BTA Working Groups Prepare Priorities for City Projects Starting January

The Austin - 2026 Bond Election Advisory Task Force convened on August 25, 2025, to outline its agenda and work plan leading up to the upcoming bond election. The meeting focused on the timeline for working groups and the need for increased collaboration and scheduling adjustments.

The primary discussion centered on the operational framework for the task force from now until December. Members emphasized that working groups will be the main drivers of progress during this period. They are expected to finalize their recommendations for city facility projects, with scoring criteria to be established for evaluating these projects. This scoring will be crucial for prioritizing initiatives that may not fit traditional infrastructure categories.

Starting in January, each working group will present its recommendations to the full task force, aiming to create a prioritized list of projects. To facilitate this process, the task force proposed increasing the frequency of meetings from monthly to bi-monthly, beginning in January. Adjustments were also made to the November and December meeting schedules to avoid conflicts with holiday periods.

The urgency of scheduling additional meetings was highlighted, as it is essential to have these logistics in place to ensure effective collaboration. The task force aims to remain flexible, assessing the need for extra meetings based on the progress of their work.

Overall, the meeting underscored the task force's commitment to a structured approach in preparing for the bond election, ensuring that all necessary steps are taken to meet their goals by May 2026.