AUSTIN, Texas — Austin residents will have the chance to give their input on City budget priorities at a series of community budget forums beginning Wednesday evening.
Austin City Manager T.C. Broadnax will be hosting “Your Budget, Your Priorities: Community Conversations with T.C. Broadnax,” inviting Austinites to give community input on how they want the City to spend its money.
The City of Austin says that the meetings will provide “a unique opportunity” for residents to learn more about the budgeting process and offer feedback before the City Manager develops the proposed budget for the next fiscal year, which will be presented before City Council in mid-July.
POLL | What should Austin city leaders prioritize in the budget?
The first meeting will be held Wednesday evening at 6:30 p.m. at the George Morales Dove Springs Recreation Center at 5801 Ainez Drive.
A second meeting will be help on Thursday at 6:30 p.m. at the ACC South Campus at 1820 W. Stassney Ln.
Beginning next week, meetings will be held on:
Monday, March 30 at 6:30 p.m., ACC Rio Grande Campus at 1218 West Ave, Building 3000;Wednesday, April 8 at 11:30 a.m. in a virtual meeting;Saturday, April 11 at 11 a.m., Northwest Recreation Center at 2913 Northland Dr.;Wednesday, April 15 at 6:30 p.m., Northwest YMCA at 5807 McNeil Dr.
The meetings come as Mayor Kirk Watson, in a recent newsletter, called city staff to build the initial budget forecast using a “no new revenue” tax rate, an approach that would keep property tax revenue from existing properties at the same level as last year.
This all comes after the City Council had to rework the budget in November after voters rejected Prop Q, which would have added about $110 million to the city’s budget from property tax revenue.