Austin City Council considers asking voters to approve a tax increase to fund city services
As Austin faces a $33 million budget shortfall, the City Council is weighing whether to put a property tax increase on the ballot this fall.
Austin City Council members met Tuesday to discuss whether they should ask voters to approve a tax increase above 3.5% to fund essential services in the budget.
State laws prevent cities and counties from raising taxes over 3.5% in a given year, but a public vote could allow the city to raise taxes as much as 8 cents on every $100 of taxable value on a home, about $476 a year for an average Austin homeowner.
Discussions began at an Audit and Finance Committee hearing, but Mayor Kirk Watson said it's not a foregone conclusion.
https://www.kut.org/austin/2025-07-23/austin-tx-property-tax-rate-election-budget-city-council
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