Austin staff outline plan to fully scope projects before 2026 bond election

Deputy Director Eric Bailey of Capital Delivery Services told the Joint Sustainability Committee that the city is shifting more project planning to the pre‑election phase for the 2026 general obligation bond so projects will go to voters with complete scopes, schedules and budgets.

Bailey said Capital Delivery Services (CDS) has convened more than 40 cross‑department meetings since May 2024 to develop a governance structure, a departmental needs assessment and technical scoring matrices tied to the citywide strategic plan. CDS will vet projects for scope, schedule, budget and bond eligibility before they appear on a ballot.

The change responds to past cases in which a bond proposition used an underspecified figure—for example, what was presented as a $5 million library did not include land acquisition—creating larger actual costs after the bond passed. "We're moving that project planning, development, scope, schedule and budget to before the bond election takes place," Bailey said.

Bailey described which types of work are typically eligible for general obligation bonds (flood and erosion control; new or replacement city facilities; rehabilitation of existing facilities; housing…