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SO GOOD EVENING, EVERYONE.[District 2 Budget Virtual Town Hall on July 21, 2020.]
YOU SO MUCH FOR JOINING US TO DISTRICT'S TWOS, VIRTUAL BUDGET TOWNHOME.WE HAVE DEPUTY FINANCIAL OFFICER ED.
VANNEY NOW HERE TO TALK ABOUT THE CITY MANAGER'S PROPOSED PROPOSED BUDGET AND HOW IT IMPACTS OUR DISTRICT.
AFTER ED'S PRESENTATION, WE'LL HAVE TIME FOR SOME QUESTIONS.
PLEASE SEND YOUR QUESTIONS THROUGH THE WEBEX CHAT.
AND I JUST REMEMBERED I'M SUPPOSED TO TALK A LITTLE BIT SLOWER FOR THE TRANSLATOR.
I'LL TRY TO SLOW DOWN A LITTLE, UH, PLEASE SEND YOUR QUESTIONS THROUGH THE WEBEX CHAT OR EMAIL BUDGET AT AUSTIN, TEXAS.GOV, CYNTHIA AND MATT.
MY POLICY ADVISOR, WHO STAFFS ME ON THE BUDGET IS HERE AS WELL TO MODERATE THESE QUESTIONS AND ADD, AND I WILL ANSWER THEM, UH, BEFORE MR. BENO GET STARTED.
I WANT TO TAKE THIS OPPORTUNITY TO TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE BUDGET THIS YEAR, AND ESPECIALLY WHAT WE'RE HEARING IN DISTRICT TWO AND ALL AROUND OUR CITY AND AROUND THE COUNTRY.
THIS BUDGET YEAR WAS GOING TO BE DIFFICULT NO MATTER WHAT, BECAUSE OF STATE IMPOSED REVENUE CAPS PASSED BY THE LEGISLATURE LAST YEAR, THAT ARE GOING TO MAKE IT A LOT HARDER FOR US TO FUND, UM, EVEN OUR BASIC OPERATIONS AS A CITY GOING FORWARD.
THEN OF COURSE, THIS YEAR, ONE OF, UM, WE'RE ALSO FACING A GLOBAL PANDEMIC THAT HAS HIT OUR CITY HARD AND IT ESPECIALLY HIT DISTRICT TWO IN SOUTHEAST AUSTIN AND OUR LATINO COMMUNITY, HARD AS A COMMUNITY THAT ALREADY FACES AND EQUITIES AND INCOME, HEALTHCARE, QUALITY OF LIFE, A PUBLIC HEALTH AND ECONOMIC CRISIS.
LIKE THIS ONE CAN BE ESPECIALLY DEVASTATING.
THAT'S WHY WE'VE BEEN TAKING THIS SERIOUSLY SINCE THE BEGINNING TO MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE TESTING AND HEALTHCARE AVAILABLE IN UNDERSERVED PARTS OF TOWN, LIKE DISTRICT TWO.
AND WHEN THAT HAS NOT BEEN ENOUGH, WE'VE PUSHED TO COURSE CORRECT AND DO BETTER.
AND I WANT TO THANK ALL COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS THAT HAVE PUSHED AND CONTINUE TO PUSH US TO ADDRESS THESE, THESE ISSUES.
COUNCIL AND COUNCIL STAFF HAVE WORKED HARD ON ECONOMIC RELIEF OPTIONS, INCLUDING DRAWING DOWN 15 MILLION FROM OUR CITY'S RESERVE FUNDS IN EARLY APRIL TO CREATE THE RISE FUND AIMED AT GETTING RELIEF QUICKLY, QUICKLY TO THE MOST VULNERABLE AUSTINITES THROUGH, UM, THROUGH TRUSTED COMMUNITY ORGANIZATION, AUSTIN, FEDERAL FUNDS, UH, RELIEF FUNDS FROM THE CARES ACT.
AND WE AUTHORIZED ANOTHER 12 MILLION FROM THOSE FUNDS FOR RISE AS WELL, THE PANDEMIC INEQUITIES IN OUR COMMUNITY, BUT IT PUT A SPOTLIGHT ON THEM SO THEY CAN NOT BE IGNORED BY THE PEOPLE WHO DIDN'T SEE THEM BEFORE.
I BELIEVE THAT'S WHAT THE BLACK LIVES MATTER PROTESTS ACROSS THE COUNTRY HAVE DONE AS WELL.
THE INJUSTICES THAT PEOPLE ARE PROTESTING AGAINST HAVE EXISTED FOR FAR TOO LONG IN THIS COUNTRY AND IN OUR CITY, ALL OF THESE FACTORS ARE REACHING A CRITICAL POINT WITH OUR CITY'S BUDGET.
AS YOU'VE HEARD, A LOT OF PEOPLE SAY A BUDGET IS A MORAL DOCUMENT.
IT'S A LIST OF POLICY PRIORITIES THAT OUR GOVERNMENT ISN'T ACTING AND IT SHOULD REFLECT THE VALUES OF THE PEOPLE THAT ELECTED US.
THIS IS MY SIXTH BUDGET CYCLE ON THE AUSTIN CITY COUNCIL AND MY LAST, UM, I HAVE, BUT I HAVE NEVER SEEN THE KIND OF ENGAGEMENT AND INVOLVEMENT IN OUR BUDGET THAT I'M SEEING NOW.
AND ALMOST EVERY VOICE I HEAR IS ASKING FOR A BUDGET THAT PRIORITIZES EQUITY AND JUSTICE.
WE HAVE AN INCREDIBLE OPPORTUNITY RIGHT NOW BECAUSE OF ALL YOUR VOICES TO CREATE A BUDGET THAT HELPS US TRANSFORM OUR CITY TO MAKE SURE AUSTIN TREATS EVERYONE FAIRLY AND LIVES UP TO OUR VALUES.
THAT CONVERSATION HAS LARGELY BEEN AROUND PUBLIC SAFETY AND POLICING SO FAR, BUT IT CAN'T END THERE BECAUSE RACIAL DISPARITIES EXIST IN FOOD ACCESS AND HEALTHCARE AND INCOME.
THE CITY MANAGER'S PROPOSED BUDGET IS A STARTING POINT, BUT IT WILL NOT BE THE END OF THIS CONVERSATION EVERY YEAR, THE MONTHS AND MONTHS TO WRITE, IT'S BEEN ESPECIALLY CHALLENGING THIS YEAR BECAUSE OF THE UNPRECEDENTED RESTRICTIONS FROM THE STATE AND THE UNPRECEDENTED PUBLIC HEALTH AND ECONOMIC CRISIS.
I APPRECIATE THAT THE CITY MANAGER AND STAFF HAVE WORKED INCREDIBLY HARD OVER THE LAST MONTH TO RESPOND TO WHAT THE COMMUNITY IS DEMANDING AND FIND WAYS TO BEGIN SHIFTING OUR PUBLIC SAFETY FOCUS AWAY FROM POLICING AND TOWARD COMMUNITY CITY COUNCIL WILL VOTE ON THE BUDGET ON AUGUST 12TH.
AND IF IT DOESN'T REFLECT THE VALUES OF OUR COMMUNITY AND THE OVERWHELMING CALLS FOR TRANSFORMATION, I WILL NOT BE ABLE TO VOTE FOR IT.
I DON'T THINK THAT THE BUDGET THAT HAS BEEN PRESENTED WENT FAR ENOUGH TO ACCOMPLISH THAT TRANSFORMATION, BUT THE TRUTH IS STAFF CANNOT COMPLETELY REFORM OUR POLICE AND PUBLIC SAFETY SYSTEMS ON THEIR OWN IT'S CITY COUNCIL'S JOB TO GIVE
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STAFF DIRECTION ON THE POLICIES WE WANT TO FUND.AND WE'LL DO THAT THROUGH AMENDMENTS.
BEFORE WE VOTE ON THE BUDGET, WE ALSO NEED HELP KEEPING, UM, WE WILL ALSO NEED HELP TO KEEP AMENDING THE BUDGET AFTER IT'S APPROVED SO WE CAN MAKE SURE WE GET THIS RIGHT.
AND JUST LIKE AT CITY COUNCIL'S JOB TO GIVE STAFF POLICY DIRECTION, IT'S THE COMMUNITY'S JOB.
IT'S YOUR JOB TO TELL CITY COUNCIL WHAT POLICIES THEY WANT TO SEE.
SO THANK YOU AGAIN FOR WATCHING AND PARTICIPATING IN THIS EVENING.
I HOPE YOU'RE STAYING SAFE AND STAYING HOME IF YOU CAN.
AND I HOPE THAT ALL YOUR FAMILY'S SAFE AS WELL AND ALL YOUR LOVED ONES.
UM, I'M GONNA, UH, AGAIN, JUST SEND QUESTIONS IN THE CHAT, EMAIL THEM TO BUDGET QA AT AUSTIN, TEXAS.GOV THAT I'M GOING TO TURN IT OVER TO MR. VANETTA.
THANK YOU, COUNCIL MEMBER AND GOOD EVENING, EVERYONE.
I WISH I COULD BE OUT IN DISTRICT TWO TALKING TO YOU DIRECTLY.
UM, I ALWAYS ENJOY GETTING OUT AND HAVING CONVERSATIONS WITH COMMUNITY MEMBERS, BUT, UM, FORTUNATELY WE HAVE TO DO IT VIRTUALLY, UH, THIS YEAR.
UM, GARY, I NEED, UH, THE ACCESS TO SHARING A SCREEN SO I CAN BRING UP THE PRESENTATION.
I HAVE A HANDFUL OF SLIDES THAT I'LL GO THROUGH THIS EVENING JUST TO SET THE STAGE FOR THE CONVERSATION AND QUESTIONS YOU MIGHT HAVE REALLY BROKEN UP INTO THREE AREAS.
ONE IS JUST TO SPEAK A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT THE COVID-19 SITUATION, UM, AND, UM, HOW THE CITY IS RESPONDING TO COVID-19 AND, AND, UM, YOU KNOW, HOW WE'RE POSITIONED TO DEAL WITH THE FINANCES, UH, FINANCIAL AND THE PATIENTS OF IT.
UM, I'M GOING TO GIVE YOU A VERY HIGH OVERVIEW OF THE PROPOSED BUDGET FOR FISCAL YEAR 21, THE BUDGET THAT THE CITY MANAGER PROPOSED TO COUNCIL ON THE LINE 13TH.
UM, AND THEN I'LL GO INTO MORE DETAILS ABOUT THE INITIAL PHASES OF REIMAGINING THE POLICE DEPARTMENT BUDGET AND FOLLOWING UP ON THE, THE RESOLUTION THAT THE CITY COUNCIL PASSED DIRECTING FOR US TO MAKE CHANGES TO THE DEPARTMENT BUDGET.
SO LET ME JUST JUMP RIGHT IN OF COURSE, UM, YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE HUGE WE'RE STRUGGLING THIS YEAR IS ERIC COVID-19 AND THE FACT THAT IT IS SUBSTANTIALLY IMPACTED CITY REVENUE, SERIOUSLY IMPACTING OUR COMMUNITY, THE MODERATOR OF THE ABILITY TO MUTE EVERYONE I'M TRYING TO GET THERE.
UM, SO LET ME JUMP INTO IT AND SAYING THAT, YOU KNOW, W WE WERE PROJECTING OUR, OUR PROJECTING NEARLY $200 MILLION OF TOTAL REVENUE DECLINES IN THE CITY OF AUSTIN AS A RESULT OF COVID-19 AND THE IMPACT IT'S HAVING ON OUR ECONOMY, THOSE IMPACTS ON THE ECONOMY AFFECT OUR SALES TAX REVENUE.
THEY AFFECT VIC'S BEVERAGE TAX REVENUE.
