BY BEN THOMPSON
Bonds
Next steps
A contractor for the auditing process could be approved after this summer’s budgeting process and before the current 2025-26 scal year ends in September. Initial program costs were not available as of press time. Spending review timeline 2025 • November: Proposition Q fails 2026 • February: citywide audit process approved • Spring: planned employee transitions for IT department begin • Summer-early fall: audit contractor approved; auditing continues inde initely • October: consulting guidelines updated • November: potential $700 million bond and Save Austin Now charter amendment may appear on ballot
City leaders are also weighing whether to put a bond package before voters this November. A $700 million bond package to fund mobility, watershed protection, parks and public facility projects was recommended by city sta in January. The outline may not represent Austin’s nal 2026 bond—if an election is called this year—as a public task force will also weigh in with its own project proposals this spring. Austin hasn’t called a compre- hensive bond election since 2018, although stand- alone packages were approved for transportation in 2020 and a ordable housing in 2022. The $3.87 billion project wish list released last year included 66 programs or projects from more than a dozen public-facing city departments. The scaled-down $700 million list has just over two dozen initiatives. Debt like public improvement bonds is paid for through a portion of city property taxes. The owner of a median-valued home in Austin will pay about $450 in debt service taxes this year.
2026 recommended bond projects
An initial list of projects to be funded by Austin’s 2026 bond was proposed within a $700 million cap recommended by city sta .
2026 initial recommendation
Transportation: $251M
Parks and Recreation: $140M Watershed protection: $160M
Police: $62M
Community facilities*: $58M Fire/EMS: $29M
*ANIMAL SERVICES CAMPUS IMPROVEMENTS, LIBRARY RENOVATION, FLEET PROPERTY ACQUISITION, NEW HOMELESS SHELTER
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NORTH CENTRAL AUSTIN EDITION
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