Newsletter Signup
The Austin Monitor thanks its sponsors. Become one.
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
-
Discover News By District
Popular Whispers
Sorry. No data so far.
Budget
Council braces for another tight budget cycle amid threats from Legislature
City Council will have to raise property taxes by 5 percent in the Fiscal Year 2018-19 budget just to continue funding existing programs, according to a financial forecast prepared by the city budget office. In a presentation to Council members…
Budget • By Jack Craver • Apr 5, 2018
Split Commissioners Court endorses higher exemption for some homeowners
The Travis County Commissioners Court on Tuesday took a preliminary step toward enlarging the property tax exemption for homeowning residents over the age of 65 or living with a disability. The court voted 3-2 to direct Planning and Budget Office…
Budget • By Caleb Pritchard • Feb 28, 2018
Council tries 'outcome-based' budgeting
Last year, City Council talked about the idea of doing “outcome-based” budgeting. 2018 is the first year that it is giving it a try. The idea is based on six strategic outcomes that Council developed last year: Having economic opportunities…
Budget • By Jack Craver • Feb 23, 2018
Council OKs reduced budget for Visit Austin
Visit Austin, formerly known as the Austin Convention & Visitors Bureau, will no longer be paying for alcohol to entertain would-be Austin conventioneers with city Hotel Occupancy Tax collections. The group promised the mayor and City Council that in the…
Budget • By Jo Clifton • Oct 13, 2017
Capital Metro board approves new budget
The Capital Metropolitan Transportation Authority will cruise through its next fiscal year with a budget of $419 million. The agency’s board of directors approved that budget with a unanimous vote – minus an absent Board Member Terry Mitchell – during…
Budget • By Caleb Pritchard • Oct 2, 2017
Lower county tax rate will bring higher bills
In its last regular voting session before the deadline, the Travis County Commissioners Court on Tuesday approved a $1.04 billion budget for Fiscal Year 2017-18. And, despite the court adopting a nominally lower tax rate, property owners will pay slightly…
Budget • By Caleb Pritchard • Sep 27, 2017
Subscribe to our newsletter
How much do Council members spend on travel?
Late last Wednesday, as City Council neared the end of its wrangling over the Fiscal Year 2017-18 budget, Council Member Ellen Troxclair made what she framed as a modest request of her colleagues. The budget presented by staff included a…
Budget • By Jack Craver • Sep 20, 2017
First progress and then postponement as Central Health returns to Commissioners Court
The Travis County Commissioners Court on Tuesday signed off on Central Health’s proposed $238 million budget for Fiscal Year 2017-18, but came up short on reaching an accord between the hospital district and activists who demand more transparency from it.…
Budget • By Caleb Pritchard • Sep 20, 2017
Council approves $3.9 billion budget
Twelve hours after kicking off its final day of budget deliberations, City Council gave approval to a roughly $3.9 billion budget, including approximately $1 billion of General Fund spending. Council approved a 7.9 percent tax rate increase, just below the…
Budget • By Jack Craver • Sep 14, 2017
Council faces hard choices on final budget day
City Council went through another meandering, confusing and at times tense all-day budget discussion Tuesday and still has tough decisions left to make today, when it is scheduled to give final approval to the Fiscal Year 2017-2018 budget. The Council…
Budget • By Jack Craver • Sep 13, 2017
Budget Day 1: Lots of talk, little action
Budget • By Jo Clifton • Sep 12, 2017
Council begins final slog through budget today
After hours and hours of budget work sessions, including two such sessions last week, today City Council must at least start to make the hard decisions of what to fund and what to leave for another year. Today is the…