For all following along is a great overview of the budget that was just
approved by city council.
nelly
Sent from my iPad
Begin forwarded message:
From: "Ann Kitchen, District 5" <district5@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Date: August 21, 2022 at 5:51:59 PM CDT
To: nelly.ramirez@xxxxxx
Subject: Budget Highlights for District 5
Reply-To: district5@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Council Member Ann Kitchen
District 5, Austin, Texas
August 21, 2022
View as Webpage
2022-2023 Budget Highlights
Dear Neighbors,
On Thursday, City Council approved the Fiscal Year 2022-23 budget. I would
like to thank everyone who participated in the budget process this year and
reached out to my office to share your priorities. Council began their
deliberations on Wednesday working from the Manager’s proposed budget. After
a number of amendments and budget riders (direction to city staff regarding
specific spending), Council approved a budget that addresses many of the
priorities I have heard from you all throughout the year.
Reducing the Taxpayer Impact
Last year, City Council raised the general homestead exemption to the legal
maximum of twenty percent, and this year Council passed my direction to
increase the senior homestead exemption to $124,000, effective on next year's
taxes. This year, I am pleased to be able to report the City property tax
bill for the typical homeowner will decrease by $50.64 per year or $4.22 per
month. Typical senior or disabled homeowners will also see a reduction in
their property tax bill.
At the same time, some of the City’s rates and fees, including for
electricity, trash service, and the transportation user fee, will rise for
typical rate payers in response to escalating operations costs, as well as
increasing service demands from a growing population.
Please note that the Austin Energy estimated dollar change has not been
decided and the dollars below reflect Austin Energy's proposed change. The
Council will consider this rate change in November, after listening to
ongoing public input.
Taken together, the combined projected impact of tax, rate and fee changes
represent an increase, for the typical ratepayer, of 3.8% - equivalent to an
additional $169.68 per year or $14.14 per month.
Budget Highlights
The largest portion of the General Fund budget - almost two thirds (62%) - is
allocated to public safety. The remaining third funds a range of core
services including court services, animal services, family health services,
and management of libraries and parks.
The city is experiencing serious challenges filling positions - creating
risks for public safety, for example in our 911 Call Center. To address the
City’s rising vacancy rate, civilian staff will receive an across-the-board
pay increase of 4% – the largest increase in more than two decades – for 911
call takers, librarians, rec center staff, utility line workers, waste
collection and road repair crews, community health professionals and many
more. The City’s living wage – the minimum payable to any employee – will
rise by 33%, from $15 to $20 per hour, with a longer-term goal to go higher,
per Council’s recent direction.
The budget dedicates new funds and positions – including in the Office of
Homeland Security and Emergency Management – to promote resiliency and
mitigate climate change, with investments in disaster-response infrastructure
– such as cold weather shelters – community preparedness programs, and
efforts to prevent wildfire and reduce community-wide greenhouse gas
emissions.
Below are key highlights of the budget amendments that Council approved last
night (this is not an exhaustive list). Thank you to all my colleagues for
their efforts in bringing these and other important amendments. I'm confident
that these, as well as provisions approved from the City Manager's base
budget, will strengthen the services provided to our community for many years
to come.
According to the City Budget Office, the Approved Budget document will be
published in the fall. You can see the City's full press release here. We
will provide an update once we receive the final budget documents and list of
amendments and riders.
$20 Living Wage – Prioritizing our city employees, Council approved
additional funds to raise the City’s minimum wage beyond the City Manager’s
proposal of $18 per hour, to $20 per hour. Raising wages is the most direct
way to address the affordability challenges that many face, and I was proud
to co-sponsor this item with CM Fuentes who championed this well deserved
raise.
911 Call Takers – The City is facing high vacancy rates for critical 911 Call
Takers and Dispatcher positions, facing challenges similar to other positions
across the city. City HR and APD have pursued a number of approaches to
address the vacancy rate, including salary increases and stipends, as well as
the raise to $20/hour.
My Budget Rider will ensure continued attention to these positions, with City
Council review in three months on progress on reducing the vacancy rate and
the impact on wait times for 911 call center response. The report back to
Council will include APD and HRs assessment on the impact of salary increases
and stipends on decreasing the vacancy rate, any compression issues,
remaining challenges, and any recommendations for addressing these challenges.
Police Academy – The base budget funded three Austin Police cadet classes to
help fill officer vacancies and improve response times to emergency calls. In
addition, Council passed an amendment authorizing additional modified cadet
classes funded with the existing APD budget. Modified classes (for cadets
with previous law enforcement experience) would help provide up to 30 new
police cadets and help fill the vacancies, increase officer retention and
shorten response time to critical emergency calls.
Goodnight Ranch Fire/EMS Station - Appropriated the remaining costs to ensure
the construction of the Goodnight Ranch Fire/EMS station. This has been a
need for many years - the Southeast Austin area is currently the fastest
growing area within the City and response times in this area are some of the
highest in the City of Austin.
Whole-Blood Program - Additional first-response training and whole-blood
response. Whole blood is administered in the field to patients who are
bleeding profusely from a traumatic injury such as a gunshot wound, major
accident, or a medical emergency such as a miscarriage. Blood administration
in the field has proven to have a dramatic impact on the survivability of
these events.
