Election
BY BEN THOMPSON
Austin budget cuts advance after election
Budget revisions Approved budget (Aug.)
Revised budget (Nov.)
Public safety $1.00B $990.94M
Austin leaders moved to adopt a downsized scal year 2025-26 budget in November after voters rejected a tax hike. What happened Proposition Q, the ballot measure for a property tax rate above the city’s voter-approval limit, failed in the Nov. 4 election. That result lowered Austin’s tax rate, reducing the city budget. The owner of a median-valued home in Aus- tin—estimated at $494,803 this scal year—can still expect to pay just over $100 more in property taxes; Proposition Q would’ve added a more than $300 annual increase. Utility bills and other city charges are also expected to rise by about $115 this year for the typical resident, city ocials said. Austinites won’t face another tax rate election, or TRE, in the near future due to a city policy limiting TREs to every four years unless the city faces a “ nancial emergency.”
The approach In July, City Manager T.C. Broadnax outlined a draft budget that City Council later increased by more than $100 million to fund various public pro- grams, using projected added tax revenue. After the election, a revised budget recommendation cutting most spending planned under Proposition Q was produced for consideration Nov. 7. A nal spending plan was set for approval in late November, after press time. One more thing The election outcome renewed calls for a deep dive into city spending. Mayor Kirk Watson suggested an audit of city services and Broadnax outlined several government eciency processes. Ocials are also voting to reign in their expenses by reforming council spending policies, and to adopt new nancial reporting and best practices ahead of future annual budgeting reviews.
-1.10%
Parks, libraries, animal services $247.13M $241.89M
-2.12%
Public health, homelessness, social services $185.9M $150.05M -19.29%
Transfers/other $107.12M $64.72M
-39.58%
Housing and Planning $25.96M $25.29M
-2.56%
Arts and culture $11.08M $10.88M
-1.80%
NOTE: REVISED BUDGET SUBJECT TO CHANGE AFTER PRESS TIME.
SOURCE: CITY OF AUSTINCOMMUNITY IMPACT
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COMMUNITYIMPACT.COM
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