THEY, THEY AFFECT THE REVENUES THAT ARE GENERATED BY OUR DEPARTMENT, THE CHARGES THEY CHARGE BEADS FOR SERVICES, SUCH AS PARKS PROGRAMS. UM, THEY'RE ALSO HAVING A HUGE IMPACT ON OUR CONVENTION CENTER BECAUSE OF THE DEDUCTION AND TRAVEL, UM, AND OF COURSE THE AIRPORT AS WELL.
SO ALL OF THESE OPERATIONS ARE BEING SUBSTANTIALLY IMPACTED DUE TO THE ECONOMIC SLOWDOWN THAT WE'VE SEEN IN THE COVID-19 WORLD.
UM, ROUGHLY $200 MILLION OF TOTAL REVENUE SHORTFALL FROM WHAT WE HAD PRELIMINARY AS SOON, UM, PROJECTED IN THE BUDGET.
UM, FORTUNATELY WE ENTER THIS, UH, CRISIS IN A VERY STRONG FINANCIAL POSITION AND A LOT OF KUDOS TO THE CITY COUNCIL FOR ADOPTING CONSERVATIVE FINANCIAL POLICIES, AND THEN HAVING THE FORTITUDE TO STICK TO THOSE POLICIES.
BUT WE CAME INTO OUR COVID-19 CRISIS WITH NOT ONLY A FULLY FUNDED GENERAL FUND RESERVES, BUT, UM, WE WERE MORE THAN $25 MILLION IN EXCESS OF OUR STRONG RESERVE POLICIES.
AND YOU HEARD COUNCIL MEMBER GARZA TALK ABOUT VERY, VERY EARLY ON HAVING THOSE STRONG RESERVES GAVE COUNSEL THE FLEXIBILITY TO, UM, UH, IMMEDIATE IMMEDIATELY ALLOCATE $15 MILLION OUT OF THEIR RESERVES TO THE RISE PROGRAM.
AND REASON WE'RE ABLE TO DO THAT IS BECAUSE WE HAVE THOSE RESERVES.
UM, AND THAT'S JUST IN THE GENERAL FUND, BUT ALL OF OUR MAJOR ENTERPRISE OPERATIONS, UM, HAVE THEIR OWN RESERVES AND HIGH LEVELS OF RESERVES.
SO THEIR CONVENTION CENTER AND AIRPORT WITH YOUR BOOK, UH, BEING SERIOUSLY IMPACTED FROM A REVENUE PERSPECTIVE, HAVE THEIR OWN RESERVES THAT THEY CAN RELY ON TO MANAGE THROUGH THIS PRICES.
UM, ANOTHER AREA IS JUST OUR CONSERVATIVE BUDGETING PRACTICES.
SO EVERY YEAR WE'RE TASKED IN THE BUDGET OFFICE WITH MAKING ASSUMPTIONS AND PROJECTIONS ABOUT SALES TAX REVENUES.
IT'S ONE OF THE KEY ASSUMPTIONS THAT DRIVES, UM, HOW MUCH MONEY WE CAN SPEND EVERY YEAR AND WHAT KIND OF PRIORITIES WE'RE GOING TO BE ABLE TO ADDRESS.
UM, AND THE HAS ALWAYS TAKEN A CONSERVATIVE POSTURE ON THAT.
SO WHAT THAT TRANSLATES INTO IS THAT, UM, AS OF JANUARY, UM, IN THE MONTH
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LEADING UP TO THE CRISIS, REALLY COMING AUSTIN, WE WERE ON PRACTIC SEED, OUR SALES TAX REVENUES FOR THE YEAR BY MORE THAN $10 MILLION.UM, EVEN TODAY THROUGH, THROUGH MAY, I SHOULD SAY, NOT TODAY, UM, THERE'S A TWO MONTH LAG ON THE SALES TAX REPORTING, BUT THROUGH OUR MOST RECENT SALES TAX COLLECTIONS, UM, IN MAY, WE'RE ACTUALLY STILL AHEAD OF WHERE WE WERE, UM, LAST FISCAL YEAR AND JUST SLIGHTLY BEHIND OUR BUDGETED LEVEL WHERE OUR PROJECTED LEVELS.
SO, YOU KNOW, THE FACT THAT WE TOOK THAT CONSERVATIVE POSITION AND PUT US IN A MUCH BETTER SPOT, UM, OR, UH, UM, GETTING THROUGH THE CRISIS BECAUSE WE DIDN'T OVER COMMIT AND OVER ANTICIPATE THE AMOUNT OF REVENUE THAT WE HAVE NOW THAT IS GOING TO GET OUR SALES TAX REVENUES ARE GOING TO CONTINUE TO DECLINE.
WE KNOW THAT, AND WE FULLY EXPECT WE'RE GOING TO END THE YEAR, A FAIR BIT BELOW OUR BUDGETED LEVELS.
UM, BUT, BUT AGAIN, IT WOULD HAVE BEEN A LOT WORSE.
HAD WE BEEN MORE AGGRESSIVE IN SALES TAX ASSUMPTIONS? SO THAT'S ANOTHER GOOD NEWS STORY.
WE ALSO ALWAYS REALLY STRUCTURE OUR GENERAL FUND BUDGET TO NOT BE OVERLY AGGRESSIVE ON THE EXPENDITURE SIDE.
UM, WE ALWAYS TRY TO FULLY FUND PROJECTS AND NOT DELAY THEM MAYBE TILL A MIDYEAR IMPLEMENTATION, WHICH MAKES THEM CHEAPER IN A YEAR, YOU'RE IMPLEMENTING IT, BUT THEN THOSE COST INCREASES CATCH UP WITH YOU LATER.
SO, UM, VERY CONSERVATIVE BUDGETING PRACTICES.
WE HAVE A REALLY DIVERSE REVENUE MIX, WHICH IS GREAT NEWS FOR ALL OF US.
NEARLY 70% OF OUR REVENUES ARE NOT PROJECTED TO BE IMPACTED BY COVID-19, BUT THAT 23% THAT IS REPRESENTED BY SALES TAXES ON DEFINITELY IT BEING SUBSTANTIALLY HIT.
UM, WE HAVE GREAT LIQUIDITY IN THE CITY, WHICH PUTS US IN A STRONG FINANCIAL POSITION AND MEET OUR, UH, ALL OF OUR FINANCIAL COMMITMENTS DURING THIS PERIOD WHILE WHILE REVENUES ARE DOWN.
AND FOR ALL THESE REASONS, UM, WE ARE THE ONLY LARGE TEXAS CITY, UM, THAT IS AAA RATED BY ALL THREE OF THE MAJOR, UH, CREDIT RATINGS MOODY'S AND STANDARDS OF WHORE BITCH.
I'LL, I'LL GIVE THE CITY OF AUSTIN TO THE HIGHEST POSSIBLE CREDIT RATING, WHICH RESULTS IN SAVINGS TO YOU.
THE TAXPAYER, WHEN THE CITY GOES OUT TO THE MARKET ISSUE, BONDS TO BUILD NEW LIBRARIES, TO BUILD NEW FIRE STATIONS, UH, WE GET THE LOWEST POSSIBLE INTEREST RATES, UM, AS A RESULT OF THAT STRONG, THIS IS DAHLIA.
CAN YOU, SO THE INTERPRETER CAN KEEP IT, KEEP UP.
UM, THIS IS A, A LOOK AT OUR COVID-19 SPENDING FRAMEWORK, AND THERE HAS BEEN A LOT OF FUNDING COMING INTO THE CITY OF AUSTIN, OTHER CITIES AND THE REGION, UM, TO HELP WITH THE MANY, MANY NEEDS RELATED TO COVID-19 AND HOW IT'S IMPACTING OUR COMMUNITY.
UH, THE BIGGEST PIECE OF FUNDING WE'VE RECEIVED TODAY IS CALLED THE CORONAVIRUS RELIEF FUND.
THIS IS A PORTION OF THE BIGGER CARE ZACK PACKAGE THAT THE, UM, THAT THE CONGRESS AND THE SENATE PASSED.
UM, UM, I THINK IT WAS BACK IN MARCH WHEN THIS BILL PASSED, UM, 170 POINT $8 MILLION OF THAT FUNDING CAME INTO AUSTIN FROM THE RELIEF FUND.
THAT FUND WAS DESIGNED TO PROVIDE, UM, UM, FUNDING TO CITIES, TO DEAL WITH THE EMERGENCY RESPONSE, UM, TO PROVIDE FOR THE MEDICAL AND PUBLIC HEALTH NEEDS OF THE COMMUNITY.
AND THEN ALSO TO PROVIDE ECONOMIC SUPPORT THE MEMBERS OF THE COMMUNITY THAT HAVE BEEN IMPACTED, UM, ECONOMICALLY BY THE, UH, THE STATE HOME STAY SAFE ORDERS.
UM, ANOTHER BIG PIECE IS THE AIRPORT IMPROVEMENT FUND.
UM, THAT'S A PRETTY BIG, SPECIFIC AND DEDICATED, UM, PORTION OF THE CARRIER.
ZACK THAT CLEARLY BY THE TITLE CAN ONLY BE USED, UM, TO SUPPORT AIRPORT OPERATIONS.
EMA IS THE FEDERAL EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AGENCY.
WE ARE ESTIMATING RIGHT NOW THAT OUR FEMA REIMBURSEMENT WILL, WILL BE $55 MILLION.
THAT NUMBER IS GOING TO FLUCTUATE DEPENDING ON HOW LONG THE KOBE CRISIS LASTS, UM, AND WHAT OUR ULTIMATE EXPENDITURES ARE AND RESPONDING TO IT OR WHAT, WHICH OF THOSE EXPENDITURES WILL BE ELIGIBLE FOR, UH, THE ORDINANCE AND MANAGEMENT REIMBURSEMENT.
BUT, UM, WE'VE BEEN SPENDING A LOT OF TIME WORKING THROUGH THAT AND ARE PROJECTING A $55 MILLION REIMBURSEMENT FROM THAT SOURCE.
UH, AGAIN, THOSE GENERAL FUND RESERVES, THE BACK THAT WE CAME INTO THIS PRICE IS $25 MILLION AHEAD OF OUR RESERVE POLICY.
UM, GIVES US A LOT OF FLEXIBILITY.
UM, UM, THE FUND PROGRAMS THAT MAYBE OTHER COMMUNITIES AREN'T ABLE TO FUND, BECAUSE ALL THESE FEDERAL SOURCES OF, OF RAMP FUNDING HAVE A LOT OF RESTRICTIONS PLACED UPON THEM IN REGARDS TO, AND WHEN, UM, WE'RE ABLE TO USE THE FUNDS, THE GENERAL FUND DOLLARS HAVE MUCH MORE FLEXIBILITY ON IS THE HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT
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DEPARTMENT.UM, AND WE RECEIVED AN INFLUX OF $7 MILLION FROM HUD AS PART OF OUR SPENDING FRAMEWORK.
SO CAN I INTERRUPT REAL QUICK? SORRY.
THIS IS YEAH, YOUR SLIDES AREN'T SHOWING.
AND SO I'M NOT SURE WE'RE TRYING TO WORK THAT OUT BEHIND THE SCENES.
UM, I JUST WANTED TO CHECK WITH YOU AND LET YOU KNOW AND SEE IF MAYBE THERE WAS A SHARE SCREEN SETTING OR SOMETHING THAT YOU CAN, YOU CAN SEE, THERE WE GO.
UM, SO THAT IS WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE.
THAT HOPEFULLY MAKES MORE SENSE TO EVERYBODY NOW THAT YOU CAN ACTUALLY SEE WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT.
THE FIRST TWO SLIDES WERE JUST BULLET POINTS, UM, OF WHAT I WAS SAYING.
UM, AND THEN THIS IS JUST A PIE CHART OF THAT 330 POINT $3 MILLION SPENDING FRAMEWORK.
