(Credit: KLBJ Staff)
Election Day has arrived, and that means Austin voters will be tasked with deciding on whether or not to allow the City of Austin to borrow $925-million, which is the largest dollar amount ever sought in any city bond election.
The massive bond is broken up into several different propositions:
- Proposition A: $250-million for affordable housing
- Proposition B: $128-million for libraries, cultural arts centers, and museums
- Proposition C: $149-million for parks
- Proposition D: $184-million for flood mitigation and water quality
- Proposition E: $16-million for Health and Human Services
- Proposition F: $38-million for public safety projects (EMS and Austin Fire)
- Proposition G: $160-million for transportation infrastructure
Propositions A-G have been publicly supported by Mayor Steve Adler and most of the city council. If all are approved, property tax bills will rise by an estimated $20-$200, depending on the taxable value.
Proposition H asks: “Shall the City Charter be amended to provide that the term of service and process for removal of the Planning Commission members be determined by ordinance?”
Proposition I asks: “Shall the City Charter be amended to make non-substantive corrections to grammar, typographical errors, capitalization, punctuation, and sentence structure; and to change or remove charter language that is obsolete?”
Propostions J and K have received heavy pushback from city leaders, including the mayor. Prop J would give voters the final say on any comprehensive changes to the city’s land development code. Prop K would call for a sweeping third-party, independent audit of every department within City Hall, including the city council itself. Estimates are that an audit could identify a minimum of $160-million in wasteful spending.
