At a public hearing Thursday, City Council took the first step toward a possible tax rate election on the November ballot in order to plug Austin’s $33 million deficit and fund the proposed $6.3 billion budget, setting the maximum Council can ask voters to increase their property taxes at 8 cents, or an extra $421 […]
City Hall
Posted inCity Hall
Zoning and Platting Commission may want duties swap with Planning Commission
Members of a Zoning and Platting Commission working group focused on its roles and responsibilities vis-à-vis the Planning Commission hinted at a plan that would move most simple zoning cases to their docket during their July 15 meeting. “(Generally), things that are site-specific would go to us, while things that are more planning-planning, more policy-based, […]
Posted inBudget
Travis County proposes raising property taxes to pay for flood repairs
The Travis County Commissioners Court is expected to raise property taxes to pay for damage caused by the flooding on July 5. Commissioners have until Oct. 1 to decide on the 9.12% tax hike. If approved, the average Travis County homeowner can expect to pay $200 more than what they paid the previous year, according […]
Posted inBudget
Recycled Reads Bookstore could close central location as city looks at budget cuts
Recycled Reads, the Austin Public Library used bookstore on Burnet Road, will close by next spring if the proposed city budget is approved. The store opened in 2009 as a way to help raise money for Austin’s library system. Anna Paola Ferate-Soto has worked at the store since 2021. She said the concept has also […]
Posted inAustin
Arts commissioners question new structure for grant programs
The Arts Commission took a close look at significant changes proposed for the city’s grant programs for artists and creative organizations on Monday, raising questions about how new eligibility rules, scoring criteria and funding structures would affect the city’s diverse cultural ecosystem. Commissioners and staff from the newly formed Department of Arts, Culture, Music and […]
Posted inCity Council
Former Council Member Bill Spelman has passed away
Former Council Member Bill Spelman died last Thursday at the age of 68 after a series of illnesses including Covid, according to his wife, Niyanta. Spelman, who served on the Austin City Council from 1997 to 2000 and then served again from 2009 to the end of 2014, was well known as the teacher on […]
Posted inBudget
City looks to cut some costs on police, fire budgets
City budget planners had to make some tough decisions in proposing a budget for the upcoming fiscal year and the following year. As part of the proposal laid out by City Manager T.C. Broadnax and Budget Officer Kerri Lang at Tuesday’s Council work session, staff is proposing a $9 million decrease in the Police Department […]
Posted inBudget
Council takes first crack at proposed budget
City Council kicked off its budget process Tuesday with a closer look at the city manager’s proposed $6.3 billion budget and the prospect of a tax rate election in November. Mayor Kirk Watson has already stated that the maximum tax rate the Council sets on July 31 is likely to trigger an election due to […]
Posted inAustin
Austin growth is slowing, increasingly driven by international migration, as Hispanic and Black residents leave
In 2022, Austin had just broken into the top 10 largest cities in America. It was the fastest-growing large metro area in the country, and had held that title for 12 years. Now, Austin has dipped to the 13th largest city, and the fourth fastest-growing region in the country. What happened in the last three […]
Posted inCity Hall
Complaint against former manager Garza fails at ethics commission
After a lengthy hearing which ended shortly after midnight last Thursday, the city’s Ethics Review Commission dismissed a complaint against former Interim City Manager Jesús Garza. A motion aimed at dismissing the complaint failed, as did a motion to move forward to a final hearing. As a result, the complaint was dismissed. Adam Materne, the […]
Posted inBudget
City staff identify $101M in funding needs to address homelessness in Austin
Ahead of this month’s budget workshops, city staff have released estimates that it will take more than $100 million in additional funding to sustain and expand the local homelessness response system as the expiration of federal pandemic relief aid approaches and long-term capital and service demands continue to grow. The memo from Homeless Strategy Officer […]
Posted inCity Hall
Audit: Economic official granted arts, music funding against city code
The former director of the Economic Development Department authorized a handful of grant awards that violated city code restrictions, according to a new investigative report from the Office of the City Auditor. The report concludes that Sylnovia Holt-Rabb, who retired in December, allowed four arts organizations to receive Live Music Fund grants for projects that […]