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Austin council seeks cuts and efficiencies as multi‑year budget deficits loom
Summary
Councilors pressed staff for clarity on volatile five‑year forecasts and pushed efficiency plans after Prop Q failed, asking staff to identify roughly $30M of savings and preserve priority services including EMS and mobile crisis coverage ahead of votes scheduled Nov. 20.
Mayor Kirk Watson called a special meeting Nov. 19 for council to work through revisions to the City Manager's proposed amended fiscal 2025–26 budget after voters rejected Proposition Q. Council members pressed staff for more clarity on a multi‑year forecast that has swung widely in recent briefings and asked the manager to accelerate efficiency work while protecting listed priorities such as EMS, mobile crisis teams and homelessness response.
“Online speaker registration closes at noon today; if you want to be guaranteed an opportunity to speak on the proposed budget amendments before we vote, I encourage you to sign up tomorrow,” Mayor Kirk Watson said as the council framed the schedule for votes and additional meetings.
Carrie Lang, director of Budget and Organizational Excellence, told council the forecast's biggest driver is sales‑tax volatility. "That fund primarily has…
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