Over the past fiscal year, Central Health’s operating revenues – consisting of lease revenues from the Central Health Downtown Campus and the Dell Seton Medical Center at the University of Texas – have dropped by 10 percent. Meanwhile, its nonoperating revenues, which are obtained mostly through property taxes, rose by about an equal percentage. Those […]
Budget
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Commissioners Court approves Central Health budget, with concerns
On Tuesday, the Commissioners Court unanimously approved Central Health’s $367.3 million budget, stamping its seal of approval on the 6.9 percent, or $76.5 million, increase for the Travis County health care provider and the corresponding $24.97 average increase in annual tax liability for homeowners. “I’m no fan of signing off on a 6.9 percent increase […]
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Animal Advisory Commission asks Council to unfreeze hiring for animal protection officers
The Animal Advisory Commission unanimously approved a recommendation for City Council to unfreeze hiring for certain Animal Services staff Monday. Currently, 12 full-time positions that had been budgeted for in the 2020 budget remain vacant in the Animal Services Department. Four of these are animal protection officers, who are responsible for protecting animals from abusive […]
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As Central Health prepares budget during pandemic, eastern Travis County residents seek more care
Central Health announced it was buying land for a new health and wellness center in southeast Travis County at the end of August, marking another step in the health care district’s efforts to improve access to care in the underserved area. The 2.5-acre site is one of three new centers planned for the so-called Eastern […]
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Travis County elects not to pursue federal tax deferment for employees
The idea for a federal payroll tax holiday for employees was rolled out in early August, but it was only last Friday that the federal government issued guidance on how employers were expected to execute this economic relief measure. On Aug. 28, the U.S. Department of the Treasury specified that payroll tax relief efforts were […]
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Central Health proposes raising taxes to fund budget
Central Health has been a critical resource for many during the course of the pandemic; now, the public health authority is looking to accomplish more for its patients in the upcoming year. To provide additional health care options for a larger number of Travis County residents, Mike Geeslin, the president of Central Health, told county […]
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Community Development Commission to study new uses for police funding
The Community Development Commission has formed a working group to recommend how City Council should make reductions to the Austin Police Department budget, and may move to sign to recent resolutions from three other commissions in support of the budget moves. At last week’s meeting, the commission discussed the ongoing defunding of APD, which had […]
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Gov. Abbott proposes freezing property tax revenue in cities that cut police funding
In the hopes of discouraging cities from reducing money spent on police, Gov. Greg Abbott said Tuesday he and other state leaders support the passage of a bill halting a property tax revenue increase for any Texas city that cuts its police budget. “Cities that endanger residents by reducing law enforcement should not then be […]
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Travis County budget makes concessions and cuts to achieve balance
After months of rework triggered by the financial ramifications of the pandemic, the Commissioners Court held its first public hearing associated with the 2021 Travis County budget on Aug. 18. As they went through the 120-page, $1.28 billion budget proposal, Planning and Budget Office staff outlined the cuts to programs and increases in emergency funding that will […]
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Austin cuts 5 percent of police budget, promises to cut more over the next year
Austin is immediately cutting $20 million from the city’s police budget – and council members are vowing to make bigger reductions in the coming year. “I think this is without a doubt the most significant change in Austin’s public safety priorities in generations,” Council Member Greg Casar said after Thursday’s unanimous vote. “This moment is […]
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Austin City Council proposes cutting police funding by a third. It could vote Wednesday.
City Council members are proposing cuts to the Austin Police Department budget totaling roughly $149 million, or 34 percent of the department’s current budget. Council members are scheduled to vote on the city’s budget for the upcoming fiscal year as early as Wednesday and no later than Friday. The proposal, posted to the City Council […]
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Council seeks $5 million for park facilities and trails
As it heads into next week’s budget hearings, City Council is searching for ways to add millions in programs and services to a proposed budget that is already nudging up against the 3.5 percent property tax increase cap Council committed to last month. Council members have identified four areas of need for the Parks and […]