After much back-and-forth over the fate of Sendero Health Plans, Central Health has presented a strategy to leverage its funds in hopes of saving the insurance company from being terminated. The Travis County Commissioners Court admitted the precarious nature of the entire situation but unanimously approved the Central Health Fiscal Year 2018-19 budget and tax […]
Budget
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Travis County commissioners expected to vote on Sendero budget
The Travis County Commissioners Court is scheduled to vote this morning on Central Health’s budget, which includes money for the nonprofit Sendero Health Plans. Central Health’s board of managers voted Saturday to allocate $26 million to Sendero Health Plans in Fiscal Year 2019. The decision gives the nonprofit health insurance company enough funding to operate […]
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Commissioners Court considers its options, postpones Central Health budget vote
Public protest and confusion surrounding the Sept. 12 Central Health Board of Managers vote to dissolve Sendero Health Plans has the Travis County Commissioners Court questioning how to move forward. Central Health President and CEO Mike Geeslin presented its Fiscal Year 2018-19 budget and tax rates to the Commissioners Court Tuesday morning but asked the […]
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Arts space assistance doubles in new budget, but is it enough?
The city has revived the Arts Space Assistance Program that was created in 2017 and received overwhelming demand from local arts groups facing a loss of space, but was discontinued in the current budget due to lack of funding. The Fiscal Year 2018-19 budget passed last week by City Council includes funding for a variety […]
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City boosts spending on homelessness, but advocates still disappointed
The Fiscal Year 2018-19 budget approved by City Council on Tuesday includes a $3.4 million increase in funding for homelessness services. City staff estimates that the new funds come on top of more than $26 million in annual city spending on programs related to homelessness. Most of the new money – $2.4 million – was […]
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With stunning speed, Council approves budget
For the first time in years, City Council spent less than a day deliberating on its fiscal year budget. Council approved a $4.1 billion budget that will raise the effective property tax rate by 5.4 percent. Austin property owners will pay 44.03 cents per $100 of property valuation. That rate is actually lower than the […]
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Mental health team faces funding crisis
Mental health professionals accompany police officers to all SWAT calls in Houston and Seattle, but Austin’s Mobile Crisis Outreach Team, which operates alongside the Austin Police Department, does not accompany officers on high-risk calls, such as when a weapon is involved. In addition, Austin’s crisis outreach team does not work at night, when many mental […]
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Council members talk about the budget
As City Council begins its final work session on the budget this morning in preparation for next week’s budget setting meetings, the Austin Monitor asked Council members to tell us the most important aspects of the Fiscal Year 2018-19 budget. Both Mayor Steve Adler and Council Member Greg Casar said increasing the minimum wage for […]
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Chamber groups’ funding would become leveled under proposed process
Austin’s Economic Development Department is in the beginning stages of restructuring how local chambers of commerce are funded by the city, with the goal of making the funding more equitable and available to more groups. A recent memo from interim EDD Director Rebecca Giello details the options for opening a stakeholder process that would convene […]
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Citizens simply ask for more at budget hearing
A significant majority of those who spoke at Wednesday’s public hearing on the city’s Fiscal Year 2018-19 budget seemed pleased with the money city staff had recommended allocating to their specific interest. Several praised City Council and City Manager Spencer Cronk on their allocations in the preliminary budget. But of course, most of them wanted […]
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Lower public safety bill cuts tax growth
Austin taxpayers will catch a break from the typical sharp escalation of city taxes, utility bills and other fees, so that the owner of a median priced home of $332,366 will pay only about $78 more in 2019 than they paid this year. That’s if City Council sticks to the budget numbers proposed by City […]
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AISD budget task force begins tackling $30M deficit
At the Monday night meeting of the AISD Budget Stabilization Task Force, the 31-member group focused on establishing priorities and procedures as it begins the process of developing recommendations to balance the district’s budget. The task force, made up of Austin Independent School District staff, parents and community members, began looking at the current and […]