WELL, THANK YOU FOR REMINDING ME MOVE TO THE NEXT SLIDE THEN IS, IS HOW THAT $330 MILLION AT A VERY HIGH LEVEL HAS BEEN ALLOCATED.
THE AIRPORT PIECE KIND OF MAKES SENSE, RIGHT? IT ALL NEEDS TO BE DEDICATED TOWARD TO, UM, TO THE AIRPORT.
AND THAT'S WHERE WORD WE PUT THOSE FUNDS, WHAT THE REMAINDER OF THE DOLLARS, WHICH ADD UP TO SOMEWHERE AROUND $272 MILLION.
UM, WE'RE ALLOCATED BETWEEN A HUNDRED, 5 MILLION TO EMERGENCY RESPONSE AGAIN, THOUGH THEIR EXPENSES, IF THE CITY'S INCURRING RELATED TO RESPONDING TO THE EMERGENCY, UM, 62 POINT $9 MILLION FOCUSED ON MEDICAL AND PUBLIC HEALTH NEEDS, THIS WOULD BE, UM, PROVIDING PRO LODGES TO OUR HOMELESS POPULATION, UM, TESTING, CONTACT, TRACING, UM, UH, PERSONAL PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT, ALL THE THINGS RELATED TO, UH, MEDICAL AND PUBLIC HEALTH NEEDS.
AND THEN 103.2 MILLION WAS ALLOCATED TO ECONOMIC SUPPORT FOR, UM, BUSINESSES AND INDIVIDUALS, UH, NONPROFITS, UH, CREATIVE INDUSTRIES, UH, SECTORS MUSICIANS, UM, ALL HAVE ASPECTS OF THE, UH, THE ECONOMIC SUPPORT DOLLARS PROGRAMS THAT HAVE BEEN, UM, THAT HAVE BEEN CREATED AND APPROVED BY THE COUNCIL.
SO, UH, THAT IS WHERE WE ARE WITH COVID-19 EVERYTHING I'VE TALKED ABOUT SO FAR, AND I'M SHOWING YOU ON THE SCREEN ARE THINGS THAT HAVE ALREADY OCCURRED IN RELATION TO THE CITY'S RESPONSE TO COVID-19.
COUNCIL'S HAD THESE DISCUSSIONS, THEY'VE APPROVED THIS SPENDING FRAMEWORK.
UH, THE DOLLAR HAD BEEN, UM, APPROPRIATED BY THE COUNCIL AND STAFF HAS DIGITALLY IMPLEMENTING, UH, THE SERVICES AND PROGRAMS, UM, FOR THE BENEFIT OF THE, OF THE COMMUNITY.
UM, SO THIS IS NOT AS MUCH AN ISSUE ABOUT
THIS IS ABOUT, UM, WHAT WE'VE CURRENTLY DONE FOR COVID-19.
I WANT TO TRANSITION NOW INTO OUR FISCAL YEAR 2021 PROPOSED BUDGET.
THIS BUDGET WAS PRESENTED TO THE CITY COUNCIL BY THE CITY MANAGER ON JULY 13TH.
AND IN TOTAL, IT IS FOUR POINT $2 BILLION.
AND THAT IS WHAT WE CALL OUR ALL FUNDS BUDGET AND REFLECTS THE ANNUAL BUDGET FOR DAY TO DAY OPERATIONS ACROSS OUR ENTIRE ORGANIZATION, NEARLY 70%, 69% TO BE PRECISE OF THE FUNDS IS COMPRISED OF OUR THREE LARGEST FUNDS.
THAT'S AUSTIN ENERGY, AUSTIN WATER, AND THE GENERAL FUND.
UM, THE REMAINDER OF THE BUDGET 31%, UM, IS ALLOCATED TO ALL THE OTHER ENTERPRISE OPERATIONS THAT YOU SEE ON THIS SCREEN FROM THE AIRPORT TO THE CONVENTION CENTER, TRANSPORTATION AND PUBLIC WORKS OFF THE RESOURCE RECOVERY IS THE DEPARTMENT THAT PICKS UP YOUR TRASH AND RECYCLE GOODS.
WE ALSO HAVE A VARIETY OF SUPPORT SERVICE DEPARTMENTS.
UM, IT DEPARTMENT LEAK SERVICES.
THESE ARE, UH, INTERNAL SERVICE GROUPS THAT PROVIDE SERVICES ACROSS THE ORGANIZATION.
UM, SOMETIMES HE MIGHT LIKE THE CITY OF AUSTIN'S BUDGET AND COMPARE IT TO ANOTHER SIMILARLY SIZED CITY.
THAT IS HEAVILY DRIVEN BY THE FACT THAT WE DO OWN AND OPERATE THE ELECTRIC UTILITY, WHICH IS NOT REAL COMMON.
AND THE GOVERNMENT WORLD IS THERE BENEFITS TO US DOING THAT, BUT THAT'S 31% OF OUR TOTAL BUDGET IS UNJUST RELATED TO AUSTIN ENERGY.
THIS 25% THAT REFLECTS THE GENERAL FUND.
IS THAT RIGHT? THE FUND THAT PAYS FOR THE SERVICES THAT YOU COMMONLY THINK OF WHEN YOU THINK OF CITY POLICE OFFICERS AND FIREFIGHTERS PARKS AND LIBRARIES, REC CENTERS ARE ALL FUNDED OUT OF THE GENERAL FUND.
AND SO ON THE NEXT SLIDE, WE'LL SPEND A LITTLE BIT MORE TIME DRILLING DOWN INTO OUR GENERAL FUND BUDGET.
25% OF THAT 4.2 BILLION GETS YOU TO A ONE POINT $1 BILLION DOLLAR GENERAL FUND, UM, SIMILAR TO A, UM, MOST, EVERY OTHER, UH, A CITY I'D SEEN, YEAH, OFF OF THE GENERAL FUND ENDS UP BEING ALLOCATED TO THE PUBLIC TRADITIONAL PUBLIC SAFETY SERVICES, POLICE, FIRE,
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AND EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICES IN AUSTIN.THAT'S NEARLY TWO THIRDS OF OUR TOTAL BUDGET IS FOR THOSE THREE SERVICES, PARKS AND REC REPRESENTS A LITTLE BIT OVER 9% OF THE TOTAL GENERAL FUND BUDGET WILL BE FOLLOWED BY PUBLIC HEALTH OR AUSTIN PUBLIC LIBRARY AT 5.3%.
HOW DO WE PAY FOR THAT GENERAL FUND BUDGET? UH, IT'S LARGELY A TAX DRIVEN BUDGET WITH, UM, 73% OF OUR TOTAL REVENUES COMING FROM PROPERTY TAXES AND SALES TAXES.
UM, I TALKED ABOUT EARLIER AUSTIN ENERGY AND OFTEN THE WATER AND THAT THE FACT THAT THERE WERE SOME BENEFITS TO THE CITY OF OWNING AND OPERATING UTILITIES.
UM, AND THE BENEFIT IS IN THE SENSE OF THE RETURN ON INVESTMENT THAT A PRIVATE UTILITY WOULD ACTUALLY HAVE TO PAY TO A SHAREHOLDER WHO OWNS SHARES IN THAT UTILITY IN A MUNICIPALLY OWNED UTILITY MODEL, THAT A RETURN ON INVESTMENT COMES BACK TO THE CITY'S GENERAL FUND TO HELP PAY FOR ALL THESE SERVICES AND KEEP TAX BILLS LOWER THAN THEY OTHERWISE WOULD BE.
THOSE ARE THE MAJOR SOURCES OF REVENUE AND THE GENERAL.
I ALWAYS LIKE SPEND TIME TALKING ABOUT, UM, WHAT IT COSTS A TYPICAL RATE PAYER, UM, UM, TO HAVE ALL THESE SERVICES FROM OUR UTILITIES TO OUR GENERAL FUND SERVICES.
UM, AND THAT'S WHAT THIS SLIDE ATTEMPTS TO DO IS TO NOT ONLY LOOK AT THE, UM, THE RATES THAT ARE PAID ANNUALLY BY A TYPICAL CUSTOMER, BUT ALSO COMPARE THEM FROM THE CURRENT YEAR AND WHAT WE'RE FORECASTING FOR THE NEXT FISCAL YEAR BASED UPON THE PROPOSED BUDGET.
AND SO YOU CAN SEE OVER ON THE FAR LEFT HAND COLUMN, AUSTIN ENERGY, ALSO WATER, ET CETERA.
THOSE ARE THE DIFFERENT FEES THAT YOU'LL SEE ON YOUR MONTHLY UTILITY BILL.
THE PROPERTY TAX BILL COMES OUT ONCE A YEAR, UM, IS SENT TO YOU BY THE COUNTY ASSESSOR COLLECTOR.
UM, AND THEN OVER ON THE RIGHT, WE TALK ABOUT WHAT A TYPICAL CUSTOMER LOOKS LIKE.
AND FOR THOSE ENTERPRISE OPERATIONS, THE TYPICAL CUSTOMER IS DRIVEN BY THE MEDIAN CUSTOMER FOR THAT UTILITY.
UM, SO IN AUSTIN ENERGY, THEY TELL US THAT THE MEDIAN RESIDENTIAL CUSTOMER USES 860 KILOWATTS OF ELECTRICITY PER MONTH.
AND THEN THEY DRIVE OUT THE RATES FOR US AND TELL US THAT THIS WILL YEAR 20.
UH, THE ANNUAL BILL COMES OUT TO 1056 60 AND IN FISCAL YEAR 21, THEY'RE PROJECTING A DROP IN THAT A $41 AND 40 CENTS PER YEAR DROP IN THE, IN THE TOTAL AMOUNT OF BILL.
AND THAT DROP IS BEING DRIVEN BY, UM, DISCOUNT PROGRAM THAT OFTEN ENERGY HAS PUT IN PLACE DURING COVID-19 TO PROVIDE SOME, UH, BILL RELIEF TO THEIR CUSTOMERS THAT WILL BE EXTENDING INTO FISCAL YEAR 2021.
UM, IN REGARDS TO THE TAX BILL, THE, UH, THE TAX BILL IS CALCULATED BASED UPON THE NON SENIOR OWNER OF A MEDIAN VALUE TO HOMESTEAD.
WE GET THE MEDIAN TAXABLE VALUE FROM KRAVIS CENTRAL APPRAISAL DISTRICT FOR FISCAL YEAR 21 THAT IS ESTIMATED AT $362,631.
UM, AND IN AUSTIN, A 10% HOMESTEAD EXEMPTION IS PROVIDED TO HOMEOWNERS.
SO WE DO THE MATH AND ALL THAT AND PROJECT THAT, UM, THERE'LL BE A SLIGHT UPTICK IN THE TAX BILL NEXT YEAR OF $19 AND 73 CENTS FOR THE INDIVIDUAL WHO OWNS THAT HOME, UM, TAKING INTO ACCOUNT ALL OF THESE CHANGES AND THE REDUCTION AUSTIN ENERGY, WE'RE PROJECTING A VERY MINIMAL $12 INCREASE IN THE FOLLOWING TAX AND BILLING FOR USE NEXT YEAR OR ROUGHLY A DOLLAR ALUM.
UM, I ALWAYS LIKE TO, UH, THEN MENTION, YOU KNOW, SOME PEOPLE, SOMETIMES I GET ASKED WHAT'S THIS TAX BILL AT $1,408.
AND THE ANSWER TO THAT AS WELL.
AUSTIN'S NOT THE ONLY TAXING ENTITY IN TRAVIS COUNTY NEAR ONE.
UH, TYPICALLY BY THE, YOU MAY HAVE MORE TAXING ENTITIES THAT SHOW UP ON YOUR TAX BILL, BUT TYPICALLY A, YOUR TYPICAL HOMEOWNER WILL HAVE A SCHOOL DISTRICT.
