Summary
Austin City Council recently approved the city's 2020-2021 budget after months of debate over police spending.
Action Box
Even though the budget is finalized, there's still a lot of work to be done, so stay engaged! Follow your favorite nonprofit/ advocacy organization, as well as your Council Member, for updates on upcoming public input opportunities.
37,000.
That’s how many responses the city received to its public input budget survey.
In a “normal” year, that number is somewhere between 2,000 and 3,000.
But this year has been anything but normal.
20,000.
That’s how many emails Council Member Greg Casar said his office received in one week alone during these budget discussions.
Again, this year has been anything but normal.
Thousands of Austinites who have never before participated in local politics spent hours calling into City Council meetings, writing emails, making social media posts, and attending protests.
So what has been the result of all that effort?
Late last week, Council officially approved the city’s budget for the 2020-2021 fiscal year.
Not sure what their final decisions were? We’ve got a recap for you in our latest guide below.
Want to learn more? We recommend checking out these resources:
Mayor Steve Adler’s recent blog post on the new budget
Just Liberty’s blog post, sharing their take on Council’s final budget decisions
This joint statement from Grassroots Leadership and Communities of Color United with their take on Council’s decision
This Facebook Live video from Council Member Greg Casar answering Austinites’ questions about the new budget
This newsletter from Council Member Leslie Pool
This press release from the City of Austin with links to the complete budget document
