CITY & COUNTY
News from Austin & Travis & Williamson counties
QUOTE OF NOTE
City approves $40 million for a ordable housing
CITY HIGHLIGHTS TRAVIS COUNTY The Central Health board of managers approved its $300.75 million scal year 2022-23 budget Sept. 7. The budget increased more than $20 million from last year, funded in part by an increase in property tax revenue and tobacco litigation settlement, which together brought in $286.1 million. Central Health lowered its property tax rate to $0.09868 per $100 valuation—down from $0.11181 in FY 2021-22. Travis County commissioners will approve the budget and tax rate by the start of the scal year Oct. 1. WILLIAMSON COUNTY The Commissioners Court voted Aug. 30 to adopt a $505 million budget for scal year 2022-23, which includes $5 million for 47 new full-time positions. The commissioners also set the tax rate of $0.375608 per $100 valuation, an amount that is $0.065 less than the current total tax rate. This rate will decrease property taxes on the average homestead residence by approximately $100 next year. TRAVIS COUNTY On Aug. 30, commissioners unanimously voted to raise the minimum wage for county employees from $15 to $20 an hour and implement a 5% salary increase across the board. The wage increases will take e ect Oct. 1 with the start of scal year 2022-23. The measure is also meant to retain employees near the bottom of the pay scale. “WE ARE TEMPORARILY RESTRICTING INTAKE NOW TO ENSURE WE CAN CONTINUE TO PROVIDE THE LEVEL OF ANIMAL CARE THAT OUR COMMUNITY EXPECTS.” DON BLAND, CHIEF ANIMAL SERVICES OFFICER, ON THE AUSTIN ANIMAL SHELTER PAUSING NEW ANIMAL INTAKES SEPT. 8 Austin City Council Meets Sept. 27 and Oct. 11 at 9 a.m. and Sept. 29, Oct. 13 and 27 at 10 a.m. at 301 W. Second St., Austin. 512-974-2250. www.austintexas.gov/department/ city-council Travis County Commissioners Court Meets Sept. 27, Oct. 4, 11, 18 and 25 at 9 a.m. at 700 Lavaca St., Austin. 512-854-9020. www.traviscountytx.gov Williamson County Commissioners Court Meets Sept. 27, Oct. 4, 11, 18 and 25 at 9:30 a.m. at 710 Main St., Georgetown. 512-943-1100. www.wilco.org MEETINGS WE COVER
LOANS FOR HOUSING More than a dozen a ordable housing projects will receive funding, including a permanent supportive housing complex in Northwest Austin with a $2.45M loan. Balcones Terrace 10024 N. Capital of Texas Hwy., Austin
BY BEN THOMPSON
AUSTIN More than a dozen a ordable housing projects around Austin received city support Sept. 1, moving the development of hundreds of new units for lower-income tenants and homeowners forward. Through the city’s nonpro t Austin Housing Finance Corp., City Council action sent millions of loan dollars to 10 rental and four ownership housing developments that are in the works in the city. The projects would include more than 1,000 housing units in total with a variety of bedroom counts. Most would be for residents earning below the local median family income, or MFI. Altogether, council’s approved AHFC agenda included $46.89 million in loans from a combination of AHFC and city bond funds. Several of the projects have received city nancial support in the past as they move toward construction. Hundreds of units at a few of the developments will be geared toward permanent supportive housing for those exiting homelessness, such as the 100-unit Cady Lofts complex in the Hancock neighborhood and the 120-unit hotel conversion Balcones Terrace in Northwest Austin.
H
183
MOPAC
N .
N
31 <40% MFI
61 <50% MFI
Units are available to residents earning a certain percentage of the area median family income, or MFI, which is $110,300 for a four- person household or $77,200 for an individual.
123 e ciency rental units
31 <30% MFI
SOURCE: CITY OF AUSTIN COMMUNITY IMPACT NEWSPAPER
City to review short- term rental policy
and Vrbos operating in the city as of early September were licensed out of an estimated 9,000-11,000 total, according to city sta . Austin Code Department Director José Roig said resident complaints related to STRs are most often tied to unlicensed spaces, and that nailing down any penalties for those homes is often di cult due to “savvy” property owners and a lack of data from the larger companies. “At this point, all the actions that I’m taking are against the property owner, not the hosting platforms, and we don’t have any cooperation from [the STR companies],” he said.
SHORT TERM RENTAL ENFORCEMENT The city is considering revamping practices around homes on rental sites, such as Airbnb and Vrbo.
BY BEN THOMPSON
AUSTIN City Council’s recent discussion of how Austin handles its short-term rental market could point to further review of local regulations in the near future. A Sept. 6 brie ng on short-term rentals, or STRs, covered issues including the widespread presence of unlicensed units in Austin and the challenges with related enforcement. Around 1,975 STRs including Airbnbs
9,000 and 11,000 Between STRs advertised*
STRs licensed with the city* 1,975
*AS OF SEPT. 6
SOURCE: CITY OF AUSTIN COMMUNITY IMPACT NEWSPAPER
Council OKS police license plate readers amid privacy concerns
POLICE LICENSE PLATE READERS City Council approved reactivating a service that uses devices mounted in police cars to scan and identify license plates and store the data, an issue which brought dozens of residents to City Hall in September. SOURCES: AUSTIN POLICE DEPARTMENT, CITY OF AUSTIN COMMUNITY IMPACT NEWSPAPER
BY BEN THOMPSON
AUSTIN Police can once again use automated license plate readers following a 7-4 City Council vote Sept. 15. District 6 Council Member Mackenzie Kelly has pushed for the police data tracking program’s return this year, at a cost of nearly $115,000, after it was shut down in 2020. Kelly and several law enforcement groups including APD said the program can help police respond to crimes such as kidnappings and auto thefts.
COURTESY APD COMMUNITY IMPACT NEWSPAPER
18 police vehicles already equipped with readers to reactivate the program $114,775
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NORTHWEST AUSTIN EDITION • SEPTEMBER 2022
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