CITY & COUNTY
News from Austin, Dripping Springs & Travis County
$5.5 billion budget, property tax rate increase passes AUSTIN A $5.5 billion budget for scal year 2023-24 was passed by council Aug. 16. The budget was adopted 10-1, with Council Member Mackenzie Kelly voting against it. BY ELLE BENT COST TO TAXPAYERS The average Austin homeowner will see over a 6% increase on their tax bill due to rising property values and an over 3% increase in the property tax rate from last year Property tax rate of $0.4458 cents per $100 valuation for scal year 2023-24, a 3.4% increase from FY 2022-23.
Austin City Council will meet Sept. 12 and 19 at 9 a.m. and Sept. 14 and 21 at 10 a.m. 301 W. Second St., Austin www.austintexas.gov Dripping Springs City Council will meet Sept. 5 at 5:30 p.m. and Sept. 19 at 6 p.m. 511 Mercer St., Dripping Springs www.cityofdrippingsprings.com Travis County Commissioners Court will meet Sept. 1,12, and 19 at 9 a.m. and Sept. 7 and 21 and 1:30 p.m. 700 Lavaca St., Austin. www.traviscountytx.gov/ commissioners-court MEETINGS WE COVER HIGHLIGHTS AUSTIN Entry fees at all city pools except for Barton Springs were waived until Sept. 30. AUSTIN Police Chief Joseph Chacon will retire in early September, he announced Aug. 21. Police Chief of Sta Robin Henderson will take over on an interim basis while a search for a permanent chief takes place. AUSTIN A federal judge ruled Aug. 1 that a city ordinance banning property owners from getting a short-term rental license for homes that aren’t their primary residence was unconstitutional, opening doors for more services such as Airbnb. DRIPPING SPRINGS Water restrictions were decreased from Stage 5 to 4 e ective July 24. This prohibits customers from using water to operate water features, or to wash a motor vehicle. Public pools are allowed to ll water to maintain a safe water quality. TRAVIS COUNTY On July 25, ocials voted to split the Justice & Public Safety Department into two separate divisions: the Community Legal Services Department and the Data, Policy, and Performance Management Department.
3.6% increase from the combined projected impact of tax, rate and fee changes—equivalent to an increase by $172 per year, or $14.31 per month, for the owner of a median valued home and typical rate-user.
Neighbors seek new concert tra c plan BY ELLE BENT • $1.35 million for testing and treat- ing sexually transmitted diseases • $80.9 million for homelessness response • $1 million for Austin Energy to The breakdown: The general fund budget is $1.4 billion, with the capital budget including $1.6 million in planned spending. The budget includes: • $2 million for a mental health diversion center • $1.3 million for a family stabiliza- tion grant program DRIPPING SPRINGS Neighbors worried about safety and increased tra c from a proposed 5,000-person concert venue on Fitzhugh Road are asking elected o cials to reevaluate its impacts on the area. What happened: In a letter sent by a coalition, neighbors requested Hays County to obtain a safety audit of the road, have a new tra c impact analysis be submitted with a third party review and public hearing. An additional online petition has surpassed 1,000 signatures.
SOURCE: CITY OF AUSTIN COMMUNITY IMPACT
conduct a study to move the distri- bution system underground • $2.6 million for incentives for police cadet recruitment • $87.2 million in planned capital spending for a ordable housing Quote of note: “Spending money is not an accomplishment,” Council
Member Ryan Alter said. “Getting results for the community is. That’s the hard work we started and I look forward to working with my col- leagues and sta to do just that.” What’s next? The budget will go into e ect Oct. 1, and last until Sept. 30, 2024.
Texas reserves $65M for homeless shelter, services in Austin
FUNDING BREAKDOWN
A state housing agency has set aside about $65 million for homeless response in Austin. $56.51M Developing shelter “in one or more locations” in the Austin area, led by The Other Ones Foundation and the Downtown Austin Alliance $3.32M Award to TOOF and the Downtown Alliance for capacity building and operations $2.5M Award to Caritas of Austin to help low-income Austinites with housing and support services $2.5M Award to LifeWorks to help low-income Austinites with housing and support services
BY BEN THOMPSON
AUSTIN Nearly $60 million for shelter development in Austin was set aside by the Texas Department of Housing and Community A airs board on July 27. The funding could be used for a partnership led by The Other Ones Foundation and the Downtown Austin Alliance to create more spaces for residents experienc- ing homelessness. Mayor KirkWatson said the update could lead to the creation of up to 700 new shelter beds.
SOURCE: TEXAS DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND COMMUNITY AFFAIRS COMMUNITY IMPACT
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