Budget and tax rate season is upon us once again. As Deputy Chief Financial Officer Ed Van Eenoo told City Council at Tuesday’s work session, the city will hold three public hearings on the $4.2 billion budget, beginning today at Council’s meeting, described by Van Eenoo as starting at 1 p.m. and by Mayor Steve […]
Budget
Posted inTravis County
County to advocates: Don’t just tell us where to spend, but where to cut
With revenue caps on the horizon, members of the Travis County Commissioners Court have the unenviable task of telling groups calling for increased funding of critical services, from social programs to law enforcement, that there simply may not be the money to meet their demands. On Tuesday representatives from One Voice Central Texas, a coalition […]
Posted inBudget
Facing revenue caps, Travis County ponders how to raise employee pay
With lean years ahead due to state limits on property tax revenue, the Travis County Commissioners Court is grappling with how to effectively and responsibly boost pay for county employees. On Tuesday, the commissioners discussed what they would like to do when they approve the budget next month. The preliminary 2019-20 budget proposed by county […]
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Updated: Cronk proposes $4.2 billion budget, more help for homeless
“This year, our mission is to build on these successes while at the same time bracing our city’s budget against the future impacts of the state’s decision to lower the cap on local property tax revenue growth,” City Manager Spencer Cronk said, explaining the city’s plan to go to the 8 percent rollback rate for […]
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County unveils $1.19 billion preliminary budget
Travis County budget staff unveiled the preliminary draft of the county’s 2019-20 budget Tuesday. This year’s budget is particularly important since it’s the last one the Commissioners Court will approve before tough new restrictions on property tax revenue kick in next year. “This year has challenged us to think more strategically as we face greater […]
Posted inBudget
Despite revenue caps, Travis County moves ahead with pay hikes
Travis County government spending has not increased much in recent years. Expenditures over the past two years, when the Commissioners Court voted to increase property tax revenue by 6 percent and 5 percent, have been unusually high. The court has gone to 5 percent or higher in only seven of the past 25 budget cycles. […]
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Watching Legislature, city delays financial forecast
Without final action on the property tax bill moving through the Texas Legislature, Austin budget planners are holding off on presenting the city’s financial forecast to City Council. At this point, however, legislative watchers expect final passage of SB 2, the bill that would put a 3.5 percent cap on the amount of revenue cities […]
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Central Health considers how to raise awareness of its existence
With limited funds and the threat of revenue restrictions from the state, Central Health, Travis County’s public hospital district, is grappling with how to make the best use of its resources. At a town hall forum Monday at its headquarters on East Cesar Chavez Street, Central Health leaders described their organization as providing a tremendous […]
Posted inBudget
Access to health care, transit among top budget priorities for Austin seniors
With the city paying closer attention to the needs of its fast-growing senior population, staff and commissions involved in issues for the aging are hearing a lot of familiar concerns heading into the early stages of budget talks. An emphasis on addressing traffic congestion and availability of transportation services, and finding ways to make housing […]
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Public safety departments cite $3.5M in unmet needs
At Monday’s Public Safety Commission meeting, commissioners unanimously voted to send a memo to City Council recommending an additional $3.5 million in funding for the 2020 fiscal year. The money would fund initiatives including a $10,000 raise for future police cadets, re-approved funding for the interdepartmental mental health outreach team, a new records management system […]
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Local pols examine impacts, options in state school funding debate
Leaders from all levels of government in Central Texas, plus most of the area’s school districts, learned Wednesday that they could be in for budgetary hits if state lawmakers pass limits on local property tax increases without restructuring the state’s funding system for public education. The symposium at the Austin Convention Center saw most of […]
Posted inBudget
City grants crucial funding to arts organizations
Austin’s art advocates are breathing a little easier since Thursday afternoon, when City Council approved a resolution to award crucial funds to eligible arts organizations for Fiscal Year 2018-19. A total of $8,602,688 will be distributed among the organizations listed here. The awards were requested by the city’s Arts Commission because of the lack of […]