Tag Archives: Austin Tax Rate Election

A Joyous Night For Taxpayers – Prop Q Walloped!

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By Bill Oakey – November 6, 2025

A Lopsided Victory That Will Wake Up City Hall

The final result was 63% to 37%. That capped off a long Tuesday evening of anxious waiting. The polls closed at 7:00, but the Travis County Elections website did not post early vote totals until almost 9:30. The reason for the delay spoke volumes about voter sentiment on Prop Q. People were still standing in line to vote, an hour and fifteen minutes after the polls closed!

Heads are now rolling at City Hall. Whether our leaders will change their free-spending ways is still up in the air. For far too long, they have been living in a bubble.

Mayor Kirk Watson quickly issued a post-election statement saying, “We should hear them, learn from this election, and trust our voters.” But many of us wonder how he could have misread the national affordability crisis to begin with.

Mayor Pro Tem Vanessa Fuentes Still Doesn’t Get It

On her Facebook post after the election, she made these comments:

“Finding a new path forward means cutting $110 million from the proposed budget. These cuts will have real and serious consequences – that could mean fewer paramedics on shift, fewer families receiving rental assistance and access to food programs, longer wait times for emergency services, and reductions in park maintenance and public health outreach – all at a time when many in our city need more help, not less.”

Austinites have a long history of showing support for essential City services and a high quality of life. But a 20% tax increase that would create a permanent annual slush fund of over $100 million was simply too much for taxpayers to swallow. The specific items that Ms. Fuentes cited could still be funded over time, and probably sooner rather than later. They will simply have to manage their budget the same way that Austin families have to do. We cannot afford everything that we want during an affordability crisis. And, we often make tradeoffs to balance buying the things that we need the most. It all comes to that concept known as fiscal responsibility.

Thank Goodness for City Council Member Marc Duchen!

Marc was the only Council member to vote against putting Prop Q on the ballot. Now, his office will be the strongest voice for meaningful reforms, to set the City onto the right track. I am in regular contact with his office, and hopefully there will be some good news to report on this blog in the coming days and weeks ahead. Stay tuned…

Musical Accompaniment for This Blog Piece:

1.”Such a Night” – 1960 Elivis Presley version

2. “Such a Night” – 1954 original version by the Drifters, featuring Clyde McPhatter.

Watch Out For Bad Messaging – Prop Q’s Final Stretch

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By Bill Oakey – October 31, 2025

I woke up this morning to a strange article in the Austin American-Statesman. It laid out some final perspectives and analysis on Prop Q. Two things really stood out. One was the assumption that if you are a Democrat, you must be in favor of Prop Q. Nothing could be further from the truth! The Travis County Democratic Party wound up with a tie vote on endorsing Prop Q. The party chairman cast the deciding vote, much to the great disappointment of many Precinct Chairs who voted. They preferred a “No Endorsement” outcome.

The other fallacious assumption in the Statesman article was that if you live in West Austin, you must be wealthy, and therefore Prop Q supporters can count on your vote. Well, I live In Tarrytown, and I’m certainly not wealthy. On my daily walks for the past few weeks, I have run into quite a variety of total strangers. I have yet to encounter a single one who supports Prop Q. They were all adamantly opposed to it. Their reactions were tinged with emotion.

A Tale of Two Different Mindsets

This section is best described with a final Prop Q poem and a pair of divergent images. I’ll start with the poem:

The Prop Q messaging is in high gear
That fateful Election Day is almost here
Those big dollar donors with a “vote yes” conviction
Should think about the renters who might face eviction

If you are a student, cut out of your classes
You are in big trouble if Prop Q passes
Hustle on down and cast your vote
Then go back to class, or get an ice cream float

If you’re busy on Tuesday, thinking you might not show
Just close up your laptops and giddy-up go
With Council members sipping drinks on distant shores
We must have every vote, including yours

Let’s stamp out Prop Q like smoldering embers
And send a strong message to those City Council members
Clear across Austin, in all the polling places
Let’s all come together, with defiant smiling faces!

