AUSTIN (KXAN) — Austin voters on Tuesday rejected Proposition Q put forward by their city council, which would have raised property tax rates in order to fund some city services.
A city spokesperson said in a statement that the City Council would not be able to “move forward with the approved budget.”
“The City Manager will prepare current recommendations for the City Council to adjust the budget in line with the tax rate approved by voters. These recommendations will be presented to the City Council in the near future,” the spokesperson said.
Mayor Kirk Watson He issued a statement Tuesday nightAfter the election results appear. He said that he trusts the voters who will run in the elections and trusts their decision.
“Voters have prioritized affordability. They are concerned about their finances, grocery and utility bills, property taxes, and more. They are concerned about the stability of all levels of government, including city government,” his statement said. “We need to give voters a reason to trust us — to trust that we will strike the right balance between services and the funding needed to deliver those services.”
He added that it would become important for the city to “evaluate and improve” service delivery and the financial system. He also said he wants any new budget from the city manager to reflect priorities the council has already approved.
“This is not the time to engage in or stir up big, drawn-out, divisive budget political fights,” Watson wrote.
Professional Mayor Vanessa Fuentes he said on social media The city council listened to voters’ feelings.
“We proposed Prop Q to protect essential city services and those who depend on them,” her statement read. “But as the cost of living continues to rise — and as federal budget cuts continue to underfund basic needs like food, housing and health care — this outcome reflects the difficult choices many Austin families are forced to make every day.”
Fuentes estimated the city would need to cut $110 million from the city budget, but said the city’s “commitment to providing essential services remains the same.”
10th District Councilman Mark Duchin, an opponent of the proposal before the election, He described the vote as a “wake-up call.” For the city.
“Austin residents are struggling with economic uncertainty and other challenges in an increasingly expensive community, and the City Council must start acknowledging these problems rather than continuing to inflate its budget and worsen affordability,” he wrote. “My colleagues and I now have an opportunity to restore our constituents’ trust in local government, and I hope we seize it.”
Member of the Fourth District Council Chito Vela III said That the result wasn’t what [he] He hoped,” and 6th District Councilman She called her Krista Lynn “Too bad.”
“I understand that Austin is facing an affordability crisis and that many are suffering from it,” Lane wrote. “With ongoing and significant reductions in federal funding and state restrictions, we will also face significant challenges in maintaining healthy reserves and funding the programs that so many of our residents rely on every day. These impacts will touch us all.”
Member of the Seventh District Council Mike Siegel said that “It stays[s] Optimistic” that the city’s communities can come together to form “a local government that works for all of us.”
“In the short term, the Council will be forced to make painful cuts that will negatively impact the quality of life and effectiveness of city programs and services,” he wrote. “Rebuilding trust between the council and the community is critical; it is our responsibility as city leaders to be transparent, to listen, and to do the best we can with the resources we have.”
KXAN reporter Grace Reeder contributed to this report.