AUSTIN (Talk1370.com) -- The Austin City Council gave its approval to the city's $4.5 billion budget for fiscal year 2022 Thursday night.
The budget, which passed on an 11-0 vote, provides for $1.2 billion in general fund spending for the fiscal year beginning on Oct. 1 and another $1.3 billion in planned capital improvement projects.
Council approved a tax rate of 54.10 cents per $100 of taxable value, which will result in a 4.7% increase in tax revenues. That's above the normal voter approval limit of 3.5%, but that limit doesn't apply this year because of Gov. Greg Abbott's ongoing disaster declaration due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
"Council’s actions today provide a path forward to build on Austin’s many strengths while addressing the challenges we face as a city," said Austin City Manager Spencer Cronk. "This Budget covers the increase in our base expenses, delivers our programs and services, and many of the critical reforms that our citizens want and that Council has prioritized, with minimal year-over-year impact on the typical Austin ratepayer."
According to city estimates, the typical ratepayer will see an increase in taxes, service rates, and other city fees of roughly 0.6%, or an additional $28.12 per year.
The new budget includes $442 million for the Austin Police Department - an all-time high. The funding increase - just a year after roughly $150 million was either directly cut or earmarked to be transitioned away from the department - comes in direct response to the Legislature passing House Bill 1900. The bill requires cities to maintain police funding or face severe consequences.
Thursday, city council members added the following items to the budget:
*Nine new temporary community health workers to allow for community-facing, Austin Public Health boots-on-the-ground to quickly address vaccine hesitancy and access.
*Funding for new EMS equipment to help them respond to calls and keep downtown Austin safe.
*More than $2 million to support affordable housing projects.
*Increased funding for the Parks and Recreation Department’s Out of School Time programs to provide affordable childcare in underserved areas.
*A new full-time Public Health Educator to help connect people experiencing homelessness with resources that enable them to keep their pets, decreasing animal shelter intake.
*Additional staff for the Homeless Strategy Office to help meet the community goal of housing an additional 3,000 people over the next three years.
*Extra funding for the Iconic Venue Fund to address the need to save and preserve Austin’s iconic music and restaurants as valued cultural assets.
The budget also calls for $2.4 million for 18 full-time employees to advance Project Connect, a transit plan that includes a rail system, a downtown transit tunnel and an expanded bus system.