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- Austin is increasing security at city parks and greenbelts following string of car break-ins
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- Documentary film highlights the history of an 1870s-era home and the story of Clarksville
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Budget
Code budget talk quickly turns to STRs
City Council managed to tear through budget presentations for seven city departments yesterday. Of those, the Code Department seemed to bear the lion’s share of scrutiny, with the promise of more to come. “It wouldn’t surprise me at all if…
Budget • By Elizabeth Pagano • Aug 11, 2015
Lower tax rate, higher tax bill in Travis County's draft budget
Travis County’s property tax rate is expected to dip during the next budget cycle, but taxpayers shouldn’t necessarily expect lower bills. According to the preliminary budget for Fiscal Year 2016, the rate will drop by 6.62 percent. However, rising property…
Budget • By Caleb Pritchard • Aug 5, 2015
Updated: Council resolution would cut wage hike for most employees
City Council members Don Zimmerman and Ellen Troxclair have crafted a resolution that would cut the proposed salary increase for the majority of city employees and save the city an estimated $6 million in next year’s budget, according to their…
Budget • By Jo Clifton • Aug 4, 2015
City may add as many as 85 new police officers
How many police officers should Austin have? That is a question that City Council members will likely be wrestling with over the next few weeks as they consider the Austin Police Department’s request for 85 new officers in the proposed…
Budget • By Tyler Whitson • Aug 4, 2015
Council talks budget affordability and city services
There are some things that the proposed Fiscal Year 2015-16 city budget does and some things that it does not do. Aside from raising the property tax rate, along with utility rates and fees for many homeowners, one of the…
Budget • By Tyler Whitson • Jul 31, 2015
Austin water bills going up, electric bills decreasing
Residential customers of the Austin Water utility are projected to pay $4.94 more per month in Fiscal Year 2016 than they are paying this year, but the same customers should see a decrease of $2.22 in their monthly Austin Energy…
Budget • By Jo Clifton • Jul 31, 2015
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Proposed city budget includes tax, fee hikes
City management is proposing a budget for fiscal year 2015-16 that includes 85 additional police officers, 12 new paramedics, 19 new 911 call takers and 27 new employees for the beleaguered Development Services Department. Under a proposal presented this morning…
Budget • By Tyler Whitson • Jul 30, 2015
Council to vote on homestead exemption today
Though City Council plans to vote on a homestead exemption today, the discussion at Tuesday’s work session made it clear that Council members still have a lot of work ahead of them to ensure that exemption means lower tax bills…
Budget • By Elizabeth Pagano • Jun 4, 2015
City planning departments talk budgets
As the city’s budget process gears up, each department is making its way to City Council with its budget for the upcoming year. And in the wake of the Zucker Report, eyes are on what was once the Planning and…
Budget • By Elizabeth Pagano • Jun 3, 2015
Austin General Fund forecast strong
Austin’s sales tax revenue is up 7.2 percent this year compared with the previous fiscal year, and city financial officials are forecasting that the city will bring in $2.1 million more than was budgeted, for a projected annual growth rate…
Budget • By Jo Clifton • May 28, 2015
Library budget talks reveal Council divide
Last week, City Council dug into the Library Department’s budget, and it became clear that there are some deep ideological divides on the dais. As part of their budget work session, Council members grilled Austin Public Library Director Brenda Branch…
Budget • By Elizabeth Pagano • May 28, 2015
Council weighs homestead exemption equity
City Council is facing an array of difficult choices as it attempts to balance potential increases in the city’s homestead exemption tax with its upcoming budget needs. Following a Wednesday budget work session, Council members can add possible impacts on…
