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"Oh Joy! Another Tax Hike: AISD's Budget Visual Extravaganza! Voters, Rejoice!"

Oh, brilliant! Because when you're in a hole, the best thing to do is keep digging, right? Let's just throw more money at the problem and hope it goes away. Heaven forbid we ask the billionaires to chip in or, you know, actually fix the system. But sure, let's hike up those taxes. It's not like the working class has anything else to worry about.

Published October 9, 2024 at 7:02am by Keri Heath

Austin: Time to Pay Up or Shut Up

Oh, joy! Austin school district voters get to do something super fun on Nov. 5 – decide if they want to cough up an extra 9.1 cents in property tax rates. Yep, you read that right. Just when you thought budget cuts and deficits were all the rage, Austin says, "Hold my craft beer."

If approved, this delightful increase will rake in a cool $41 million. District honchos promise to sprinkle this cash like fairy dust: $17.3 million for a staff compensation package, $3 million for instructional coaches, and the rest to chip away at that pesky $119 million deficit.

Voters will stare down a new tax rate of 95.05 cents per $100 of property valuation. If not, it stays at 85.95 cents. You know, chump change. Oh, and the average Austin homeowner gets to pony up an extra $420 annually. Lucky ducks!

But wait, there's more! Even if this passes, the district's still sitting on a $78 million deficit. Last year, they wrapped up with a $52 million deficit. Isn't math fun?

Some school board members are thrilled about Texas's recapture program. You know, the one that snatches about 75 cents of every dollar from the proposed tax hike and hands it to property-poorer districts. Austin keeps a whopping 25%. Isn't sharing grand?

The cherry on top? A $17.3 million compensation package, focusing on experienced teachers and giving almost everyone else a raise. Even two-thirds of school district police get a bump. Ka-ching!

But hey, even if voters say no, Austin still needs to hack $78 million from the budget over the next two years. Superintendent Matias Segura says tough calls are ahead. Classrooms? Probably not safe.

Mark your calendars: Early voting kicks off Oct. 21, and Election Day is Nov. 5. Don't miss out on the fiscal fun!