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Budget

City budget writers outline some rate increases

For Austin, like most other Texas cities, property taxes are its single largest source of revenue for the General Fund. The second-biggest revenue source is sales taxes, as explained by Budget Officer Kerri Lang at Tuesday’s City Council work session.…

Budget deficit looms over city this year and beyond

The city of Austin is facing a $3.5 million deficit for the current year, with a much larger deficit – more than $13 million – projected for Fiscal Year 2025, which starts on Oct. 1, 2024. That’s the bad news…

Parks Dept. looks to move forward with new, scaled-back Dougherty Arts Center

The replacement for the deteriorating Dougherty Arts Center will move forward in a phased approach, without the underground parking called for previously by City Council, in an attempt to dramatically reduce the cost of the new facility. During the Tuesday…

Music Commission's $3M budget request includes HAAM funds, marketing program

The Music Commission has asked the city for just over $3 million in the next budget to expand some existing programs and provide added economic and medical assistance for local musicians. At Monday’s meeting, the commission unanimously approved six requests…

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Travis County bush

County commissioners prepare for a complicated budget season

Each year, the Travis County Planning and Budget Office presents its budget guidelines for the upcoming fiscal year to the Travis County Commissioners Court, furnishing the court with important data and forecasts while launching talks about further planning efforts. On…

HAAM seeks $500K in next year’s city budget to fund local musicians’ insurance

Health Alliance for Austin Musicians is seeking ongoing support from the city and possibly Travis County to cover the costs of subsidized health insurance coverage for more than 2,000 local musicians annually. Tonight’s Music Commission meeting will feature a presentation…

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Budget ‘headwinds’ could force tough Council decisions headed into summer

City Council members received an early look at some of the difficult budget decisions they could face this summer thanks to an expected decline in sales tax revenue and the end of federal funding related to the American Rescue Plan…

Commissioners pass health district tax increase but plan increased scrutiny

On their second attempt, the Travis County Commissioners Court voted 4-1 to approve a tax increase and 3-1 to approve the 2024 budget for the county health care district. The votes increase the tax rate to 10.07 cents per $100…

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Commissioners question health care district contingency fund, postpone budget vote

The Travis County Commissioners Court took no action on the county health care district’s proposed budget and tax increase Tuesday after repeatedly questioning the wisdom of the district’s $379 million contingency fund. The controversial fund grew rapidly in recent years…

Central Health approves budget with a Hail Mary provision to halt layoffs at Integral Care

Travis County’s public hospital district, Central Health, voted Wednesday to approve its Fiscal Year 2024 budget, which includes a last-minute line item giving $7 million in emergency funding to Integral Care. Central Health’s budget still needs final approval from Travis…

Integral Care, Austin's largest mental health care provider, approves 48 layoffs in next budget

Integral Care, the mental health authority for Austin-Travis County, voted Thursday to approve a budget that eliminates nearly 10 percent of its positions. Along with the 48 individuals who were identified for layoffs, 67 vacant positions were also cut. Employees…

Council delays transfer of 37 civilian position to APD, citing transparency concerns

Before City Council approved the Fiscal Year 2023-24 budget, which includes record-high police funding, District 4 Council Member Chito Vela proposed an amendment delaying the transfer of 37 full-time civilian staff positions to the Austin Police Department, citing a need…

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