UM, THE CITY OF AUSTIN, UH, THE COUNTY OF TRAVIS, OR IT COULD BE WILLIAMSON COUNTY AND DEPENDING WHERE YOU LIVE OR THE COMMUNITY COLLEGE IN CENTRAL HEALTH.
AND SO WHAT THIS IS REFLECTING IS FOR FISCAL YEAR 2020, WHAT THE COMBINED TAX BILL IS FOR THAT MEDIAN VALUE HOME ACROSS ALL THESE JURISDICTIONS.
IT'S JUST A TICK UNDER $6,800.
AND THEN THE PIKES, THE PIE CHART IS SHOWING HOW THAT, UM, ACT BILL IS ALLOCATED OR DISTRIBUTED AMONGST THE DIFFERENT TAXING ENTITIES WITH, UM, THE VAST MAJORITY OF IT, 54% GOING TO THE SCHOOL DISTRICT.
THE CITY OF AUSTIN GETS ON ABOUT 20%
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OF THE, OF THE TYPICAL BILL.WE'RE NOT ABLE TO UPDATE IT FOR FISCAL YEAR 21 YET BECAUSE WE'RE TOO EARLY IN THE PROCESS AND NONE OF THESE ENTITIES HAVE SET THEIR TAX RATES YET.
SO AS SOON AS THAT PROCESS OCCURS, WE'LL ADD A COLUMN TO THIS TOP CHART FOR FISCAL YEAR 21, AND LOOK AT HOW THE TACTICAL IS PROJECTED WITH JANE FROM, UH, FROM THE CURRENT YEAR TO NEXT YEAR.
I'M GONNA GO AHEAD AND TRANSITION INTO A DISCUSSION OF THE PUBLIC SAFETY BUDGET.
SO, UM, AS COUNCIL MEMBER MENTIONED, THERE'S OBVIOUSLY BEEN A LOT OF MEDIA ATTENTION, UM, ABOUT THE AUSTIN POLICE DEPARTMENT AND, UM, A CONSIDERABLE AMOUNT OF PUBLIC TESTIMONY FALLING FOR CHANGES TO THE POLICE DEPARTMENT STARTING THIS BUDGET YEAR.
UH, THE CITY COUNCIL ON JUNE 11, ASKED TO GRANT INFORMATIONAL RESOLUTIONS, DIRECTING STAFF, UM, TO RECONSIDER THE POLICE DEPARTMENT BUDGETS TO MAKE IMMEDIATE CHANGES TO THE BUDGET.
UM, AND THEN TO ALSO CONTINUE EXPLORING OTHER OPPORTUNITIES TO SHIFT POS THAT HAVE, THAT HAVE BEEN PART OF OUR POLICE DEPARTMENT BUDGET TO TWO OTHER AREAS.
SO I'M GOING TO TRY TO ADDRESS ALL THAT HERE.
AND I WANT TO START OFF WITH THIS IDEA OF CHANGING THE EMPHASIS OF THE CITY BUDGET, UM, FROM THE PUBLIC SAFETY DEPARTMENT AND LOOKING MORE SO AT ALTERNATIVE WAYS OF DELIVERING PUBLIC SAFETY, ALTERNATIVE, UM, MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES, MENTAL HEALTH, FIRST RESPONSE SERVICES, AND THINGS OF THAT NATURE, UM, HAS REALLY BEEN A STRONG EMPHASIS SINCE THE TEN ONE COUNCIL CAME ON BOARD.
AND, AND THAT'S WHAT I TRY TO SHOW ON, ON THIS GRAPHIC IS, UM, FROM 2014, WE'VE BEEN TRACKING THIS ANNUALLY, YOU KNOW, LOOKING AT WHAT IS THE TOTAL PERCENT OF THE GENERAL FUND BUDGET.
I, THAT IS ALLOCATED TO THOSE THREE LARGE, UH, PUBLIC SAFETY DEPARTMENTS.
AND THEN HOW MUCH IS LEFT FOR EVERYTHING ELSE IN THE BUDGET.
UM, WHEN OUR TEN ONE COUNCIL CAME IN AND THEY SAID THEY WANTED TO SEE A SHIFT IN THAT THEY WANTED TO SEE THE PERCENT OF THE PIE GOING TO PUBLIC SAFETY COME DOWN AND THE PERCENT GOING UP IN OTHER AREAS.
AND THAT BROKE WE'VE ACCOMPLISHED OVER, UH, THE, THE FIBER CITY OF THE SIX YEARS SINCE THE 10 ONE'S BEEN IN PLACE.
UM, THE POLICE DEPARTMENT PORTION OF THE GENERAL FUND BUDGET HAS COME DOWN FROM 44% IN 2014 TO 39% TODAY.
UM, LOOKING AT THE NON PUBLIC SAFETY SERVICES, THEY THING, YOU SEE THE LIST OVER TO THE RIGHT, UH, PUBLIC HEALTH NEIGHBORHOOD, HOUSING PARKS AND LIBRARIES, ANIMAL SERVICES ON THOSE FUNCTIONS THAT HAVE INCREASED THEIR PORTION OF THE GENERAL FUND BUDGET AROUND 27% AND FYI 2014 TO 33% TODAY.
SO THERE HAS BEEN, UM, A CONTINUING EFFORT TO CHANGE THE WAY OUR GENERAL FUND BUDGET LOOKS.
YOU CAN ALSO SEE THE CHANGE IN EMPHASIS AND, UH, UM, THE POLICE STAFFING LEVELS.
UM, HERE WE HAVE IT GOING BACK TO 2012, BUT FROM 2012 TO 2016, 2016 IS THE FIRST BUDGET THAT THE TEN ONE COUNCIL APPROVED.
UM, AND BETWEEN 2012 AND 2016, THE TRENDS HAD BEEN TO ADD 45 OFFICERS PER YEAR.
OUR PREVIOUS STAFFING MODEL FOR POLICE WAS, WAS TWO OFFICERS PER THOUSAND, CORRECT FOR EVERY THOUSAND RESIDENTS THAT MOVED TO THE CITY OF AUSTIN, WE WOULD ADD TWO POLICE OFFICERS.
SO, AND TYPICALLY ADD FROM, YOU KNOW, ANYWHERE FROM 20,000 TO 30,000 PEOPLE, THAT IS THE CITY POPULATION EVERY YEAR, UM, WHICH TRANSLATED INTO 40 TO 60 OFFICERS, JUST DEPENDING UPON THE DEMOGRAPHICS FOR THAT SPECIFIC YEAR.
AND YOU CAN SEE SINCE 2016, UM, THERE WAS SOME OFFICERS ADDED IN 2017, IT STAYED FLAT IN 2018.
UM, IN 2019 THERE WAS OFFICERS ADDED, BUT THOSE WERE ACTUALLY ALL OUT AT THE AIRPORT.
THERE WERE DEDICATED AIRPORT POLICE.
UH, THERE WERE NO PATROL POSITIONS ADDED.
UM, AND THEN IN 2020, I TALKED ABOUT THAT POLICE STAFFING PLAN THAT WAS PRESENTED TO COUNCIL.
THEY CALLED FOR 30 ADDITIONAL OFFICERS FOR A YEAR, FOR THE NEXT FIVE YEARS.
SO THAT'S WHAT THAT 30 OFFICERS WAS.
UH, WE, WE, WE, WEREN'T CONTINUING TO ADD POLICE OFFICERS FROM 2016 TO 2020, UM, BUT AT A MUCH SLOWER PACE.
AND THEN IN THE BUDGET BEFORE YOU TODAY, NOT ONLY HAVE WE SUSPENDED THE, UH, THE SECOND YEAR OF THE POLICE STAFFING PLAN, THE SECOND YEAR, THAT PLAN CALLED FOR AN ADDITIONAL 30 OFFICERS.
UM, BUT IN ADDITION TO THAT, UM, WE'RE PROPOSING CUT 70 VACANT OFFICER POSITIONS, UM, THAT WE HAVE DETERMINED CAN'T REASONABLY BE BUILT NEXT FISCAL YEAR.
UM, AS I MENTIONED ON JUNE 11TH, COUNCIL PASSED VARIOUS RESOLUTIONS DIRECTING TO TAKE THESE ACTIONS.
THEY, UH, THE RESOLUTIONS DIRECTED US TO DELAY THE JULY, 2020
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CADET CLASS.UM, IT DIRECTED US TO DELAY THE SECOND YEAR OF THE POLICE STAFFING PLAN AND TO NOT ADD THE 30 POSITIONS TO TAKE THOSE OUT OF OUR BUDGET FORECAST OR FYI 2021.
UM, AND THEN ALSO DIRECTED US TO, TO CUT THOSE POSITIONS THAT DID NOT REASONABLY REFILL.
SO WE'VE DONE ALL THOSE THINGS.
UM, STAFF IS ALSO PROPOSING TO DELAY THE SCHEDULED REPLACEMENT OF THE OFFICER DUTY WEAPONS.
THAT WAS A $400,000 SAVINGS IN FISCAL YEAR 21.
IN TOTAL, ALL OF THESE REDUCTIONS CAME OUT TO BE AN 11 POINT $3 MILLION DROP FROM WHAT HAD BEEN THE, UH, THE STARTING POINT FOR THE FISCAL YEAR 2021 BUDGET, UM, BASED BY THE, MMM.
TALK ABOUT NEXT IS THE, UH, AREAS THAT STAFF IS PROPOSING TO REALLOCATE THAT 11 POINT $3 MILLION THAT WILL BE REMOVED FROM APD BUDGET.
WE'RE PROPOSING $3 MILLION TO BE PUT TOWARDS ENHANCING STAFFING LEVELS AND FUNDING FOR THE OFFICE OF POLICE OVERSIGHT AND THE EQUITY OFFICE.
UM, WE'RE PUTTING THAT PART OF THAT FUNDING WOULD BE USED TO REWRITE THE AUSTIN POLICE DEPARTMENTS, GENERAL ORDERS.
UM, AND THEN THE RESOLUTION FROM COUNCIL ALSO, UM, ASKED STAFF TO SET ASIDE SOME FUNDING TO IMPLEMENT THE FINDINGS OF, UM, VARIOUS AUDITS THAT ARE UNDERWAY AND THE RESULTS OF THOSE AUDITS, UM, BUT ALSO TO CONDUCT ADDITIONAL AUDITS.
UM, SO WE HAD, UH, VERY LITTLE TIME TO WORK ON THIS THAT WAS ALREADY MENTIONED, BUT FROM JUNE 11TH, UM, WE REALLY ONLY HAD ABOUT 10 DAYS TO WORK THROUGH ALL THESE DETAILS.
UM, BECAUSE AT SOME POINT IN ORDER TO DELIVER A BUDGET TO COUNCIL ON JULY 13TH, THE NUMBERS HAVE TO SIT STILL SO WE CAN PUT THE DOCUMENTS AND GET OUT OF THERE.
UM, IT'S NEARLY A THOUSAND PAGE DOCUMENT, AND THERE'S A LOT OF EFFORT AND TIME INVOLVED IN PRODUCING THAT DOCUMENT.
AND WE CAN'T REALLY DO THAT UNTIL THE NUMBERS SIT STILL.
SO, UM, THAT'S WHY YOU SEE THIS $3 MILLION RIGHT NOW IS JUST KIND OF A, A PLACEHOLDER OR A BUCKET OF FUNDING TO ACCOMPLISH ALL THESE THINGS.
AND WE ARE WORKING RIGHT NOW ON FLUSHING OUT THE DETAILS OF HOW THAT $3 MILLION WOULD ADDRESS THESE, THESE VARIOUS NEEDS.
THE SECOND AREA IS TWO POINT $7 MILLION TO IMPLEMENT THE MEADOWS REPORT AND IMPROVE OUR MENTAL HEALTH RESPONSE.
