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2 Austin City Council members to host town hall on City budget

Councilmember Fuentes said it's a big budget dealing with things that impact a lot of people, so it was important to give them the opportunity to voice opinions.

AUSTIN, Texas —

Two Austin City Council members will come together Tuesday to host a town hall about the proposed City budget for the next year. 

Councilmember Vanessa Fuentes, who represents District 2, has partnered with Councilmember José Velásquez of District 3 to host the event. It will be held from 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Tuesday at the Central Health Southeast Health and Wellness Center on Montopolis Drive. There will be Spanish and English interpretations, as well as food and drinks.

The town hall will have a presentation from City staff to go over the budget, what's been prioritized and what still needs to be funded.

Fuentes said it's a big budget dealing with a lot of things that impact a lot of people, so it was important to give the community an opportunity to voice their opinions. 

"I value the feedback, the input of the people of District 2, and I think this is an important information exchange. It's a great opportunity to bring together our community with City staff, to have that conversation about what City services are being funded and then also how we're utilizing taxpayer dollars," Fuentes said.

RELATED: 2023-24 Austin budget proposal aims to get 'back to basics,' interim city manager says

The $5.5 billion budget proposal sets aside about $476 million for public safety and just under $56 million to address homelessness. It will also expand services like the enhanced library card initiative that Fuentes championed and increasing the City's minimum wage for its employees. 

City leaders will also host a separate public hearing at 10 a.m. Wednesday to take public feedback, but the event Tuesday gives a more intimate setting for people from Districts 2 and 3 to connect with their council members. 

Fuentes said it's important to partner with District 3 to reach more people. 

"We wanted to bring together our east and southeast and South Austin communities to have this conversation together. Our District 2 and District 3 are bound together by similar values and shared priorities. So we thought it would be kind of a fun way to work together," Fuentes said.

There will also be other City departments at Tuesday's event, including Austin Energy, transit agencies and others, to share different resources available to those who may need them. 

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