On July 15, City Manager T.C. Broadnax presented the Austin City Council with a $6.3 billion operational budget proposal for fiscal year 2025–2026. According to the Budget Engagement website, the council will convene Wednesday through Friday to vote on the proposed budget.
According to city news releases, services that Austinites expect and deserve are given priority in the proposed budget. The proposed budget will create a new record high for Austin, increasing by 5.1% above the $5.9 billion fiscal year 2025 modified budget.
Broadnax wrote in a message from the manager to the mayor, mayor pro tem, and members of the city council that the city started the budget cycle with a projected $33 million shortfall in the general fund.
“A close and critical look at all spending made it possible to balance the budget with a shortfall revenue while investing in key areas,” Broadnax noted in the message. By doing this, we were able to boost funds in important areas.
Increasing emergency rental assistance, boosting emergency response operations, increasing shelter space for homeless individuals, and allocating $2.9 billion for key infrastructure projects were among the budget highlights highlighted in the news release.
According to the proposed budget, the majority of the money are for the city’s enterprise departments, including Austin Water and Austin Aviation, with Austin Energy accounting for 30% of the expenses.
An extra $3.7 million in Austin Energy for Customer Energy Solutions is included in the proposed budget. The Resource, Generation, and Climate Protection Plan until 2035 is supported by this money, according to Richard Genece, vice president for Customer Energy Solutions.
As a utility, we want to lower emissions and eventually reach a carbon-free energy mix, Genece stated. Every initiative at Customer Energy Solutions contributes to the advancement of that strategy.
The city’s police, fire, and emergency medical services departments, parks and recreation department, and new arts, culture, music, and entertainment department are among the 13 city departments that make up the General Fund, which covers 23 percent of expenditures.
The proposed budget includes funding for the Office of Equity and Inclusion’s Human Rights Division, which Director Lindsey Wilson stated was created in March with the appointment of Human Rights Officer Shafina Khaki.
According to Khaki, creating the Human Rights Division entails growing our current programs and constructing a robust infrastructure to cater to a variety of service requirements, with a focus on our most vulnerable groups.
According to the news release, the proposed budget includes $150,000 for We All Belong, a public campaign against hate crimes and incidents, and $250,000 for the office to create the transition plan for the Americans with Disabilities Act.
What we want to see is that those who are closest to or directly affected by the disparities are at the heart of all decisions we make, whether they are about the budget, the program services we provide, or anything else, Wilson stated.
The proposed budget is in line with the three crucial priority areas of people, place, and partnerships, according to Broadnax’s statement.
We will continue to strategically plan for the future, not just this year, but for years to come, listening to and acting upon community members and (looking for) new methods to make sure we are upholding, advancing, and supporting the values that make Austin what it is. “Broadnax wrote.”
