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Budget

Audit committee wants to keep a close eye on upcoming bond packages

The City Council Audit and Finance Committee wants staff to deliver quarterly updates to all relevant City Council committees on all projects being considered for Austin’s next bond package – mainly related to climate change and the effects of severe…

Staff lays out public safety budget choices for City Council

Looking ahead to a tough budget year, City Council will have to choose between spending on firefighters, emergency medical services, parks maintenance, homeless outreach and improving animal services, among others. Wednesday’s budget presentation did nothing to alleviate budget concerns, with…

Parks board recommends beefing up funding for city parks maintenance

With increasing challenges in maintaining grounds within Austin’s busy parks system, the Parks and Recreation Board voted Monday to recommend that City Council allocate an additional $2.62 million to the Parks and Recreation Department budget for the new fiscal year.…

Council gives first thoughts on $5.9B draft budget for 2025

The early draft of the city’s 2025 budget weighs in at $5.9 billion, a $400 million increase over the current budget. City Manager T.C. Broadnax said the balanced budget offers increases in city staff compensation and benefits despite lower-than-expected sales…

Community groups await fate of nearly $80M in budget recommendations

A coalition of more than 40 community groups is hoping the new city manager has found room in the next city budget for nearly $80 million of spending to address homelessness, economic insecurity and an assortment of other progressive causes.…

Austin ISD’s budget deficit means staff pay will barely budge without voter help

The Austin ISD Board of Trustees voted to approve a 2024-25 budget that will require the district to dip into its savings account to the tune of tens of millions of dollars. Austin ISD’s annual operating budget will total nearly $954 million after a vote on…

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Why do so many Austin-area school districts have budget deficits?

Lee esta historia en español At an Austin ISD school board meeting back in March, Trustee Candace Hunter shared a sobering message. “There is no rescue coming. There’s no one coming to save us. It’s only going to get worse,” she said.…

Commissioners urge Council to increase public safety budgets

Members of the city’s Public Safety Commission voted unanimously on Monday to recommend that City Council adopt a budget this summer that will support needs outlined by representatives of the Austin Fire Department, Austin-Travis County EMS and the Austin Police…

Red River music venues push Council on funding expected from February resolution

Leaders of the Red River Cultural District are pushing City Council members and staff to carry out a February resolution that was intended to secure annual funding to help planning and marketing efforts for the downtown cluster of live music…

Austin ISD plans to cut at least $30 million from its next budget

The Austin Independent School District is working on ways to cut its $60 million budget deficit in half during the next school year, while trying to limit the impact it will have on classrooms. Austin ISD is one of the…

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…

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