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Most Popular Stories
- Despite safety concerns, Council OKs new buildings above Shoal Creek
- Texas lawmakers finalize bill limiting property owners’ right to protest new homes nearby
- A multi-family rezoning at the rugged edge of Northwest Austin
- As Acacia Cliffs rezoning is approved, Critics say Council has sold out on its affordability commitments
- Austin ISD eliminating jobs at its central office to reduce budget deficit
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Budget
Arts space assistance doubles in new budget, but is it enough?
The city has revived the Arts Space Assistance Program that was created in 2017 and received overwhelming demand from local arts groups facing a loss of space, but was discontinued in the current budget due to lack of funding. The…
Budget • By Chad Swiatecki • Sep 17, 2018
City boosts spending on homelessness, but advocates still disappointed
The Fiscal Year 2018-19 budget approved by City Council on Tuesday includes a $3.4 million increase in funding for homelessness services. City staff estimates that the new funds come on top of more than $26 million in annual city spending…
Budget • By Jack Craver • Sep 13, 2018
With stunning speed, Council approves budget
For the first time in years, City Council spent less than a day deliberating on its fiscal year budget. Council approved a $4.1 billion budget that will raise the effective property tax rate by 5.4 percent. Austin property owners will…
Budget • By Jack Craver • Sep 12, 2018
Mental health team faces funding crisis
Mental health professionals accompany police officers to all SWAT calls in Houston and Seattle, but Austin’s Mobile Crisis Outreach Team, which operates alongside the Austin Police Department, does not accompany officers on high-risk calls, such as when a weapon is…
Budget • By Jo Clifton • Sep 7, 2018
Council members talk about the budget
As City Council begins its final work session on the budget this morning in preparation for next week’s budget setting meetings, the Austin Monitor asked Council members to tell us the most important aspects of the Fiscal Year 2018-19 budget.…
Budget • By Jo Clifton • Sep 6, 2018
Chamber groups' funding would become leveled under proposed process
Austin’s Economic Development Department is in the beginning stages of restructuring how local chambers of commerce are funded by the city, with the goal of making the funding more equitable and available to more groups. A recent memo from interim…
Budget • By Chad Swiatecki • Sep 5, 2018
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Citizens simply ask for more at budget hearing
A significant majority of those who spoke at Wednesday’s public hearing on the city’s Fiscal Year 2018-19 budget seemed pleased with the money city staff had recommended allocating to their specific interest. Several praised City Council and City Manager Spencer…
Budget • By Jo Clifton • Aug 23, 2018
Lower public safety bill cuts tax growth
Austin taxpayers will catch a break from the typical sharp escalation of city taxes, utility bills and other fees, so that the owner of a median priced home of $332,366 will pay only about $78 more in 2019 than they…
Budget • By Jo Clifton • Aug 6, 2018
AISD budget task force begins tackling $30M deficit
At the Monday night meeting of the AISD Budget Stabilization Task Force, the 31-member group focused on establishing priorities and procedures as it begins the process of developing recommendations to balance the district’s budget. The task force, made up of…
AISD • By Samantha Zern • Jul 18, 2018
What do Austinites want the city budget to prioritize?
In the process of crafting its annual budget to present to City Council, city of Austin staff held 11 events throughout the city in an effort to hear what Austinites think about how their tax dollars should be spent. In…
Budget • By Jack Craver • Jul 16, 2018
City to help Cap Metro fund studies
City Council at its June 28 meeting voted to use money the city collected from the Capital Metropolitan Transportation Authority last decade to help pay for the transit agency’s ongoing Project Connect initiative. The move will reallocate $6 million from…
Budget • By Caleb Pritchard • Jul 10, 2018
Safety, transit planning among priorities at start of budget input sessions
If the opinions expressed during the second of the city’s 11 community budget input sessions is any indication, City Council members will be considering sizable shifts in public safety resources later this summer before adoption of the city’s next $3.9…
