What's Happening?
On Friday, July 12th, City Manager T.C. Broadnax introduced the proposed city budget for the 2024-2025 fiscal year. The fiscal year begins on October 1st, 2024 and there will be a few council work sessions and public input sessions before the final budget is adopted. The current proposed budget is $5.9 billion, a nearly 7% increase from last year and includes increased budgets for the Austin Police Department, city employees’ pay, tenant stabilization, and more.
What The Proposed Budget Looks Like
What the General Fund Operations Budget Looks Like
Source: Austin Budget, Page 29
Budget Highlights
The proposed budget includes an $18 million increase for the Austin Police Department. As a reminder, in accordance with Texas state law, if this were to pass it could essentially not be undone. Some city employees would receive a 4% raise, making the lowest paid city employee $21.63/hour. $3.6 million would be allocated to tenant stabilization. $2.6 million woiuld be allocated to open the Canyon Creek joint fire and EMS station. $1.5 million would be allocated to the Mexican American Cultural Center expansion.
Who's Paying For This?
In accordance with state law, property taxes increases are capped at 3.5%. This means that to fund the proposed budget Austin Energy utility charges will increase. Utilities are expected to be about $13.50 more per month. Property taxes are expected to be about $8.50 more per month. This means the average Austin homeowner will pay about $22 more a month for this increased budget.
What That Looks Like
Source: Austin Budget, page 12
What You Can Do
Make your voice heard. Attend a public input session on July 24th or August 1st. Write your city council members. Call your city council members. Talk to your people, ask them them to make their voices heard. This is our money, it should work for us!
Support Equity Action’s Community Investment Budget. Instead of paying more than $20/month more to fund yet another historically high police budget, ask your city reps to invest in our people: harm reduction, homelessness solutions, tenant protections, the climate crisis, and more. Read the full Community Investment Budget here: https://bit.ly/EACIB
Schedule
July 12: FY 2024-25 Proposed Budget Presentation to Council
July 24: Council budget work session and community input session
July 30: Council budget work session
August 1: Council budget work session and public hearing on the budget August 6: Council budget work session
August 8: Council budget work session
August 14 – 16: Budget and Tax Rate Adoption by City Council
Registration for the community input hearing and the public hearing will open a few days before the hearings. Each district will also have an information session that you can attend. Find yours at https://www.speakupaustin.org/q3277.
Sources:
View the Budget Schedule, See Information on Public Hearings, Find Your District's Budget Meeting
KUT - Abbott Signs Into Law Bill Penalizing Texas Cities That Cut Police Funding
Texas Tribune - Gov. Greg Abbott signs bill designed to limit property tax growth
Equity Action's Community Investment Budget