Along with passing a $3.5 billion operating budget for the new fiscal year, the Austin City Council has also passed a new fee schedule that includes an increase in fees Austinites may encounter several times a year.
Barton Springs is pretty lively on most summer days, but, come October, some folks looking to swim here will pay a higher entrance fee — in some cases, double the current amount. But Forrest McCoy doesn’t care.
“Well, personally, I don’t see any problem with it,” he says.
That’s because McCoy lives in Austin, and only non-resident visitors will have to cough up more cash. With the fee schedule City Council approved last week, non-resident visitors to Barton Springs will pay $8 – double the current $4 fee. Those under 18 and seniors won’t see as much of a hike.
If you park illegally in Austin, the city towing fee is going up by $25, bringing the cost of city tows to around $220. That increase will cover administrative costs associated with getting your car off the road.
Fee increases will also be applied to city cemetery burials. In every plot, there’s a concrete liner placed around a coffin to keep it from sinking farther into the ground. The price of the liner is increasing by $35, bringing the total cost of a city cemetery burial to around $345.
This story originally said that a concrete liner is poured around a coffin, but the city does not pour the concrete itself.
