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Austin City Manager Draft: Police & Tax.

The draft of T.C. Broadnax's budget was released Friday, with the Austin City Council set to vote on its finalization in August.

Published July 12, 2024 at 11:44am by Ella McCarthy

Austin homeowners to see $272 increase in property taxes & utility fees under city manager's proposal.

URL: https://www.statesman.com/story/news/local/2023/06/16/austin-city-budget-property-tax-rate-utility-rate-police-funding/5385478001/

City budget breakdown:

$102 increase in annual property taxes
$75 for water bills
$32 for energy bills
$25 for Austin Resource Recovery fees
$15 for drainage utility fees

Police funding:
The proposal includes an $18.2 million increase to the police budget, bringing the total to $496 million. This continues a multi-year trend of increasing police funding, despite efforts by some city council members to reallocate funds to other services.

City minimum wage increase:
A proposed 4% wage increase for all city employees, raising the minimum wage to $21.63/hour.

State property tax caps impact:
The city's chief financial officer estimates that, without state-imposed property tax rate caps, Austin would have an additional $165 million in revenue.

The draft budget, presented by City Manager T.C. Broadnax, totals $5.9 billion, a $400 million increase from last year. It will be amended by the City Council before a final vote in August.