CITY & COUNTY
News from Austin & Travis County
HIGHLIGHTS AUSTIN The Austin Watershed Protection Department found only minuscule levels of toxins that it said are not concerning after testing samples from Barton Springs Pool for algae in July and August. The department ran tests following the death of a dog in July that swam in Barking Springs, a free section of Barton Creek next to the pool. TRAVIS COUNTY Austin and Travis County declared monkeypox a public health emergency Aug. 9. As of Aug. 23, there are 110 con rmed cases in Travis County, one of which led to hospitalization due to pain, according to Health Authority Desmar Walkes. According to Walkes, the city was given vaccines and medications for individuals who were exposed to a known case or to individuals who attended an event where they could have been exposed. AUSTIN City labor negotiators and Austin EMS Association representatives announced a tentative one-year agreement on Aug. 19. It sets a $22 an hour starting pay for EMTs, up 12.5% from the current entry level salary and $30.03 per hour for paramedics. It also raises salaries by 4% to 11.2%. City Council will vote on the contract Sept. 1. Austin EMS Association members will also have an opportunity to vote on the measure. If both votes pass, the contract will be adopted. Austin City Council Meets Aug. 30, Sept. 13 and 27 at 9 a.m. and Sept. 1, 15 and 29 at 10 a.m. 301 W. Second St., Austin www.austintexas.gov Travis County Commissioners Court Will meet Aug. 30, Sept. 13, 20 and 27 at 9 a.m. 700 Lavaca St., Austin www.traviscountytx.gov MEETINGS WE COVER
AUSTIN On Aug. 18, Austin City Council approved a $5 billion budget for scal year 2022-23. The main budget was approved on a 10-1 vote with Council Member Mackenzie Kelly voting against it. The budget included a 4% raise across the board for all sta , and council members voted to increase the sta minimum wage from $15 to $20 an hour. Council allocated roughly $7 BY DARCY SPRAGUE & BEN THOMPSON Record $5B budget passed
tax rate of $0.4627 per $100 valuation, which is lower than 2021-22's rate of $0.541 3.5% increase in revenue to the city due to higher property values 3.8% increase to homeowners due to higher property values and fees for city services
million for the move, which also includes addressing compression in salary ranges with the understanding that sta could introduce a mid-year budget item if additional funding is needed. An item to increase council salaries 40% from $83,158 to $116,688 and the mayor’s more than 37% from $97,656 to $134,191 also passed. The item COST TO TAXPAYERS While council lowered the tax rate, the average taxpayer will send the city more money each month. SOURCE: CITY OF AUSTIN COMMUNITY IMPACT NEWSPAPER
will cost $395,693. Council members Kelly, Vanessa Fuentes and Paige Ellis objected to the amendment. The council passed a tax rate of $0.4627 per $100 of property valua- tion on the same 10-1 vote. The rate is lower than the current $0.541. Due to increased property values, the rate will bring the city roughly a 3.5% increase in revenue.
Housing bond cost Austin $350M housing bond advances AUSTIN On Aug. 18, council voted 10-1 to add a $350 million housing bond proposition to Austin’s Novem- ber election ballot. Amounts below are based on the median taxable value of homes. BY BEN THOMPSON
Council funds sexual assault response changes
BY BEN THOMPSON
With housing bond: $0.4759 $1,727.43
Without housing bond: $0.4627 $1,679.52
AUSTIN O cials directed hundreds of thousands of dollars toward new sta ng, reviews and other improvements at the Austin Police Department Sex Crimes Unit. The scal year 2022-23 budget additions were based on new rec- ommendations from the Police Executive Research Forum, which recently completed an audit of hundreds of sexual assault cases handled by APD. “These services will help survivors obtain the healing and justice they deserve,” said Mayor Pro Tem Alison Alter, who for- warded the budget amendments.
A $350 million bond would raise the scal year 2022-23 property tax rate by $0.0132 per $100 property valuation, a 2.85% increase. That would amount to $47.91 a year for the median property taxpayer. Bond funds would back both rental and ownership housing projects, home repairs and land acquisition. The push for a new round of city support for a ordable housing comes as more than three-fourths of $250 million 2018 housing bond funds are already spent or dedicated to new projects. "I’m proud to be part of a council that did the historic $250 million
(tax rate per $100 valuation)
(cost to median taxpayer)
SOURCE: CITY OF AUSTIN COMMUNITY IMPACT NEWSPAPER
bond, and right now even prouder to be part of a $350 million bond. It’s leveraged so much in the community; the impact on housing in the commu- nity has been dramatic. And certainly we’re in a crisis," Mayor Steve Adler said Aug. 18. "We’re building more houses than anybody in the country, and it’s still not enough, so we have to keep our e ort to ll these gaps, and this does that."
FUN FOR THE WHOLE FAMILY! REGISTER TO RUN AT WHISPERVALLEYEVENT.COM
F
Annual East Austin
290
10K AND 5K RUN September 17th from 8am – Noon 5K & 10K RUNS • FARMERS MARKET • FAMILY FUN • FOOD TRUCKS RAFFLE PRIZES • MODEL HOME TOURS • AND MORE!
130
✪ BRAKER LN.
973
WhisperValleyAustin.com Discovery Center 512-710-3799 9400 Petrichor Blvd., Whisper Valley TX
Zero-Energy Capable Homes from the $300s to $700s
PACESETTER HOMES • GFO HOME • THURMAN HOMES CASTLEROCK COMMUNITIES • TERRATA HOMES • AHA DREAM HOMES
17
NORTH CENTRAL AUSTIN EDITION • AUGUST 2022
Powered by FlippingBook