UM, THIS WOULD BE A, A NOMINATION OF ADDITIONAL FUNDING FOR COMMUNITY HEALTH PARAMEDICS AND, UM, OUR EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICES, BUT ALSO ADDITIONAL FUNDING FOR OUR CONTRACT WITH AUSTIN, TRAVIS COUNTY INTEGRAL CARE, TWO POINT $3 MILLION IS ALLOCATED BACK TO THE POLICE DEPARTMENT TO REPLACE IT.
SCAN EQUATED A RECORDS MANAGEMENT SYSTEM TO PROVIDE BETTER ACCESS AND MORE TRANSPARENCY.
IN REGARDS TO POLICE RECORDS, WE'RE PROPOSING A ONE POINT $1 MILLION INCREASE IN PUBLIC HEALTH FOR THEM TO ENHANCE MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES, IMMIGRANT LEGAL SERVICES AND FAMILY VIOLENCE PREVENTION PROGRAMS, A MILLION DOLLAR INCREASE TO THE HEALTH PLAN.
FRANCHER RUNNING A LITTLE BIT TOTAL TRANSFER TO SEVEN POINT $7 MILLION.
UM, THE RESOLUTION SPECIFICALLY CALLED OUT, UM, ADDITIONAL FUNDING FOR TRAINING WITHIN, UM, THE AUSTIN POLICE DEPARTMENT, BETTER TRAINING RELATED TO TRAUMA, INFORMED RESPONSE, MORE RACIAL AND CULTURAL SENSITIVITY TRAINING AND TRAINING ON THE USE OF NALOXONE FOR DRUG OVERDOSES.
UM, AND THEN FINALLY, WE ARE PROPOSING TO CREATE A NEW CIVIL RIGHTS OFFICE IN THE FISCAL YEAR 21 BUDGET IS CIVIL RIGHTS.
SO THIS WILL BE STAFFED BY, UM, STAFF THAT CURRENTLY EXISTS IN OTHER AREAS OF THE CITY'S BUDGET.
WE'RE GOING TO BE CONSOLIDATING THOSE STAFF INTO A NEW CIVIL RIGHTS OFFICE.
AND THIS $300,000 WILL SUPPORT THE CREATION OF A CIVIL RIGHTS OFFICER AND TO PROVIDE FUNDING FOR THE NEW OFFICE.
WANT TO TALK ABOUT A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE AUSTIN POLICE DEPARTMENT'S NET EXPENDITURE CHANGES.
WE'VE RECEIVED SOME QUESTIONS ALREADY ABOUT, UM, UM, WHAT THE CHANGE IN THE BUDGET REALLY IS.
AND SO I PUT THIS SLIDE TOGETHER.
YOU'RE THE HURT PEOPLE THAT ARE SEEING IT.
SO IF IT'S CONFUSING, TELL ME, AND I'LL TRY TO MAKE IT A MORE CLEAR, BUT, UH, HOPEFULLY IT HELPS EXPLAIN THE WAY THE BUDGET WORKS.
AND SO THIS FIRST BLUE BAR SHOWS THE BUDGET THAT CITY COUNCIL APPROVED FOR FISCAL YEAR 20, 2,134 POINT $5 MILLION FOR THE POLICE DEPARTMENT.
UM, FROM THAT STARTING POINT, WE WORK AND DO THEN DEVELOP WHAT WE CALL OUR BASE FOSS DRIVERS, OUR BASE INCREASES.
SO IN FISCAL YEAR 2021, THE, UH, THE POLICE CONTRACT, THE CONTRACT WE HAVE WITH OUR POLICE OFFICERS, PAUL FOR A 2% WAGE INCREASE, THERE'S ALSO PROVISIONS IN THAT CONTRACT PERTAINING TO STEP PAYING FOR
[00:35:01]
USES AND OTHER SPECIALTY PAYS.SO WE NEED TO PUT ALL THAT INTO THE BUDGET BASED UPON THE CONTRACT.
UM, WE ARE PROPOSING STAFF IS PROPOSING THE SAME 2% INCREASE FOR CIVILIAN EMPLOYEES.
SO THAT BECOMES PART OF THIS, UM, THIS BASE COST DRIVER INCREASE.
SO WE HAVE TO ADJUST THEIR BUDGET FOR BASE POS DRIVERS, UM, WHICH FOR FISCAL YEAR 21 WAS SEVEN POINT $9 MILLION.
FROM THAT POINT, UM, COUNCIL PASSED A RESOLUTION DIRECTING US TO REALLOCATE FUNDING AWAY FROM THE POLICE DEPARTMENT.
OH, I FORGOT TO MENTION THAT THE 30 OFFICE AREAS THAT SECOND, THE POLICE STAFFING PLAN, THEY WERE PART OF THIS SEVEN POINT $9 MILLION AS WELL.
SO FROM THERE, COUNCIL DIRECTED US, HEY, WE DON'T WANT YOU TO ADD THE 30 OFFICE AREAS.
WE WANT YOU TO CUT THE 70 POSITIONS AND DELAY THE CADET ACADEMY.
THAT'S THE 11 POINT $3 MILLION REDUCTION.
I ALREADY TALKED ABOUT THAT, SELL IT AT 11.3 MILLION WAS THEN REALLOCATED BACK TO THE POLICE DEPARTMENT OR THAT RECORDS MANAGEMENT SYSTEM AND FOR THE ADDITIONAL TRAINING.
UM, SO THE NET RESULT IS A BUDGET PROPOSED FOR FISCAL YEAR 21.
THAT IS NEARLY THE SAME, UM, AS IT WAS IN THIS WAY, YEAR 2020, ABOUT A $200,000 REDUCTION FROM A FISCAL YEAR 20 BUDGET.
BUT HOPEFULLY THOSE UPS AND DOWNS HELPS EVERYBODY UNDERSTAND WHERE WE STARTED FROM, UM, WHAT THE 11 POINT $3 MILLION IT WAS AND WHERE WE LANDED.
UM, AS A COUNCIL MEMBER GARZA MENTIONED, AND I'VE ALREADY MENTIONED, THAT'S A STARTING POINT.
UM, WE KNOW THAT WE WERE NOT ABLE TO FULLY ADDRESS ALL THE THINGS THE RESOLUTION CALLED FOR, UM, ON JUNE 11TH.
AND WE'VE NOT BEEN ABLE TO ADDRESS ALL THE THINGS THAT THE COMMUNITY HAS CALLED FOR THROUGH THEIR EXPENSIVE PUBLIC TESTIMONY.
UM, BUT THE CITY MANAGER AND HIS TEAM HAVE DEVELOPED A PROCESS FOR ENGAGING WITH THE COMMUNITY AND HAS ALREADY IDENTIFIED THESE, I THINK IT'S 13 AREAS LISTED ON THESE SLIDES AS AREAS WHERE HE IS COMMITTED TO WORKING WITH THE COMMUNITY, TO, UM, REVISITING THESE DIFFERENT SERVICE PROGRAMS AND, UM, DETERMINING WHERE THEY MAKE THE MOST SENSE TO BE.
UM, UM, SHOULD THEY BE IN THE POLICE DEPARTMENT AND SHOULD THEY BE IN SOME OTHER DEPARTMENT, ARE THERE ALTERNATIVE WAYS FOR US TO DELIVER THESE TYPES OF PROGRAMS? AND SO THAT WORK WILL BE HAPPENING.
UM, IT'S ALREADY UNDERWAY THE PLANNING STAGES FOR IT ARE ALREADY UNDERWAY.
AND, UM, OUR EXPECTATION THAT AS, AS STAFF WOULD BE THAT WE WILL BE COMING BACK TO COUNCIL AS THIS PROGRESS, UM, UNFOLDS.
WE WOULD BE COMING BACK TO THE CITY COUNCIL TO AMEND THE PROPOSED BUDGET FOR FISCAL YEAR 21, AND TO MAKE ADDITIONAL CHANGES TO THE BUDGET, UM, THROUGHOUT THE YEAR, AGAIN, AS THIS PROCESS UNFOLDS, THIS IS MY SECOND TO LAST SLIDE LIST TO GIVE YOU THE BUDGET ADOPTION TIMELINE.
UM, WE REALLY WANT TO HIGHLIGHT FOR EVERYBODY THAT JUST TWO DAYS FROM TODAY ON JULY 23RD WILL BE OUR FIRST BUDGET INPUT MEETING.
UM, THERE WILL BE THE SECOND, UM, UM, MEETING WILL BE ON JULY 30TH.
AND SO THIS IS, THESE ARE TWO OPPORTUNITIES WHERE THE COMMUNITY CAN COME DOWN AND SPEAK DIRECTLY TO THE CITY COUNCIL, UM, AND GET THREE MINUTES OR POTENTIALLY LESS, DEPENDING UPON HOW MANY PEOPLE SIGN UP, PROVIDE TESTIMONY DIRECTLY TO THE FULL COUNCIL ABOUT THE BUDGET.
UM, FOLLOWING EACH OF THOSE WORK SESSIONS ARE FOLLOWING EACH OF THOSE INPUT MEETINGS.
COUNCIL HAS WORK SESSIONS SCHEDULED TO DISCUSS THE BUDGET AND DISCUSS THE COMMUNITY INPUT THAT THEY'VE RECEIVED.
UM, AND THEN THAT PROCESS ALL LEADS UP TO OUR FINAL PUBLIC HEARINGS ON THE BUDGET AND TAX RATES, WHICH WILL BE SCHEDULED FOR AUGUST 12TH.
UM, AND THEN THE COUNCIL DELIBERATIONS ON APPROVING A BUDGET FOR FISCAL YEAR 2021 AND SETTING THE TAX RATE.
I'LL JUST CLOSE WITH THIS SLIDE ON THE SCREEN FOR A LITTLE BIT.
THERE IS A LOT MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE CITY'S BUDGET THAT CAN BE RECEIVED@SPEAKUPAUSTIN.COM, UM, AND DIFFERENT OPPORTUNITIES FOR THE COMMUNITY TO PARTICIPATE IN THE BUDGET, UM, AND ALSO BE FOUND@SPEAKOFAUSTIN.COM AS CANADA'S PRESENTATION THAT WE'VE JUST WALKED THROUGH.
SO THAT CONCLUDES MY PRESENTATION AND I'LL TURN IT BACK OVER TO YOU.
UM, SO NOW IS OUR Q AND A PORTION, UM, JUST A REMINDER FOR THE AUDIENCE.
IF YOU'VE GOT QUESTIONS, PLEASE SEND THOSE TO US, TO ALL PANELISTS IN THE CHAT, UM, OR EMAIL THEM TO BUDGET QA AT AUSTIN, TEXAS.GOV.
AND WE'LL GO AHEAD AND ASK THOSE QUESTIONS.
UM, THE FIRST QUESTION WE HAVE FROM THE AUDIENCE IS FOR YOU AT HOW MUCH FUNDING HAS BEEN ALLOCATED FOR ANTI-DISPLACEMENT PROGRAMS. UM, I APOLOGIZE, I DON'T HAVE THAT NUMBER, UM, UM, OFFHAND.
I KNOW IT'S A SUBSTANTIAL AMOUNT AND MAYBE WHILE WE'RE GOING THROUGH OTHER QUESTIONS, I CAN TRY
[00:40:01]
TO LOOK IT UP BECAUSE I THINK WE ACTUALLY HIGHLIGHTED IN OUR, IN OUR BUDGET PRETTY QUICKLY.I THINK THAT, THAT, THAT'S THE ONLY QUESTION WE HAVE RIGHT NOW, BUT I MEAN, DO YOU THINK, DO YOU HAVE A LINE ITEM FOR THAT? CAUSE I WAS ALSO THINKING IN SEEING THAT QUESTION THAT WOULDN'T, YOU KNOW, THAT WOULD INCLUDE THE $250 MILLION HOUSING BOND THAT I WOULD SAY IS CATEGORIZED AS ANTI-DISPLACEMENT AS WELL AS THE, WAS IT 18 MILLION FOR RENTAL ASSISTANCE? I WOULD SAY IT'S CATEGORIZED AS ANTI-DISPLACEMENT.
