Government
BY HALEY MCLEOD & BEN THOMPSON
New city short-term rental rules in effect Approval of new rules for short-term rentals, or STRs, in September ended a reg- ulatory overhaul meant to curb unlicensed rental operations and nuisances in Austin. What happened For years, Austin hasn’t been able to keep up with the spread of rental units that aren’t registered with the city—and therefore not paying hotel occupancy taxes that support cultural initiatives, officials said. New policies are aimed at making it easier to strike unlicensed STR listings from plat- forms like Airbnb and Vrbo, and ensuring full tax collections, officials said. City Council also moved to streamline the licensing process, allow renters to participate in the STR market, and permit up to two rentals on lots with multiple housing units.
Tax hike to boost Travis County health care services Travis County homeowners will see about $64 added to their property tax bills that officials said will be used to fund county health care services. The big picture
and speed up health care options for low-income residents. District documents outlined several “patient-first” priorities for the coming year: • Reduce appointment wait times • Curb avoidable hospital readmissions and emergency room visits • Expand health insurance coverage for more patients • Close gaps in care
County hospital district Central Health’s tax rate will increase 9.3% in fiscal year 2025-26, to $0.118023 per $100 property valuation. The aver- age homeowner will pay roughly $608 in property taxes to Central Health, up from $544 last year. The additional funding would be used to expand
Central Health tax rate year-over-year Travis County leaders have raised the hospital district’s tax rate to fund health care services for several years.
$0.12
$0.111814
$0.118023
$0.11
$0.100692
$0.107969
$0.10
$0.098684
$0.09
+9.31%
$0
2021
2022
2023
2024
2025
SOURCE: CENTRAL HEALTH/TRAVIS COUNTY
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NORTH CENTRAL AUSTIN EDITION
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