Austin City Council

The budget City Council passed last week relies on revenue from increased property taxes, which must be approved by voters this fall. A lawsuit alleges ballot language for the tax rate election intentionally misleads voters.

City Council will ask voters to approve a higher tax rate to help pay for homelessness services, parks and public safety.

Austin police spent nearly double their allotted budget for overtime last year. The fire department spent more than anticipated, too. That could change in the new budget.

Recycled Reads was created as a way to raise money for the Austin Library system while also helping to divert books away from landfills. The store may close, but the program will not end entirely. There are plans to expand the program across the library system.

The city took ownership of the land in Southeast Austin, which will allow it to collect hotel occupancy taxes once the project is complete. City Council approved the land acquisition on Thursday.

The proposed budget for next year already includes a 3.5% increase for property taxes, but a voter-approved measure would allow the city to go beyond the state cap.

Reducing the minimum number of firefighters per truck from four to three would save the city about $8.3 million in overtime pay. But the firefighters union said the reduction would put people and firefighters at risk.

The balanced budget includes money for public safety, homelessness, park maintenance and the new infrastructure academy — but also includes an increase of fees and cuts to overtime.

Jesús Garza was accused of violating the city’s ethics rules when he hired two former City Hall staffers to serve as consultants after the 2023 winter storm.

The new inspection program comes more than a year after the City Council promised to improve the process for mobile business owners. Previously, owners were required to bring trailers to a city facility in North Austin, which they said could be complicated and costly.