DO YOU REMEMBER THE TOTAL AMOUNT THAT WE AIDED FOR RENTAL ASSISTANCE? 27, 27 MILLION COMES TO MIND, BUT AGAIN, I CAN LOOK THAT ONE UP REALLY QUICKLY JUST TO MAKE SURE WE'RE CLEAR ON THAT.
AND THAT WAS PART OF THAT, THAT IS PART OF THAT 330 MILLION COVID THAT WOULD BE OVER AND ABOVE THE FYI 21 MOUNTAIN I'M GOING TO LOOK AT, AND THEN THE BOND DOLLARS THAT $250 BILLION BOND WOULD BE OVER AND ABOVE THAT.
SO YEAH, I GUESS THAT A LOT OF MONEY IN THE BUDGET FOR, UH, UH, DISPLACEMENT AND RENTAL ASSISTANCE.
THAT'S A, YOU KNOW, THAT CATEGORY WOULD INCLUDE, UM, HOUSING TRUST FUND AND, UM, ANY LAND TRUSTS WE WE'VE INVESTED IN AND, AND ANY, ANY AFFORDABLE HOUSING, UM, WOULD ALSO BE INCLUDED IN THAT.
BUT, UM, SO IT'S HARD TO JUST, IT'S JUST ONE LINE ITEM.
IT'S, IT'S SEVERAL DIFFERENT COMES FROM SEVERAL DIFFERENT PLACES, BUT IF YOU CAN FIND THAT, UM, WE HAVE ANOTHER QUESTION COMING IN, UM, WHEN WILL THE BUDGET BE PASSED BY? SO THE, UM, THE BUDGET HEARINGS, WE CALL THEM OUR SCHEDULE, UM, UM, FOR AUGUST 12TH, 13TH IMPORTANT.
THEY DON'T HAVE TO TAKE THREE DAYS, BUT THEY CAN, UH, THE LAST TWO YEARS COUNCIL AND THE DOC AND THE BUDGET DURING THE FIRST DAY OF THAT PROCESS.
UM, BUT, BUT THEY CAN AND HAVE EXTENDED INTO THE SECOND OR EVEN RIGHT.
AND THE NEXT QUESTION WE'VE GOTTEN FROM THE CHAT IS, WOULD THE NH CD SLASH A H F C UM, GEO REPAIR PROGRAM BE PART OF THAT AND HAS THAT INCREASED? SO THAT REFERRING TO THE QUESTION PRIOR TO THE, WHEN I JUST ASKED, IS IT, IS IT, IS THE GO HOME REPAIR PART OF THE DISPLACEMENT DOLLARS? I THINK THAT'S A THAT'S WE CONSIDER THAT A SEPARATE CATEGORY.
AND, UM, UH, I'M GOING TO HAVE TO SAY, I THINK I'M LIKE OVER TWO NOW ON QUESTIONS.
CAUSE I DON'T, I DON'T KNOW THAT SPECIFIC DOLLAR AMOUNT EITHER.
AND I, I APOLOGIZE FOR THAT, BUT YOU KNOW, THAT'S ALSO KIND OF ONE OF THOSE THINGS WHERE WE'LL, WE HAVE MONEY THAT COMES FROM OUR HOUSING PRESS BOND THAT GETS ALLOCATED EACH YEAR TO OUR GO HOME, REPAIR OUR HOMEWORK OR PROJECTS.
THEN WE HAVE THE GENERAL OBLIGATION BONDS.
THAT'S THE GEO OF THE GO HOME REPAIR.
UM, AND SO A PORTION OF THAT $250 MILLION, IT WAS FOR HOME REPAIR.
I JUST DON'T REMEMBER THE EXACT AMOUNT.
UM, I DON'T SEE ANY MORE QUESTIONS JUST YET.
I THINK THIS WAS, IS KATIE KATIE, IS SHE JUST GIVING US INFO ON THE AFFORDABLE HOUSING BONDS? IT LOOKS LIKE, SO I DON'T SEE A QUESTION THERE.
KATIE, ANY WORDS REMAIN? SO SHE'S PROBABLY QUESTIONS I'M FLOUNDERING ON GOOD STAFF.
UM, CAN YOU TALK JUST BECAUSE, UM, ABOUT THE REVENUE CAPS SAYS AND HELP PEOPLE UNDERSTAND WHAT THAT, WHAT THAT BIG CHANGE MEANT THAT THREE AND A HALF VERSUS THE EIGHT.
AND, UM, SO FOLKS CAN UNDERSTAND THE DILEMMA THAT WE WERE ALREADY IN, EVEN BEFORE THE CURRENT, THE SEVERAL CRISISES THAT WE HAVE FACED YOUR AUNT.
UM, SO TRADITION TRADITIONALLY GOING BACK DECADES AND DECADES, THE STATE TAXING SYSTEM GAVE CITIES THE AUTHORITY TO DO A PROPERTY TAX INCREASE OF UP TO 8% PER YEAR.
SO IF THEY'RE GIVE YOUR PROPERTY TAX REVENUES LAST YEAR WERE A HUNDRED MILLION DOLLARS.
YOU COULD HAVE UP TO $108 MILLION NEXT YEAR, YOU RUN YOUR CITY FOR OPERATIONS AND MAINTENANCE.
THE STATE FELT THAT THAT WAS TOO HIGH.
AND SO THEY LOWERED IT TO THREE AND A HALF PERCENT.
AND SO IN THAT SAME EXAMPLE, NOW YOU CAN ONLY HAVE 103 POINT $5 MILLION TO PROVIDE EXPANDED SERVICES TO THE COMMUNITY OR TO KEEP PACE WITH GROWTH, OR IT COULD PROBABLY KEEP PACE WITH THE LABOR MARKET.
UM, SO IT WAS A MUCH MORE RESTRICTIVE, UM, REVENUE LIMITATION, UM, WHICH IN A NORMAL YEAR, IT'S PROBABLY SOMETHING THAT A LOT OF CITIES COULD LIVE WITHIN DEPENDING UPON
[00:45:01]
THEIR SITUATION AND HOW FAST THEY'RE GROWING, REALLY WASN'T THE SITUATION FOR AUSTIN, YOU KNOW, BUT ONE OF THE THINGS WE REALLY LOST A LOT, UM, UNDER THE NEW LAW IS THE ABILITY TO RAISE ADDITIONAL TAX REVENUES DURING A TIME OF CRISIS.AND SO, UM, SO THAT WAS THE LIMITATION.
UM, ALTHOUGH THE, UH, THE LAW DID HAVE A PROVISION THAT DURING A PERIOD OF DISASTER, THERE WAS AN OPTION TO GO TO AN 8% INCREASE.
UM, BUT THE, THE, YOU KNOW, THE GOVERNOR HAS SAID THAT HE DOES NOT THINK THAT THAT PROVISION APPLIES IN THIS PARTICULAR CASE.
SO THERE IS A BIT OF UNCERTAINTY IN REGARDS TO THE TAX RATE, SETTING THIS CYCLE.
UM, ED, COULD YOU TALK ABOUT, YOU KNOW, THERE'S A LOT OF DISCUSSION ABOUT IMAGINING RE-IMAGINING PUBLIC SAFETY AND YOU KNOW, WHAT, HOW THE, NOW THE COUNCIL, THE COUNCIL TAKES THIS BUDGET.
SO THE PROCESS IS, UM, FOR EVERYBODY, UH, WE HAVE A STRONG CITY MANAGER FORM OF GOVERNMENT, AND THE WAY THE PROCESS WORKS IS A MANAGER PRESENTS THAT TO THE COUNCIL.
AND NOW COUNCIL, UM, IS HAVING SEX SCENES TO DETERMINE WHAT KIND OF AMENDMENTS WE WILL INCLUDE IN, IN AS WE WORK ON THE BUDGET.
SO NOW IT'S KIND OF IN OUR HANDS, THE COUNCIL HAS TAKEN IT.
WHAT YOU'VE SEEN SO FAR IS THE, IS THE, UH, CITY MANAGER'S PROPOSAL.
AND THEN, AND THEN THE COUNCIL TAKES IT.
AND SO, UM, I THINK AS PEOPLE WONDER WHAT CHANGES COULD BE MADE, I THOUGHT MAYBE AN EXAMPLE OF WHEN WE CREATE NEW DEPARTMENTS, SO TO SPEAK, UM, LIKE THE EQUITY OFFICE AND THE, UM, OFFICE OF POLICE OVERSIGHT.
CAN YOU TALK ABOUT HOW THOSE TWO WERE CREATED, UM, UM, HOW THEY CAME ABOUT? UM, WELL, I CERTAINLY CAN WITH THE EQUITY AUTHORS, THAT WAS, UM, ONE OF THE ACTIONS THAT OUR NEW TEN ONE COUNCIL TO, UM, I THINK IN THE SECOND, SECOND BUDGET CYCLE, I BELIEVE THE CITY COUNCIL APPROVED $500,000 OFFICE STARTED IN OD.
AND THAT OFFICE HAS GROWN EVERY, EVERY BUDGET CYCLE, INCLUDING THIS BUDGET CYCLE.
WE'RE ADDING ADDITIONAL FUNDING AND STAFFING, UM, TO THE OFFICE.
UM, THE, UH, OFFICE, UM, I THINK IS, HAS KIND OF CHANGED ITS FOCUS AND HAS TRANSITIONED TO BE CALLED THE OFFICE.
UM, AND THAT WILL, FOR AS LONG AS I HAVE BEEN WITH THE CITY, UM, BUT IT WAS MAYBE TWO OR THREE YEARS AGO WHERE WE BROUGHT IN A NEW DIRECTOR AND THEY CHANGED THEIR TITLE TO THE OFFICE OF POLICE OVERSIGHT AND, UM, AND THE MISSION OF THE DEPARTMENT OR THE OFFICE, UH, JAMES, UM, OKAY.
UM, I DON'T SEE ANY QUESTIONS COMING IN, BUT PLEASE, PLEASE, EVERY FOLKS, PLEASE ASK ANY QUESTIONS THAT YOU HAVE.
UM, AND THIS IS NOT YOUR ONLY OPPORTUNITY.
UM, THERE WILL BE OTHER OPPORTUNITIES.
SO SINCE WE HAVE A LITTLE BIT OF TIME, I JUST WANTED TO TALK ABOUT SOME SPECIFIC, UH, WINS FOR DISTRICT TWO.
WE'VE, YOU KNOW, WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO FUND VARIOUS SPECIFIC FOOD ACCESS PROGRAMS THAT WILL STILL BE IN THIS BUDGET.
THEY WILL STILL BE FUNDED IN THIS BUDGET.
UM, SOME OF THOSE WERE, UH, PARTNERSHIPS WITH THE SUSTAINABLE FOOD CENTER.
UM, WE HAD MOBILE MARKETS THAT WERE RUN BY FARM SHARE, AND THEY'VE ACTUALLY BECOME, UH, A CURBSIDE DELIVERY MODEL WHERE CUSTOMERS CAN ORDER VIA WEB OR OVER THE PHONE TO GET THEIR PRODUCE DELIVERED TO THEIR DOOR.
ALL OF THOSE PROGRAMS ARE STILL IN THIS BUDGET MANY TIMES WHEN THE BUDGET IS PRESENTED TO US, BECAUSE IT'S SUCH A LOT LARGE, GIANT DOCUMENT.
WE, WE ONLY SEE WHAT'S ADDED, WHAT ARE WHAT'S HIGHLIGHTED IS OFTEN WHAT'S ADDED NEW OR WHAT'S BEEN DECREASED SIGNIFICANTLY.
