AUSTIN, Texas — On Wednesday, Austin City Council members will meet to work on the budget. On Tuesday, a group of activists met to call on leaders to make some changes.
Organizers with VOCAL-TX say they don't support the city giving the Austin Police Department $18 million in new funding. They want the city to roll back that increase and prioritize addressing homelessness instead.
"How can we possibly wrap our arms around this housing crisis that so many people are impacted by? If our police budget is ballooning, and we don't have enough funds for the things that people actually need," said VOCAL-TX co-director Paulette Soltani.
The budget includes a 4% wage increase for all city employees to address affordability. City leaders say that's a big reason why APD has such a large budget increase.
Council members will meet at 10 a.m. on Wednesday for a work session on the budget.
The $5.9 billion Fiscal Year 2025 budget includes nearly $500 million for the Austin Police Department (APD), more than $30 million for the Homeless Strategy Office and sizable investments into equitable housing, Cultural and Heritage districts, the Austin Animal Center and more.
City Manager T.C. Broadnax said the proposed budget is "Austin Focused," with investments prioritized that "reflect the principles of the community Austin strives to be: Livable, Affordable, Equitable, Sustainable, Resilient, and Welcoming"; "Frontline Focused," to improve city services and keep the city "safe, clean and an attractive, dynamic place to live"; and "Future Focused."
The proposed budget for APD, $496,292,315, is an increase of $18 million and makes up about 35% of the $1.4 billion general fund. Another major percentage of the general fund is the Emergency Medical Services budget, making up about 10%.
Meanwhile, the $30,329,721 set aside for the Homeless Strategy Office makes up about 0.2% of the general fund budget. The Housing Department, which helps with affordable housing resources, was designated a budget of $45,880,916, making up 0.8% of the general fund.