Musical Accompaniment for This Blog Piece

1. “Distant Shores” – Chad and Jeremy

Stop Prop Q In Its Tracks – Vote While You Still Can

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By Bill Oakey – October 30, 2025

Early voting continues through tomorrow, Friday, Halloween. If you can’t make it to a polling place before the weekend, make plans to vote on Election Day, next Tuesday.

Voting In This Election Is An Uplifting Emotional Experience!

Reports are coming in from across the city that Austinites are fired up to defeat Prop Q. At a recent Barton Hills Neighborhood Association Meeting, their District 5 City Council Member, Ryan Alter, tried to make the case for Prop Q. But the members weren’t buying it. They voted overwhelmingly for a resolution opposing Prop Q. Nextdoor threads are lit up with excited folks railing against Prop Q.

But nothing quite compares to joining your neighbors at the nearest polling location, to cast your ballot. While standing in line, you will hear an amazing array of words and concepts that never seem to penetrate the walls of City Hall. Things like fiscal responsibility, transparency, accountability…oh my goodness! Could we possibly be on the verge of a big turnover of the current City Council in next year’s elections? The voices of the people are getting quite loud at the moment. City Council candidates are even stalking the hallways in movie theaters. I witnessed this last Sunday at the Alamo Drafthouse.

Oops, I guess I’m getting just a little bit ahead of myself. You just need to gear up for that uplifting emotional experience that awaits you when you go to vote! Don’t do it by yourself. It’s much more fun to gather a group of friends and neighbors to join you. The power to reshape the mindset at City Hall is in your hands, so grab the opportunity.

If you know anyone who is still on the fence about Prop Q, click on some of the latest posts for this blog, and send them the links. The list of the latest posts is shown on the right on this page. Let’s take down the biggest tax increase in Austin history – the dreaded Forever Tax that threatens to haunt us all, long past Halloween.

Letter To The Editor

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This was published in the Austin American-Statesman on Sunday, October 12, 2025

No End for Prop Q

I urge you to vote No on Proposition Q on Nov. 4. This Tax Rate Election could unleash one of the biggest property tax increases in Austin history. The city has declared a $33 million budget shortfall, but Prop Q would deliver $100 million to a fiscally irresponsible city government.

They are completely tone deaf to the hardships we face in this tough economy. Homeowners, small businesses and renters would all be hurt. Let’s join the Austin Chamber of Commerce in opposing Prop Q. The first year of this tax increase is only the beginning. Once a tax rate has been adopted, it becomes the new baseline for the next budget year. Then each year, more new taxes can be piled on top of it.

Please alert your friends and neighbors that Prop Q is a forever tax. I have been closely following affordability issues since 1983. The new budget can be trimmed. The city needs only to look at homeless program spending in other major Texas cities to find big cost savings.

Imagine standing on a hill, looking down on a winding road that vanishes into the sunset. Markers in the road show year after year of $100 million Austin tax increases. Like The Highwaymen used to sing, “The Road Goes On Forever.” But not if you vote No on Prop Q!

Bill Oakey, AustinAffordability.com

Chamber Of Commerce Opposes Prop Q

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By Bill Oakey – October 8, 2025

I am quite happy to share this news! Here is their statement, from this weblink.

Austin Chamber Board of Directors Opposes Proposition Q
City of Austin Tax Rate Election

On November 4th, voters in Austin will head to the polls to consider a tax rate election that would increase property tax rates in the City of Austin by over 16%. Austin has experienced strong economic growth in recent years, but with this success has come significant challenges, chief among them is affordability. Over the past ten years, the typical Austin homeowner’s tax bill has increased by over 65%. This trajectory is unsustainable and at a time of great economic uncertainty, it is imperative that our local governments exercise fiscal restraint. The City Manager’s original budget stayed within the maximum allowed increase without requiring a tax rate election. That budget also fully funded core services including public safety.

