At Wednesday’s budget work session, interim City Manager Jesús Garza offered some of his rationale behind the proposed reorganization of four city offices, a change that has drawn criticism from community groups involved in equality and racial justice. During the session, City Council Member Vanessa Fuentes asked Garza to explain his reasoning behind the changes, […]
Budget
Posted inCity Hall
Proposal to reorganize Equity, Civil Rights offices draws criticism ahead of budget release
The proposed reorganization of a handful of city offices under the early draft of the city budget is drawing criticism from community groups, who argue the changes will undermine years of work to improve equity, civil rights and services to underserved communities. As part of the budget plan delivered to City Council members and Mayor […]
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What you need to know about Austin’s budget season
It’s that time of year again. The process to adopt the annual city budget is set to begin late next week and last through mid-August, according to a detailed schedule released by Mayor Kirk Watson last Friday. Over the next several weeks, city staffers will brief City Council on how different departments plan to spend […]
Posted inAISD
Austin ISD school board approves deficit budget as recapture payment nears $1 billion
The Austin ISD Board of Trustees has adopted a deficit budget for the next fiscal year, which starts July 1. The vote happened a little before 1 a.m. Friday. The deficit was not a surprise. Back in May, the board approved significant salary increases for district employees. The compensation package requires the district to spend up to […]
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Community groups propose community investment budget
Representatives of more than 30 community groups, led by Equity Action, will release their proposal for what they call “long overdue investments in public safety,” including higher wages for EMS workers and 911 call takers, at a press conference at noon today at City Hall. In addition to Equity Action, representatives from the Austin Area […]
Posted inBudget
City Council hears mixed news on financial future
Austin Chief Financial Officer Ed Van Eenoo gave City Council both good and bad news at Tuesday’s briefing on the city’s financial forecast. Van Eenoo said General Fund revenues, especially sales tax proceeds and interest earnings, have put the city in a position where staff can recommend increasing the city’s reserve fund to 60 days, […]
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City’s hotel tax on the upswing after pandemic
The city’s Arts Commission heard an update last week on the status of the Cultural Arts Fund and Hotel Occupancy Tax collection numbers for the first quarter of Fiscal Year 2022-23. After a rough showing during the pandemic, there are signs the revenue source is again on the rise. The Hotel Occupancy Tax – the […]
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Here’s a breakdown of Travis County’s budget for 2023
The Travis County Commissioners Court approved a $1.52 billion budget for 2023 Tuesday that reduces the average homeowner’s property taxes by about $18 a year, and adds funding for gun violence prevention programs, higher wages for county employees and housing initiatives. It also increases funding for education and health care programs, two areas Precinct 1 Commissioner […]
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Record $5B budget includes pay increase for city workers – and for Council members
City Council’s $5 billion budget for Fiscal Year 2022-’23 includes a pay raise for city workers, including Council members themselves. Council voted to adopt the budget, which includes increasing the minimum wage for city workers to $20 per hour, in a 10-1 vote late Thursday, with only Council Member Mackenzie Kelly voting “no.” Originally, the minimum wage was set […]
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Council postpones deliberation on parks fees, plate readers
At the urging of Mayor Steve Adler, City Council members put off consideration of two controversial items from this week’s budget agenda. Council will now consider reinstatement of the license plate reader program for the Austin Police Department, as well as an ordinance that would require commercial property developers to pay into the city’s fund […]
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Austin officials are deciding what property tax bills will look like. Here are some terms to know.
Later this week, the Austin City Council is expected to adopt its budget for the coming fiscal year, which includes how it plans to tax property owners. Some institutions that collect property taxes, like the Austin Independent School District, have already adopted their budgets. If you own property, this will affect how much you owe […]
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Council set to modify, adopt city budget
Mayor Steve Adler is proposing a raise for City Council members and the next mayor starting in 2023 after he has left office. His proposal will be considered as part of the City Council budget adoption process, which starts tomorrow – although it’s hard to know whether they will complete the job the same day. […]