AND I JUST WANT PEOPLE TO BE REST ASSURED THAT THAT OF THE ADVOCATES ADVOCACY WE'VE DONE WHEN WE ADDED IT TO THE GENERAL FUND, AS LONG AS IT WASN'T SPECIFICALLY SPELLED OUT, THESE ARE ONLY ONE TIME FUNDS FOR THIS, FOR WHATEVER BUDGET IT WAS, UM, THAT AS LONG AS IT'S BEEN IN THE GENERAL FUND, MANY OF THOSE PROGRAMS ARE STILL ARE IN THAT.
I ALSO WANT IT TO TALK ABOUT THE FIRES.
THE NEW FIRE STATION IN DEL VALLEY WAS ALSO A, A BIG ONE FOR DISTRICT TWO.
WE WEREN'T SLATED TO HAVE A FIRE STATION FOR ANOTHER 10 YEARS OR SO.
AND WE WERE ABLE TO FIND THE FUNDING, UM, UH, NOT ONLY TO, TO BUILD THE FIRE STATION, WHICH WAS DONE WITH, UM, UH, CEO BONDS, BUT, UH, TO, TO STAFF A TEMPORARY, UM, STATION,
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THE TOLL, THE TOLL STATION, AND THEN ON JULY 14TH, UM, UH, THAT STATIONED OPENED AT NOON AND THE, OBVIOUSLY THE WAY WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO FUND THE STAFFING FOR THAT FIRE STATION, UM, IN THIS BUDGET AS WELL.AND I'VE, I BELIEVE DOES THIS BUDGET INCLUDE THE NEW FIRE STATION IN, IN TRAVIS COUNTRY, STRIVE TRAVIS COUNTRY, UH, OPENING 2021, UM, WITH, UH, ONE FIRE COMPANY AND ONE FULL TIME PARAMEDIC UNIT.
SO, SO WHILE WE USUALLY HAVE A DIFFERENT STREAM OF FUNDING THAT FUNDS THE ACTUAL BUILDING OF THE FIRE STATION, WE ALSO ALWAYS HAVE TO FIND THE FUNDING IN OUR GENERAL FUND TO PAY FOR THE ADDITIONAL STAFF, YOU KNOW, THE FIREFIGHTERS THAT ACTUALLY STAFF THAT THE EMS WORKERS WHO ACTUALLY STAFF IT.
AND SO, BECAUSE THAT BECOMES THE ONGOING COST OF BEING ABLE TO ADEQUATELY STAFF, OUR, OUR EMS AND OUR, AND OUR FIRE.
UM, ED, DO YOU MIND JUST TALKING ABOUT HIGH LEVEL ABOUT SOME OF OUR HOMELESS INITIATIVES AND, AND, AND, AND, AND AREAS WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO, UM, INCREASE FUNDING IN ADDRESSING, UM, ARE, ARE THOSE IN OUR COMMUNITY THAT ARE EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS? AND LET ME GO BACK AND I'LL TIE OFF BY, RIGHT INTO THAT, WITH THE QUESTIONS ABOUT, UM, HOUSING DISPLACEMENT PREVENTION, WHICH WE CONSIDER PART OF OUR HOMELESSNESS EFFORT, KEEPING PEOPLE IN THEIR HOMES IS THE BEST THING WE CAN DO AVOIDING HOMELESSNESS IN THE FIRST PLACE IS WHAT WE, YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE AREAS WE NEED TO EMPHASIZE.
UM, BUT THAT, THAT, UM, THE COVID-19 SPENDING FRAMEWORK, IT WAS 25 POINT $8 MILLION COUNCIL MEMBER THAT HAVE THAT FUNDING OF A VALIDATED REPORT RENTAL ASSISTANCE OF THAT A HUNDRED, UM, THAT $103 MILLION ECONOMIC SUPPORT PROGRAM AT 25.8 MILLION WAS ALLOCATED TOWARDS RENTAL ASSISTANCE.
UM, SO YOU KNOW, MORE IN REGARDS TO HOUSING DISPLACEMENT PREVENTION, AND THAT WAS ONE OF THE QUESTIONS THAT FYI 21 BUDGET ON TOP OF THAT AS 20 POINT $5 MILLION OF INITIATIVES AIMED AT PREVENTING, UM, INDIVIDUALS AND FAMILIES FROM BEING DISPLACED FROM THEIR HOME AND EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS, UM, THAT INCLUDES $6 MILLION OF OUR GENERAL OBLIGATION BOND FOR THE GEO HOME REPAIR PROGRAM.
UM, ANOTHER THREE POINT $3 MILLION IN FEDERAL ASSISTANCE GRANTS FOR ADDITIONAL HOMEOWNER HOME REPAIR PROGRAMS, SEVEN POINT $2 MILLION IN CONTRACTS FOR RAPID REHOUSING.
SO WHEN THAT'S ESSENTIALLY WHEN SOMEBODY IS DISPLACED FROM THEIR HOME, THAT WE CAN RAPIDLY GET THEM INTO SAFE, UH, UM, HOUSING TO, UM, KEEP THOSE INDIVIDUALS SAFE AND, UM, SAFE ROOF OVER THEIR HEADS, UH, THREE POINT $6 MILLION FROM OUR HOUSING TRUST FUND, UH, FOR A NEW LOCAL HOUSING VOUCHER PROGRAM TO ADDRESS THE OPERATIONAL NEEDS FOR PERMANENT SUPPORTIVE HOUSING UNITS.
UM, AND SO THOSE ARE SOME HIGHLIGHTS IN HOUSING DISPLACEMENT, AND MAYBE KIND OF COMING UP A LAYER FROM THAT.
UM, WE HAVE A MOBILE IN FISCAL YEAR 21 BUDGET OF 60 POINT $9 MILLION, UM, ALLOCATED TO PROVIDING SERVICES TO OUR HOMELESS POPULATION.
AGAIN, WE DO IN THE FOOD IN THAT 20 POINT $5 MILLION FOR HOUSING DISPLACEMENT, KEEP PEOPLE IN THEIR HOMES IN THE FIRST PLACE IS THE BEST SOLUTION.
UM, 31 POINT MILLION DOLLARS 31 POINT $9 MILLION FOR CRISIS MITIGATION, UM, WHICH WOULD INCLUDE, UM, THINGS LIKE THE OPERATION OF OUR, OF OUR SHELTERS AND, UM, UM, ACQUIRING ADDITIONAL PERMANENT SUPPORTIVE HOUSING UNITS.
UM, I THINK THOSE WOULD BE SOME OF THE, UH, THE BIGGEST AREAS, SEVEN POINT $1 MILLION TO PROVIDE ADDITIONAL FUNDING TO OUR VARIOUS PARTNERS, UH, FOR SHELTER OPERATION, THE SAFE ALLIANCE, THE ARCH, THE DOWNTOWN ARCH SALVATION ARMY, UH, THE SHELTER, UH, FOR WOMEN AND CHILDREN.
THOSE ARE ALL FUNDED THROUGH CITY FUNDING, UM, UH, ADDITIONAL FUNDING FOR MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES FOR OUR HOMELESS POPULATION.
UM, AND THE FINAL PIECE OF IT IS WHAT WE CHARACTERIZE IN THE BUDGET AS RE EMPOWERMENT, HELPING PEOPLE TRANSITION OUT OF HOMELESSNESS, UM, UM, BACK INTO STABLE HOUSING, UM, WHICH INCLUDES, UM, A ONE POINT $9 MILLION IN CONTRACTS, UM, UM, OR, UH, HOPPA HELD AND OPPORTUNITIES FOR PERSON WITH A, UM, UM, ONE POINT $2 MILLION WITH COMPREHENSIVE WRAPAROUND SERVICES.
UM, SO A LOT OF THINGS IN THE BUDGET, I HAVE A LOT OF DETAILS
[00:55:01]
HERE I'M LOOKING AT, BUT I THINK THAT'S KIND OF A HIGH LEVEL OF SUMMARY WITH THE TAKEAWAY NUMBER BEING 60 POINT $9 MILLION TOTAL.AND THIS IS ALL LAID OUT AND A GREAT AMOUNT OF DETAIL STARTING OUT ON PAGE ONE 85 OF THE, OF OUR BUDGET DOCUMENT.
SO FOLLOW UP QUESTION FROM THE CHAT.
SO THIS WOULD BE THE SECOND YEAR WITH OVER 16 MILLION DEDICATED TO HOMELESSNESS SUPPORT SERVICES.
IS THAT CORRECT? THAT IS CORRECT.
AND AGAIN, THAT I'VE TALKED ABOUT IT BEFORE THAT THAT'S SIGNIFICANT AND, UM, UM, UM, YOU KNOW, JUST PLANNED INTENTIONAL SHIFTS IN FUNDING PRIORITIES FROM A TRADITIONAL PUBLIC SAFETY SERVICES TO HOMELESS SERVICES, HEALTH SERVICES, UH, PARKS AND LIBRARIES.
IF YOU LOOK AT OUR BUDGET DOCUMENT, WE'LL SEE THAT FROM FISCAL YEAR 17 TO FISCAL YEAR 19, THE AVERAGE SPEND WAS AROUND $35 MILLION.
AND WE'RE LIKE CLOSE TO DOUBLE THAT, UM, ON AVERAGE OVER THE LAST TWO FISCAL YEARS.
AND I DON'T SEE ANY OTHER, ANY OTHER QUESTIONS.
UM, I THINK WE, WE CAN TALK ABOUT I PRACTICE BEING A PODCAST PERSON.
UM, SO I GUESS I WOULD SAY, YOU KNOW, THANK YOU FOR JOINING AND I'LL TALK FOR A LITTLE BIT TO, HOPEFULLY WE CAN SEE MORE QUESTIONS COMING IN, BUT, UM, I UNFORTUNATELY CAN'T SEE THE, I CAN SEE THE QUESTIONS, BUT I CAN'T SEE THE PEOPLE.
AND SO, UM, I'M GRATEFUL FOR ALL THOSE WHO LOGGED IN, UM, TO PARTICIPATE IN THIS.
AND I JUST WANT TO POINT OUT THAT, YOU KNOW, SOME OF THOSE, THE TWO THAT I SPECIFICALLY MENTIONED, THE FOOD ACCESS ITEMS AND THE FIRE STATION WERE SOLELY COMMUNITY DRIVEN ASKS, AND THAT'S WHY IT'S SO IMPORTANT FOR OUR COMMUNITY TO ENGAGE IN THIS PROCESS, BECAUSE IT WAS A COMBINATION, YOU KNOW, IT TAKES A VILLAGE IN SO MANY WAYS.
IT'S A COMBINATION OF, YOU KNOW, SOMEBODY REACHES OUT TO OUR OFFICE AND SAYS, TALKS ABOUT A NEED.
AND THEN THERE'S AN ORGANIZATION THAT, THAT, THAT HELPS, YOU KNOW, WITH SOME KIND OF RESEARCH OR, OR, AND THEN, AND THEN, YOU KNOW, MY OFFICE DOES THE WORK TO TALK TO MORE, TO TRY TO GET MORE COMMUNITY INPUT AND, UM, AND HEAR FROM THE, FROM THE, UM, FROM ORGANIZATIONS AND, AND MAKE SURE THAT WE, WE, UH, PRESENT, UH, WHAT WE CALL IFCS.
IT'S AN ITEM FROM COUNCIL ASKING FOR A SPECIFIC FUNDING REQUEST.
AND AGAIN, THOSE TWO, THOSE TWO ITEMS WERE VERY SPECIFIC COMMUNITY REQUEST AND REALLY THAT'S WHAT THE BUDGET IS SUPPOSED TO REFLECT.
IT'S SUPPOSED TO REFLECT COMMUNITY REQUESTS.
