What's Going On With The Police Budget? (July 2021)

July 27, 2021

a brief insight into the 2021-2022 police budget, what it means, and action you can take

The Budget Process

Every July, the city manager proposes a budget for the upcoming fiscal year. In Austin, the fiscal year begins in October.
This proposed budget then goes through community input and work sessions to edit and improve it.
After, City Council has the opportunity to make amendments to the proposed budget before it is officially adopted in August.

What is the proposed police budget?

The proposed police budget for FY 2021-2022 is $442,810,113.
For reference, the approved police budget was $292,948,716 in FY 2020-2021.
In FY 2019-2020, it was https://assets.austintexas.gov/budget/19-20/downloads/2020_Approved_Budget.pdf.

Despite lengthy and passionate demonstrations from tens of thousands of Austin locals in 2020, the proposed police budget for 2021-2022 is the highest in the history of Austin.

Why did it increase?

During the Texas Legislative session this year, Texas representatives passed HB 1900 which penalizes large cities that move to divest money from police departments. This goes into effect in September 2021.

HB 1900 says that any city larger than 250,000 people that cuts police funding can have the state appropriate part of that city's sales tax to the Texas Department of Public Safety. Basically, the state can take funds from cities who defund the city police & instead fund the state police. These cities would also be banned from increasing property tax or utility tax.

Additionally, this also means that increases to police budgets are now permanent, because they cannot be defunded even a little bit in future years.

Dems who supported HB 1900: Bobby Guerra (D41), Ryan Guillan (D31), Tracy King (D80), Thresa Meza (D105), Eddie Morales (D74), Richard Raymond (D42)

A main issue

To be in compliance with HB 1900, Austin would need to increase the budget to it's previous 2019-2020 level of $434 million. However, the proposed budget is $8.5 million more than that, at $442 million. Keep in mind that this $442 million could not be decreased in future years.

Contrarily, just $1.9 million is to be allocated to recommendations by the Reimagine Public Safety Taskforce. The estimated funding for these recommendations is $29.5 million, so the proposed budget really misses the mark.

Task force recommendations

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1_6hYdyDGi5yGt0ff5bZC8GHOd3gM6uVr/view?usp=drivesdk

from @grassroots_leadership

More information

All of the funds allocated to community-centered solutions like family violence shelters, substance use care, homelessness, mental health, and more remain in the budget.

However, the forensics lab which under APD famously and seriously mishandled hundreds of r*pe kits for decades will now go back into the police budget. Additionally, the 911 call center which was independent will also now be under the police budget.

What you can do

Sign up to testify before 12pm on Wednesday, July 28th. Testimonies will be heard on July 29th.
Write city council and tell them to move $8.5 million from APD's budget into recommendations from the Reimagining Public Safety Taskforce.
Follow and support organizations like Communities of Color United, Grassroots Leadership, ICE Fuera de Austin, and Texas Harm Reduction Alliance who continue to tirelessly fight to keep our communities safe