Government
BY BEN THOMPSON
Changes for Austin’s public safety landscape are on the horizon with a new police contract and plans for a new public safety campus. After months of negotiations, city and police o cials signed o on a ve-year labor agreement Oct. 29. City Council approved the contract in a 10-1 vote Oct. 24, and Austin Police Association President Michael Bullock said 90% of his members accepted its terms. “Today’s signi cant because we’re turning the page on really too many years of tension, friction and negativity between City Hall and our police,” Mayor Kirk Watson said. The deal is expected to cost the city about $218 million, which will support raises of nearly 30% as well as other incentives Austin police o cers will receive over its term. Public safety changes coming
What else?
In addition to the contract, city leaders are mov- ing toward consolidating Austin’s re, police and emergency medical services personnel at a new public safety campus in Southwest Austin. The update follows years of consideration of updating the deteriorating Austin Police Department, Austin Fire Department and Austin/Travis County EMS facilities. The purchase of One and Two Barton Skyway, located at 1501 and 1601 S. MoPac, was authorized by City Council on Oct. 24. The city will now move to buy the four-story buildings with 391,000 square feet of o ce space, parking garages and other features. The acquisition, plus design and retro tting
MOPAC
Proposed public safety campus
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work, will cost $120.5 million. It will be funded through certi cates of obligation, or city-issued debt that will impact taxes over the next few years.
Moving forward
Contract cost $70M $60M $50M $40M $30M $20M $10M $0M
City leaders have praised the agreement as one that will help stabilize APD and improve its recruiting e orts, while aligning with voter- approved police oversight policies—an issue that played into the dismissal of the 2023 proposal. Police Chief Lisa Davis said the contract will help with APD’s community engagement, hiring e orts and improvements to o cer morale, and put Austin on the map for “policing done right.” Bullock also said the contract represents a new chapter for the police department with rm support from elected o cials. The new headquarters will serve as an administrative facility and not a re, police or EMS station. City sta previously said
An o ce campus o MoPac is slated to become the combined headquarters.
COURTESY CITY OF AUSTIN
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renovations would begin about six months after closing on the property, with a completion date to be set in the future.
Fiscal year
SOURCE: CITY OF AUSTIN COMMUNITY IMPACT
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COMMUNITYIMPACT.COM
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