EMS, mental health care, parks services, & more could be devastated by the ballot effort
Austin needs a comprehensive approach to public safety
AUSTIN, TX – Austin City Council Member Greg Casar releases the following statement regarding the budget process and the impact of the Republican-led petition and possible ballot measure.
“Today, our City Council struggled to add just a few more emergency medics, park rangers, firefighters, or public health staff to our budget,” said Austin City Council Member Greg Casar. “This difficult budget would be impossible if this Republican Party proposal passed, forcing the hiring of potentially 500 police officers. Austin’s budget will add more officers, but we should not be slashing our parks, libraries, and other safety services in the process.”
During the budget discussion, several council members discussed how to find funding for the following personnel, which are not accounted for in the current budget:
- 9 EMS employees for downtown
- 16 additional firefighters
- 12 park rangers
- 4 public health workers for schools
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