IFC regarding Implementation of FY 25-26 Budget
Posted: Tue Aug 05, 2025 10:19 am
Colleagues,
We are appreciative of the various proposals put forward by other members on the dais. The Budget & Organizational Excellence Department’s proposed process has many merits as well. After consideration of all the ideas before us, we would like to take a slightly different approach which allows our City staff more flexibility and a greater ability to adjust to Council’s priorities as determined by the final FY26 budget.
Our proposed process is as follows:
1. We pass a single unified budget that places funding for all of Austin’s needs on a level playing field, without designating items as “TRE items” or “base budget items.”
2. If the City does not receive funding from a TRE, we direct City staff to identify reductions across each general fund department, proportional to each department’s share of the final FY26 budget as passed by Council and present that proposal for Council’s consideration. This ensures that our city’s democratically determined priorities are maintained in the face of the deep, dangerous cuts required in the event of a TRE failure.
3. To provide a clearer picture of what level of services can be expected over the next four years without a TRE, staff will return to Council with an accounting of what cuts can be expected to make up the projected deficits in fiscal years 2027 through 2030 without a TRE.
Our goal with this change is to allow each department the flexibility to choose to prioritize Council allocations if cuts are required. Here is our resolution which we will present at the budget meeting to facilitate this change: https://assets.austintexas.gov/austinco ... 100934.pdf.
We look forward to discussing this approach on the dais.
Sincerely,
CM Laine
CM Siegel
CM Ellis
CM Qadri
We are appreciative of the various proposals put forward by other members on the dais. The Budget & Organizational Excellence Department’s proposed process has many merits as well. After consideration of all the ideas before us, we would like to take a slightly different approach which allows our City staff more flexibility and a greater ability to adjust to Council’s priorities as determined by the final FY26 budget.
Our proposed process is as follows:
1. We pass a single unified budget that places funding for all of Austin’s needs on a level playing field, without designating items as “TRE items” or “base budget items.”
2. If the City does not receive funding from a TRE, we direct City staff to identify reductions across each general fund department, proportional to each department’s share of the final FY26 budget as passed by Council and present that proposal for Council’s consideration. This ensures that our city’s democratically determined priorities are maintained in the face of the deep, dangerous cuts required in the event of a TRE failure.
3. To provide a clearer picture of what level of services can be expected over the next four years without a TRE, staff will return to Council with an accounting of what cuts can be expected to make up the projected deficits in fiscal years 2027 through 2030 without a TRE.
Our goal with this change is to allow each department the flexibility to choose to prioritize Council allocations if cuts are required. Here is our resolution which we will present at the budget meeting to facilitate this change: https://assets.austintexas.gov/austinco ... 100934.pdf.
We look forward to discussing this approach on the dais.
Sincerely,
CM Laine
CM Siegel
CM Ellis
CM Qadri