Last month, the Austin Chamber wrote to Mayor Watson and Council Members urging Council to minimize property tax increases on residents and businesses. We recognize the challenging circumstances surrounding this year’s budget but were disappointed with the Council’s near unanimous decision to increase property taxes by over 16%. This increase is on top of higher than normal increases in several other taxing jurisdictions including Travis County and Central Health. Austin must remain an attractive destination for economic development and job growth, and this dramatic increase in taxes will likely push people out of Austin and negatively impact our ability to attract new investments in our city. Businesses in Austin experience an outsized share of rising fiscal pressures, and the Austin Chamber remains concerned that further property tax increases will lead to more businesses moving out of our city.

It is for these reasons that the Austin Chamber Board of Directors opposes the City of Austin’s Tax Rate Election on this November’s ballot. If we fail to prioritize affordability today, we risk losing the very people and businesses that have made Austin a thriving community.

Sincerely,
Mark Ramseur
Board Chair
Austin Chamber of Commerce

Holy Cow – Prop Q Is Baked Into The Budget!

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By Bill Oakey – October 6, 2025

I never saw this one coming! Apparently, a whole lot of other folks missed it too. A section from Page 49 of the City’s Approved Budget should alert everyone:

“This budget is based on an overall property tax rate of $0.574017 per $100 of assessed property valuation, an increase of 9.6417 cents from the FY 2025 tax rate of $0.4776. Because this property tax rate exceeds the voter-approval rate, in order to remain in effect, it requires approval by City voters at a tax rate election scheduled for November 4, 2025.”

My reaction was…

It is legal in Texas for cities to include the hoped-for approval of a Tax Rate Election in their annual budgets that takes effect on October 1 of each year. But I consider it disrespectful to the citizens. The Austin City Budget can be amended at any time during the fiscal year. Why not leave the wish-list items out of the budget, and trust the voters to make an informed decision in the election?

The Largest Tax Increase In Austin History

At a time when Americans of all stripes are struggling to make ends meet in a very tough economy, we’re being asked to vote for a record high 20% tax increase. Mortgages would go into delinquency, rents would skyrocket and small businesses would suffer. Our most vulnerable low income residents are at their wits end over this thing.

A Tax Windfall of $100 Million, Year After Year, Forever!

The City reported a $33 million budget shortfall. They want to cover that with a huge $100 million tax increase. But it gets worse. That $100 million goes into the baseline for every future year. And the City can tack an additional 3.5% tax increase onto each year’s new baseline. Ouch!!

The City Has Never Gone This Far Before

Neighborhood association folks have expressed their sentiments about Prop Q in a sensible, forthright manner. Over and over, people say that they have supported City propositions and bond issues for decades. We all want a high quality of life and good public services. But, this time it’s just too much. It all comes down to priorities. Consider these debacles: The unfathomable cost of a new convention center, a previous permanent tax increase for a rail system that may never be built, and millions of gallons of water leaking every year, because of aging pipes. Top it all off with an unpopular, crazy new City logo chosen with no public input. If Prop Q fails, I will call for a major reset of City planning, with grassroots public engagement across every City Council District. We should all get together and put the city that we love on the right track.

A tax increase this pathetic certainty deserves something poetic. So, here goes…

The Prop Q Poem

Don’t scratch your heads, wondering what to do
The answer is to vote against Prop Q
No, your ears are not full of wax
This really is a Forever Tax!

$100 million year after year
With new taxes added, oh my dear
As surely as stylists use scissors and combs
Good folks will be taxed right out of their homes!

I can honestly say with all humility
Prop Q would wreak havoc on affordability
Talk to your neighbors, appeal to your friends
Fight against Prop Q till the election ends!

Please post this blog link to your social media and send by email.

Musical Accompaniment For This Blog Piece

1. “Cow Cow Boogie” – Ella Mae Morse

2. “The Road Goes On Forever” – The Highwaymen

3. “You’ve Never Been This Far Before” – Conway Twitty

4. “Over and Over” – The Dave Clark Five

5. “Get Together” – The Youngbloods

Stop The “Forever Tax” – Vote No On Prop Q!

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By Bill Oakey – September 29, 2025

$100 Million Dollars – Three Times The Amount Of The Budget Shortfall, Every Year, Forever!

