Particle.news
Download on the App Store

Austin Council Approves $6.3 Billion Budget Rewrite After Prop Q Rejection

Targeted cuts plus reserve transfers bolster EMS overtime, expand crisis response.

Overview

  • Council voted 11-0 to adopt an amended FY2025–26 plan that trims just over $95 million from a budget that had assumed Proposition Q’s revenue.
  • More than $14 million will be drawn from reserves to help close the gap while preserving priority services.
  • The package adds $3 million for EMS overtime to end ambulance brownouts and $2.1 million to expand the 24/7 mobile mental-health crisis team.
  • Funding shifts increase support for non-congregate shelters and permanent supportive housing even as cuts reduce planned additions for parks staffing, rapid rehousing and homelessness diversion.
  • The tax rate is set at 52.4017 cents per $100 of value, raising the typical Austin homeowner’s city bill by about $105, and new accountability measures include stricter contracting rules and an audit timeline with updates due Dec. 11 and recommendations by Jan. 22.