Sexual Assault Response - This funding provides for a variety of strategies
to support the response to violent crimes, including dedicated crime analyst,
victim financial assistance fund, body-worn camera tripods, vehicles, annual
case reviews, Sexual Crime Unit detective overtime, and the Sexual Assault
Kit Initiative.
HEAL Funding – The Homeless Encampment Assistance Link (HEAL) initiative is a
strategy to immediately connect people to housing or safe housing-focused
shelter, create a path to permanent housing, and over time, eliminate the
need for unsheltered camping in our city. Council approved my budget
amendment to continue Rapid Rehousing programs related to the HEAL
initiative, as well as additional funding to purchase and operate a new
bridge shelter to replace the Northbridge shelter when that shelter is
converted to Permanent Supportive Housing (PSH). The Northbridge Shelter is
currently projected to begin renovations for PSH in 2023 and will no longer
be available for temporary bridge shelter for unhoused individuals.
The HEAL funding will ensure the city can continue to connect unsheltered
people to housing, services and jobs, and close particularly unsafe areas
from camping. Several sites in District 5 have already been included in the
HEAL Initiative, for example an area along Old San Antonio Road, and the
Menchaca/290 median underpass.
Since February 2021 when the HEAL program was created by Council, 10
encampments have been addressed. About 90% of individuals offered housing in
the City's two bridge shelters have accepted which has resulted in almost 400
people moving into shelter and connected to a path for permanent housing.
While the HEAL initiative is only one part of a community-wide response for
homelessness, it is a program that has shown successes in helping people move
off the streets.
Age-Friendly City Initiative - Funding for one full-time Community Engagement
Specialist to support the Age-Friendly Program Coordinator with day-to-day
operations and help ensure implementation of the Austin Age-Friendly Action
Plan, including emergency response systems related to weather extremes. This
position will help the city ensure Austin becomes and remains a place that is
friendly for older adults to age in place or in the setting of their choice.
Personal Attendants - One-time funding for a pilot program - to be developed
in collaboration with Austin Public Health, EMS, ADAPT, PAC of Texas, and
Family Eldercare - for personal attendants recruitment and retention to
reduce assist calls to the EMS and Fire Departments, and alleviate higher
cost care at emergency rooms.
Displacement Prevention Programming - $3.0 million in one-time funding to the
Housing and Planning Department to help prevent persons from being displaced
and entering homelessness through emergency rental assistance, the Tenant
Relocation Fund, I Belong In Austin, and other eviction/displacement
prevention efforts. This is in addition to $5 million in rental assistance in
the base budget - for a total of $8 million to help people stay in their
homes.
Reproductive Healthcare - Increased funding to provide education and services
focused on sexual and reproductive health and wellness, allowable
contraception, and/or service navigation.
Enhanced Library Card - Established an Enhanced Library Card pilot program in
Austin, similar to existing programs in San Antonio, San Marcos, Harris
County, and soon Dallas. This card includes a photo, name, date of birth, and
address. With this card, you can access all library resources and programs,
and it may also serve as a form of supplemental ID within the City of Austin.
Parks Shading Infrastructure - Direction to prioritize infrastructure to
provide necessary shade, including planting trees, for already existing and
future community activity spaces including but not limited to playscapes,
splash pads, basketball courts, and skating spaces.
District Level Planning – Funding for five full-time employees to establish a
district level planning team to further the implementation of the Imagine
Austin Comprehensive Plan Growth Concept Map and better address citywide
planning needs. This furthers the implementation of my Resolution
20220609-069 to establish guidelines for prioritizing planning areas
throughout the city to include the Del Valle area, and with emphasis on
Project Connect commuter, light rail, and MetroRapid corridors in
coordination with ETOD planning process.
District level planning enables the city to proactively address growth so
that opportunities for affordable housing, parks, transportation, and transit
are not lost in areas that fully develop without planning for these important
neighborhood amenities.
______________________________________________________
On Thursday, the Council also voted to increase Council members' annual
salary, from about $83,000 per year to a bit less than $117,000 per year. The
amount was determined by the Human Resources Department, through a market
study conducted over the last year that considered council staff salaries.
Council members are underpaid compared to other elected officials locally
(including county commissioners), and council staff are underpaid compared to
their peers in other cities.
Except for cost of living adjustments, the salary for city council members
has not been raised since 2006. Council members also can't participate in
City of Austin retirement benefits. I voted to remedy this situation for a
more realistic compensation package - to enable more people to consider
running for office under the 10-1 system of district representation and still
take care of their families and retirement.
If you have any questions about these or other topics, my office will
continue to be a resource for you. You can call us at 512-978-2105 or email
us at District5@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx.
Best Regards,
Ann Kitchen
City Council, District 5
CONTACT US
512-978-2105
City Council Member Ann Kitchen - District5@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Constituent Liaison - Dora.Anguiano@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Policy Advisor - Jason.Lopez@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Sr Policy Advisor - Ken.Craig@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Chief of Staff - Donna.Tiemann@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
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