The City Tax Rate Election on November 4th is something to tell your friends, neighbors and colleagues about. The City claims to have a $33 million budget shortfall. But, if the voters approve Prop Q, the folks at City Hall will end up with a huge slush fund. This thing would generate over $100 million. The property tax rate accumulates each year, and becomes the new baseline for the following year. So, the $100 million tax windfall would repeat itself until the end of eternity!. It’s a Forever Tax. And, the City can pass annual regular tax increases on top of the Forever Tax. We simply can’t let this happen!


Why Is The City Asking For All That Money?

Please, please, please don’t be fooled by the ballot language on Prop Q. It is worded to make you fear that our parks will crumble into decay, and even fewer police officers will patrol our streets, without the Forever Tax. The language is very broad, generic and vague. You will not see any specific departmental programs or services that will be expanded if Prop Q passes. And City officials have not told us exactly which specific programs or services will be impacted if Prop Q fails.

A Huge Bombshell That No One Is Talking About!

We deserve to see a detailed accounting, showing the items within each department that would be funded, expanded or reduced, depending on the outcome of the election. Well, last Friday night, instead of watching “Superman” on HBO Max, I explored the FY 2026 Approved City Budget. On Page 917, I discovered a set of General Fund Financial Policies for Tax Rate Elections. Here is Policy #3:

“The City shall clearly identify the level of programming or services funded with the additional revenue generated above the voter approved rate, and provide an accounting of the expected level of services should the election fail.”

There is a City Council Resolution that formalized this policy. It began as a recommendation that passed unanimously by the Audit and Finance Committee. Then, on May 22 the City Council unanimously passed it as Resolution No. 20250522-058.

Where Is The Transparency That Was Promised Back In May?

That question will be put to the City Council while you are reading this. In the meantime, here’s a little history lesson about the City Budget. Several years ago, I got a surprise phone call from 1980’s era City Council Member, Max Nofziger. He shared what he had recently learned about the budget. From its earliest days until the year 2000, it went up on a gently inclining slope. From 2000 onward, it has shot up into the sky.

The City Should Manage Its Budget The Way Austin Families Do

If Prop Q fails, the City will still have the maximum tax increase allowed by State law. In this tough economy, many Austin families are struggling. People have to do without what they want, or postpone things until they can afford them. With Prop Q, homeowners and small businesses would suffer. Landlords would pass their costs on to renters. This is the wrong time for a walloping tax increase.

Ax The Tax! Vote No On Prop Q!

For additional info, check out AustinTaxRateElection

Musical Accompaniment For This Blog Piece

1. “One Minute Past Eternity” – Jerry Lee Lewis

2. “Forever” – The Little Dippers (Actually the Anita Kerr Singers)

3. “Everybody’s Somebody’s Fool” – Connie Francis

4. “Eternally” – Petula Clark

5. “Please Love Me Forever” – Bobby Vinton

6. “Taxman” – The Beatles

Letter To The Editor – American-Statesman

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By Bill Oakey – October 13, 2025

This was published on Sunday, October 12, 2025

No End for Prop Q

I urge you to vote No on Proposition Q on Nov. 4. This Tax Rate Election could unleash one of the biggest property tax increases in Austin history. The city has declared a $33 million budget shortfall, but Prop Q would deliver $100 million to a fiscally irresponsible city government.

They are completely tone deaf to the hardships we face in this tough economy. Homeowners, small businesses and renters would all be hurt. Let’s join the Austin Chamber of Commerce in opposing Prop Q. The first year of this tax increase is only the beginning. Once a tax rate has been adopted, it becomes the new baseline for the next budget year. Then each year, more new taxes can be piled on top of it.

Please alert your friends and neighbors that Prop Q is a forever tax. I have been closely following affordability issues since 1983. The new budget can be trimmed. The city needs only to look at homeless program spending in other major Texas cities to find big cost savings.

Imagine standing on a hill, looking down on a winding road that vanishes into the sunset. Markers in the road show year after year of $100 million Austin tax increases. Like The Highwaymen used to sing, “The Road Goes On Forever.” But not if you vote No on Prop Q!

Bill Oakey, AustinAffordability.com