Every Oct. 1, the City of Austin welcomes a new budget – and with it, new city fees. These can be anything from public library fines to what it costs to adopt a dog from the city shelter.
Here’s a list of some of the more notable changes this year:
Swimming is now more expensive. Visitors to the city’s municipal pools – including Barton Springs and Deep Eddy – will pay more to take a dip. People over 18 living in Austin will now pay $5, up from $3 in years past. Seniors living in Austin will pay $2. If you’re an adult visiting from out of town, you’ll pay $9 to visit these pools; seniors from out of town will pay $4.
Renting out your home (legally) on Airbnb got pricier. Homeowners renting out a room or a whole house via short-term rental services liked Airbnb or HomeAway will now pay more. Annual short-term rental licenses now cost $500, up nearly $60 last year. A license renewal now costs $300.
If you've checked out a children's book, keep it as long as you like. The Austin Public Library has waived overdue fees for books, DVDs and CDs it classifies as "youth materials."
Making loud noises (legally) will cost you more/less depending on what you want to do. A license for an outdoor music venue now costs $361, up from $182. Want to pour some concrete downtown in the middle of the night? You’re in luck. The price of a license for that dropped $2, now costing $180.
You can find the entire list of fees on the city's website or in the embed below.
