Racial minority groups will be spared the deepest cuts in Cultural Arts contract funding in the next budget, if the recent recommendation of the Arts Commission is supported by City Council. On Friday the commission approved a funding matrix for the 2021 budget year that will see no percentage reductions to Black contractors and groups, […]
city budget
The city’s plan for expenditures based on income.
Posted inBudget
Environmental Commission recommends Watershed Protection Department budget
Among the coronavirus pandemic’s many consequences is an impact on the Watershed Protection Department’s proposed budget for the 2021 fiscal year. Even with the decision to cut back in areas, the department is still proposing a $107.1 million operating budget for 2021, with $101.2 million in expected revenue. “Based on what we’ve seen in our […]
Posted inBudget
Committee IDs employment, accessibility among priorities for next budget
The city board overseeing services for the disabled wants funding for better accessibility at City Hall, improved street crossings and more employment opportunities included in the next city budget. Last week the Mayor’s Committee for People With Disabilities moved forward with drafting budget request language for six priorities for the upcoming budget talks, with unaddressed […]
Posted inPublic Safety
No hiring freeze for public safety employees
While most city departments are exploring how to do more with fewer employees in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic, Austin’s public safety departments are currently on track to continue hiring as previously budgeted. Emergency Medical Services spokesperson Captain Christa Stedman told the Austin Monitor on Thursday the department has filled 529 sworn positions, with […]
Posted inBudget
Forecasters size up city’s lost tax revenues from sales, hotels, alcohol due to Covid-19
Early analysis shows the city will lose $1 million per month in mixed beverage taxes while the local bar and restaurant industry is shut down, with a forthcoming economic model expected to give a picture of the loss in sales taxes. Because sales taxes make up the largest portion of the city’s General Fund, that […]
Posted inBudget
City, county taxes could climb 8 percent under emergency declaration
A provision included in the Texas Legislature’s “property tax transparency” bill could offer jurisdictions across the state, including the city of Austin, the financial flexibility necessary to deal with some of the economic impacts of COVID-19. According to an update from the Texas Municipal League, when Gov. Greg Abbott declared a statewide disaster on March […]
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$7.7 million added to housing trust fund
Council agreed during Tuesday’s budget meeting to more than double the funds in the city’s housing trust fund, by adding $5 million for rental housing development assistance and $2.7 million for a new home repair program. The trust fund now totals $14.4 million. The home repair program has yet to be designed, but Rosie Truelove, […]
Posted inBudget
Council adopts $4.2 billion budget
For the second year in a row, City Council has adopted its fiscal year budget in a single meeting of discussing and adopting amendments. With the budget passing 10-1, Council Member Jimmy Flannigan said his vote against the budget came down to the lack of adequate planning for the budget deficits forecasted in the not-so-distant […]
Posted inBudget
Cronk promises employee pay raises next year
Austin city employees were expecting a 2.5 percent pay raise for Fiscal Year 2020 from the time staff’s proposed budget was revealed. But many of them, after reading about the 3.5 percent tax cap imposed by the state Legislature, were concerned that this year’s raise might be the last one. During Tuesday’s budget adoption process, […]
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Council looks at police, fire department budgets
At Council’s final budget work session on Wednesday, Deputy Chief Financial Officer Ed Van Eenoo told Council members he had learned that the city would have about $2.4 million more than anticipated when staff prepared the original budget of $4.2 billion. (That number is based on the tax rate of 44.31 cents per $100 valuation, […]
Posted inBudget
Council sets differing expectations for homeless strategy officer
While Lori Pampilo Harris, the city’s newly hired homeless strategy officer, packs her things and prepares for her journey from Orlando to Austin, City Council is making big plans for her first day on the job. The first order of business, if Mayor Steve Adler has his wish, is for Harris to review the city’s […]
Posted inBudget
Council looks beyond the budget
City Manager Spencer Cronk sat down with Council members at a special called work session Thursday to give an overview of four budget-related topics that have come up in recent weeks: the Hotel Occupancy Tax; an emergency-response report by the Meadows Mental Health Policy Institute; the allocation of funds to fight homelessness; and the budget […]