Prevention’s Community Violence Intervention programming. (Throughout the meeting, it became a running joke on how many items Velásquez wished to co-sponsor.)

Council Member Qadri proposed adding $300,000 to the budget for a mental health diversion pilot program. He also cited the need for a community health navigator program at an estimated cost of $268,000. He joined in supporting numerous other proposals and was a co-signer on a post advocating for more services for homeless people.

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