RELEASE: Save Austin Now’s ballot measure could lead to financial disaster to city services

City’s Chief Financial Officer says cost could be up to $600M over 5 years

Ballot measure could cost more than the entire city parks system or entire Emergency Medical Services department

Cost of ballot measure could result in layoffs of 1,000+ first responders and civil servants

AUSTIN, TX – Today, the City of Austin Financial Services Department released the estimated financial impact of Save Austin Now’s November ballot measure, which could demand $120M per year out of the City’s budget – $600M over the next five years. 

“This ballot measure would bankrupt the city. It would devastate our EMS, mental health care, parks services, and so many other City services,” said Carol Guthrie, business manager for AFSCME Local 1624. “This proposal is so expensive that it could close all our neighborhood pools, shut down fire stations, close our animal shelter, lay off medics and city workers, and we still wouldn’t be done paying for it.”

$120M per year is the equivalent of the FY 21 budgets for: 

  • The entire Parks and Recreation Department ($101M) and the entire Housing and Planning Department ($16M) combined
  • The entire Emergency Medical Services Department ($102M) and ⅔ of the City’s social services ($20M) combined
  • OR the equivalent of: 
    • Shutting down the entire Public Library system ($58M) and
    • Closing 20 EMS stations ($22M) and
    • Closing 16 fire stations ($32M) and
    • Closing the Animal Shelter ($9M) and
    • Closing *all* 22 neighborhood pools and Barton Springs ($5M)

“From my initial read on the magnitude of the cost, I think it’s very likely that you would need to do a tax rate election in Fiscal Year ‘23 and beyond to comply with [the ballot measure],” said Austin Chief Financial Officer Ed Van Eenoo during the Aug. 5 Budget Work Session. “The alternative would be making very deep cuts to the remainder of our General Fund budget… It would either be tax increases or steep reductions.” 

“We need to put enough park rangers in the parks, and make sure we fund staff to keep Barton Springs and all our neighborhood pools open for everyone,” said Bill Bunch of the Save our Springs Alliance. “That’s what makes our city special. We already have to fight to make sure those special things are funded appropriately. If this passes, we all lose.”

“Austin is a safe city and to remain safe, we need to make sure we hire paramedics and respond to a mental health crisis with services,” said Monica Guzmán, policy director for Go Austin/Vamos Austin (GAVA). “To keep up with our growth, we must invest in comprehensive public safety measures, and that means funding for equitable public health, an equitable regional food system, park programming for all ages, and early childhood programming. This measure will devastate those city services.”

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