On Tuesday, Austinites will vote on Proposition Q, which, if approved, would authorize the Austin City Council to raise local taxes by 20 percent. This would continue a long pattern of annual tax hikes without meaningful improvement in city services. Our local government cannot be trusted with more money and must be forced to only spend within its means; voters should reject Proposition Q.
Austin is experiencing an affordability crisis. Half of renters spend more than one-third of their income on housing and 58% of residents rank affordability as the most pressing issue facing the city.
Despite residents’ growing concerns, the city, county, and state, continue to increase taxes. This year alone, the average Austin homeowner will pay $100 more in city taxes and $200 more to Travis County, in addition to a $64 increase to fund Central Health. Even without Prop Q’s proposed $200 hike, the average homeowner is already paying roughly $364 more in taxes this year.
The city council claims that Prop Q is necessary to fund services for the homeless and to expand public health and safety services. In reality, Prop Q is a bailout. The city’s budget has ballooned by nearly 50% over the past five years, and is now at $6.3 billion. Despite this additional funding, residents see few tangible improvements to roads, public transportation, and overall quality of life.
Wasteful spending by the city council is the primary driver of these budget increases. City Manager T.C. Broadnax earns a base salary of $470,000, representing an $80,000 increase from the previous city manager, who was fired in 2023. Meanwhile, the city spent $1 million to design an abysmal new logo. More egregiously, as the city council claims it is strapped for cash, members are increasing their own travel allotments, food budgets, and salaries in this year’s budget. These decisions epitomize the members’ disregard for fiscal responsibility and the interests of working taxpayers.
Voters must reject Prop Q. These projects are doomed to fail so long as officials cannot manage the money they already have. The best way to help Austinites and to improve affordability is to leave more money in the pockets of hardworking Texans and allow them, not bureaucrats, to decide how to use it. Prop Q will make the city less affordable for all residents. It will drive up rents and raise prices of goods in return for little progress on the problems it claims to solve.
