Equity Action has been the lead messenger for the community groups. It called the newly approved budget \u201cunacceptable\u201d in a Nov. 23 press release. \u201c[City leaders] chose to protect a department whose practices routinely harm the most vulnerable Austinites, instead of investing in the programs that actually keep our communities safe, healthy, and whole,\u201d the press release read. \u201cAnd it will only continue: the police contract passed by this Council last year guarantees APD even more funding next fiscal year.\u201d<\/p>\n
Council\u2019s remade budget eliminates support for many CIB priorities that would have been funded had Prop Q passed. Funding for homeless services was cut by over $10 million. Funding for programs that provide money to help families in crisis was cut. Community violence intervention funding was cut. Parks maintenance funding was cut. Funding for health initiatives like free vaccinations was cut. Funding for libraries was cut.\u00a0<\/p>\n
In the frenetic days before the vote, Council members worked to soften some of the cuts. They took small amounts<\/a> from the planned budgets for the Human Resources, Financial Services, and Facilities Management departments, along with other money, to restore $3 million of the $6.3 million that staff had taken from EMS. Council also restored a little over $2 million for the Expanded Mobile Crisis Outreach Team, which provides mental health responders on emergency calls. It restored $3 million for homelessness services at long-term housing projects.<\/p>\n Council also found smaller amounts for a select group of programs: $120,000 for the Williamson County Children\u2019s Advocacy Center, to help children who are the victims of violence and abuse; $150,000 to create food pantries at economically disadvantaged public schools; $100,000 to provide home-delivered meals for older adults; $100,000 to provide emergency vet services.<\/p>\n Since August, when the Prop Q budget was approved, CM Marc Duchen has urged the city to hire an outside auditor to undertake a review of city spending. On Nov. 19, Mayor Kirk Watson and CM Ryan Alter proposed their own spending oversight initiatives<\/a>. Watson directed the city manager to develop a system for evaluating the city\u2019s grants and social services contracts. Alter directed the city auditor to look for ways to save money across all departments and to put the findings on an easily accessible website.\u00a0<\/p>\n Prop Q opponents have also urged the hiring of an outside auditor. Save Austin Now announced on Nov. 21 that the group will begin collecting signatures to place a petition on an upcoming ballot to compel the city to perform an external audit. Critics of the idea<\/a> pointed out that the city is already conducting one audit<\/a> to find cost savings and, with Alter\u2019s direction to the city auditor, will soon be conducting two. Chief Financial Officer Ed Van Eenoo told KXAN<\/a> that, \u201cAs written, the petition appears to require duplicative work by staff and consultants that would result in an unnecessary additional expense.\u201d<\/p>\n Meanwhile, advocates for the Community Investment Budget are demanding that city leaders reallocate money in the police budget. Representatives from the city workers union AFSCME, homeless advocates VOCAL-TX, and Equity Action emphasize that there are more than 300 vacant positions in APD that the city is spending money on.\u00a0<\/p>\n City staff acknowledged the vacancies before Thursday\u2019s budget vote but expressed doubt that there is much wasted spending connected with them. The advocates remain unconvinced. \u201cIt is complicated, and that\u2019s part of the issue \u2013 the APD budget is deeply opaque,\u201d Equity Action\u2019s Savannah Lee told the Chronicle. \u201cCity Manager T.C. Broadnax used some particularly headspinning language on the dais when asked about it. But in our view, it\u2019s unacceptable to fund an empty chair at APD while you\u2019re looking at defunding chairs that are already full in those social services contracts.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n City leaders concluded Thursday\u2019s vote with the kind of conciliatory remarks they\u2019ve made since Prop Q\u2019s defeat. Mayor Watson said, \u201cWe heard the voters, and we reacted to the voters.\u201d CM Alter took a different tack, however, mourning the loss of the services for Austin residents that the Prop Q budget would have provided.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cI fought for Prop Q because it wasn\u2019t just a policy debate,\u201d Alter said. \u201cIt was a lifeline for many in our community \u2013 neighbors sleeping on the streets, seniors trying to decide between groceries and prescriptions, families relying on public health workers just for the basics. I don\u2019t want us to forget that this budget does have consequences.\u201d<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/Screenshot-2025-11-24-at-4.11.38-PM.png\")
Council Member Ryan Alter after voting to approve the new budget Credit: atxn.tv<\/p>\n