AUSTIN, Texas — A multimillion-dollar battle over how Austin spends the city’s tax money is being fought at City Hall on Thursday. The Austin City Council is deciding whether to increase the police budget while potentially slicing $5.4 million from social service programs. The city must trim spending to close a $26 million budget shortfall.

The Austin Police Department (APD) eats up the single biggest slice of the city’s general fund with a budget of over $500 million dollars. Under the new spending plan, APD will see a nearly $25 million increase. About half of that is non-discretionary and contract-driven.

“Yes, it is obviously the largest chunk of the budget, but it is also one of the things that allows the city to thrive and grow. If we let that part go, it is going to start compromising other parts of the budget, as well,” said Austin Police Association President Michael Bullock.

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Bullock says the department is still short more than 300 officers. That has led to response times to life-threatening emergencies averaging between 7 and 8 minutes. Non-emergency calls, such as property crimes, can take officers hours or even days to respond.

“About half a million dollars is going toward recruitment. How essential is that?” asked CBS Austin Reporter Bettie Cross.

“We really have not done much about recruiting since 2016, which means our needs have increased dramatically without the resources following it,” said Bullock.

Outside City Hall, Austin activists gathered to pray that increasing APD’s budget does not mean city leaders will cut funding to community-based violence intervention programs.

Greg Jackson was shot and nearly killed in 2013. He says behavioral therapy and jobs programs are crucial to preventing violence before it happens.

“If we want our city to be safer, we cannot incarcerate our way through it. We have to invest in preventing violence and shifting behavior and helping people get the support they need before tragedy strikes,” said Jackson.

Dozens of Austin residents and community activists signed up to speak directly to the city council on Thursday about the $5.4 million in cuts to social service contracts. Many say they want to keep the police budget flat and invest in social services that will also help keep Austin safe.

“Fair is fair, and if we are in a moment where the city is telling us that we do not have enough funding to take care of all our needs and we all have to sacrifice, then that means all of us, not just everybody who is not APD,” said Savannah Lee with Equity Action.

This is not the end of the budget process. A final vote on the $6.6 billion budget is scheduled between August 12 and August 14. It will take effect on October 1, 2026.