AND WHEN, UM, YOU KNOW, THERE'S BEEN A LOT OF DISCUSSION OVER WHEN WE DECRIMINALIZE HOMELESSNESS AND EVEN BEFORE WE HAD ACTUALLY TAKEN THAT VOTE, I WANT TO POINT OUT THAT WE HAD MADE THAT A PRIORITY THROUGH OUR STRATEGIC DIRECTION.
THAT WAS THE, THE NUMBER ONE PRIORITY AT THAT TIME WHEN WE, FOR THE FIRST TIME AS A COUNCIL GOT TOGETHER AND CREATED A STRATEGIC DIRECTION WHO DECIDE WHERE OUR PRIORITIES WERE AND, AND MAKE SURE WE WERE GOING IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION.
UM, I SEE, DO I SEE SOME, A COUPLE MORE QUESTIONS? DID YOU WANT TO ASK THEM, CYNTHIA? UM, YEAH, WE, WE JUST GOT A QUESTION PASSED ALONG CONSTITUENT, IS THERE FUNDING TO THE ROSS ROAD EXPANSION IN THIS FISCAL YEAR BUDGET IT'S BEEN IDENTIFIED AS SUBSTANDARD.
I'M NOT EVEN FAMILIAR WITH THAT PROJECT.
WE LITERALLY HAVE THOUSANDS OF STREET AND SIDEWALKS PROJECT.
SO I'M NOT FAMILIAR SPECIFICALLY WITH THE ROCK ROAD PROJECT.
YOU WANT TO SUBMIT THAT AS A QUESTION TO OUR BUDGET OFFICE QA THOUGH, WE CAN QUICKLY GET A YEAR TO RESPOND TO THAT.
I DON'T THINK IT WOULD BE FROM THE GENERAL FUND, BUT I, I THINK THAT WE CAN DEFINITELY GET THAT, THAT ANSWER.
WE, THE DISTRICT WHO HAS A LOT OF SUBSTANDARD ROADS BEING ONE OF THE DISTRICTS THAT IS ON THE OUTLINE, OUTLINE EDGES OF THE CITY.
AND SO I KNOW THAT WE FUNDED SOME STUDIES.
SO WHEN ADDITIONAL ADDITIONAL FUNDING FOR THOSE KINDS OF EXPANSIONS USUALLY COME BONDS.
AND, UM, WE DID HAVE, IF I REMEMBER CORRECTLY AND MY STAFF WILL SEND ME A TEXT, I THINK THE ROSS ROAD STUDY WAS INCLUDED IN THE BOND, BUT NOT THE CONSTRUCTION.
AND THAT WAS ACTUALLY THE CASE OF, OF A LOT OF THE SUBSTANDARD ROADS IN DISTRICT TWO AND DISTRICT TWO AND THROUGHOUT THE CITY WAS THE FUNDING FOR THE STUDIES.
SO WHEN THE FUNDING BECAME AVAILABLE, UM, THESE PROJECTS WOULD BE CONSIDERED WHAT IS SHOVEL? WHAT IS CONSIDERED SHOVEL READY? SO THEY'RE READY TO GO WHEN, WHEN WE CAN FIND THAT ADDITIONAL FUNDING, BUT USUALLY THE BIG, UM, DOLLAR INVESTMENTS ARE DONE THROUGH, UM, THINGS LIKE THE MOBILITY BOND.
[01:00:01]
AND, UH, THEY'RE, YOU KNOW, THERE IS DISCUSSION OF POSSIBLE, UM, ROAD KIND OF IMPROVEMENTS, UH, ANOTHER BOND, UH, COMING UP, BUT WE, WE, WE HAVE JUST REALLY STARTED TO HAVE THOSE CONVERSATIONS, BUT WE CAN GET BACK TO YOU.UM, VANESSA, ABOUT THAT SPECIFIC ROAD.
DO YOU WANT TO REMIND EVERYBODY ABOUT THE WEBSITE WHERE THEY CAN, THEY CAN FIND OUT MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE BUDGET? YEAH.
THAT IS, UM, SPEAK UP AUSTIN BOARD.
THIS SLIDE FOR IT, BUT THERE'S GREAT THINGS YOU CAN GET ON THERE.
YOU CAN GET A LINK TO THE, UM, THE, UM, CITY'S BUDGET DOCUMENT.
UM, A LOT OF IT'S NARRATIVE BASED.
SO, YOU KNOW, IT'S ABOUT A THOUSAND PAGES LONG.
THE FIRST COUPLE HUNDRED PAGES ARE NARRATIVE AND HIGHLIGHTING THINGS IN REGARDS TO TALK ABOUT AND HIGHLIGHTING, UM, SIGNIFICANT CHANGES IN THE BUDGET.
BUT THEN IF YOU REALLY WANT TO GET INTO THE WEEDS IN THE DETAILS, UM, YOU CAN GET A LINK TO OUR OPEN BUDGET ATXA AND IT OPENED BUDGET 80.
YOU CAN START DRILLING DOWN INTO THAT FOUR POINT $2 BILLION BUDGET, AND IT STARTED OUT OF THE GENERAL ARM.
YOU CAN DRILL DOWN TO THE POLICE DEPARTMENT BUDGET, REALLY GET DOWN INTO THE SPECIFIC LINE ITEMS, DETAILS OF HOW THE POLICE DEPARTMENT IS ALLOCATED.
UM, SO THOSE WOULD BE TO SPEAK OF BOSTON.ORG IS A CONTACT POINT FOR PEOPLE TO ALSO GET OFF, UM, TO ALSO GET ONTO HOPE.
ALRIGHT, I THINK SAID, UM, AND JUST A REMINDER FOR EVERYBODY, WE HAVE BEEN RECORDING THIS AND SO WE WILL BE ABLE TO MAKE THIS AVAILABLE FOR YOU IN THE COMING DAYS.
UM, AND ALSO JUST REMINDER AS YOU'RE SEEING ON YOUR SCREEN RIGHT NOW, IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS YOU CAN CONTINUE EVEN AFTER THIS, THIS TOWN HALL, UM, TO EMAIL THOSE TO BUDGET QA AT AUSTIN, TEXAS.GOV.
IF YOU HAVE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS FOR OUR DISTRICT TWO OFFICE, YOU CAN EMAIL THOSE TO DISTRICT TWO AT AUSTIN, TEXAS.GOV.
AND THERE'S ALSO A WEBSITE UP THERE, AUSTIN, TEXAS.GOV/BUDGET.
LEARN A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT THAT, AS WELL AS THE SPEAK UP THE SPEAK UP AUSTIN.ORG SITE THAT THAT ED MENTIONED, AND THEY'RE ALL KIND OF INTERLINKED.
SO IF YOU GO TO THIS AUSTIN, TEXAS.GOV FORWARD SLASH BUDGET, YOU CAN GET THE SPEAK UP AUSTIN AND BACK AND FORTH.
SO THAT'S, THERE'S NO OTHER QUESTIONS I CAN GIVE PEOPLE ABOUT 22 MINUTES BACK OF THEIR EVENING.
SO, UM, I DON'T, IF I, I DON'T KNOW IF I DON'T WANT IT TO SAY ANY PARTING WORDS, BUT I WANT TO THANK MR. VAN NINO, WHO ALWAYS MAKES HIMSELF AVAILABLE FOR DISTRICT, UM, VIRTUAL.
WELL NOW VIRTUAL, THIS IS OUR FIRST VIRTUAL, BUT FOR DISTRICT BUDGET AND, UH, HOPEFULLY THE NEXT TIME YOU, YOU HAVE A, UH, A BUDGET TOWN HALL, WE WILL, WE, WELL, WE, HEY, I I'LL STILL SHOW UP.
I'LL BE THERE FOR THE NEXT BUDGET TOWN HALL, UM, UH, IN DISTRICT TWO.
UM, AND AGAIN, IF, LET ME MAKE SURE THERE'S NO OTHER QUESTIONS.
UM, IF YOU PLEASE, YOU KNOW, THE, THE, THE SLIDE DOES A GOOD JOB OF SHOWING WHERE YOU CAN ASK ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS, REACH OUT TO MY OFFICE.
UM, YOU CAN ALSO EMAIL ME DIRECTLY DELEA DOT GARZA AT AUSTIN, TEXAS.GOV.
UM, AND, AND LET ME KNOW YOUR THOUGHTS ON THE BUDGETS AND WITH, WITH, YOU KNOW, THAT THAT'S, THAT'S ALL OUR SCHEDULED PROGRAMMING.
UM, BUT ASIDE FROM THAT, PLEASE STAY SAFE.
PLEASE WEAR YOUR MASK WHEN YOU'RE OUT IN PUBLIC, WE ARE STILL, UM, IN, IN A PANDEMIC.
AND, UM, I KNOW MANY OF US ARE FEELING, UH, LIKE, LIKE, YOU KNOW, THIS IS THE NEW NORM, AND I THINK IT MAY BE, YOU KNOW, WE, WE MAY BE HERE FOR AWHILE.
AND SO, UM, I ALSO WENT TO WANNA WISH LUCK TO ALL THE FAMILIES.
THEY'RE MAKING REALLY HARD DECISIONS ABOUT SCHOOL.
UM, WE'RE ONE OF THOSE FAMILIES AND I'M ACTUALLY LOGGING INTO THE AISD DISCUSSION TOMORROW MORNING ABOUT, UM, WHAT, YOU KNOW, VIRTUAL CLASSROOMS LOOK LIKE.
AND SO, UH, KNOW THAT YOU ARE ALL ARE IN OUR, IN OUR THOUGHTS.
I KNOW THIS IS AN INCREDIBLY TOUGH TIME FOR OUR CITY AND OUR COUNTRY, BUT, UM, I HAVE FAITH THAT WE CAN GET THROUGH IT TOGETHER.
AND IT'S GOING TO BE A LOT OF DIFFICULT DISCUSSIONS OVER TRANSPARENCY AND ACCOUNTABILITY AND, AND CHANGING THE WAY THAT WE DO THINGS AND NEVER GOING BACK TO THE WAY THAT WE DID THINGS, BECAUSE WE KNOW WE CAN'T GO BACK.
WE KNOW WE HAVE TO INVEST IN OUR COMMUNITY AND INVEST IN THE PEOPLE WHO ARE ON THE FRONT LINES ARE ESSENTIAL WORKERS WORKING, THE INCREDIBLY HARD JOBS, UM, AND, YOU KNOW, PUTTING THEMSELVES AT RISK, UM,
[01:05:01]
UH, TO, TO HELP THEIR FAMILIES.AND SO, YOU KNOW, I'VE ALSO HEARD DISCUSSIONS OF POSSIBLY MORE FEDERAL LEGISLATION.
UM, AND, AND THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE'LL BE PAYING ATTENTION TO AS WELL, BECAUSE WE SAW HOW MUCH THE NEED WAS FOR OUR COMMUNITY COMMUNITIES LIKE DISTRICT TWO AND, AND, AND OUR, OUR MINORITY COMMUNITIES.
AND, UH, WE DEFINITELY NEED, UH, THE CITY HAS RESOURCES, BUT WE CAN'T DO IT ALONE.
IT HAS TO BE HELP FROM OUR STATE AND HELP OUR FEDERAL GOVERNMENT AS WELL AS WE ENTER, UM, YOU KNOW, THIS NEXT PHASE OF, OF THIS PANDEMIC.
SO PLEASE STAY SAFE, PLEASE WEAR YOUR MASK WHEN YOU'RE OUT.
AND, UM, PLEASE ALWAYS REACH OUT, UH, TO MY OFFICE WITH QUESTIONS AND, YOU KNOW, ALWAYS CALLED THREE ONE, ONE, UH, AS WELL, IF YOU HAVE, HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR JOINING US THIS EVENING AND HAVE A GOOD EVENING.