Austin is just one of a handful of cities across Texas trying to raise taxes on already overburdened taxpayers, but it represents perhaps the most egregious example of a city that doesn’t deserve it.
The property tax increase included in its $6.3 billion budget for 2026 is so high that it requires voter approval this November. The first and most important question Austin voters should ask is what they are getting for what they are being taxed right now. Here’s a sample:
Austin officials have a problem with wasting money. The new budget includes “$6.3 million for the Office of Equity and Inclusion, $51.5 million for homeless strategies, $5.8 million for the urban forest replenishment fund, $4.3 million for community tree preservation, $2.3 million for climate action and resilience, and $2.5 million for taxpayer-funded lobbyists.”
Austin has a $1.1 million program to pay homeless people to paint a mural inside of a downtown garage. And the city caught national attention for spending $1.1 million on a new logo.
City officials have been caught using public funds to purchase expensive lunches, dinners, retirement parties, club memberships, and European travel. Two staffers for one former council member flew business class to Brazil costing taxpayers $20,000.
Austin also has a significant problem with bureaucratic excess. In the last decade, the population of Austin has only grown by 17 percent, while the number of full-time employees has grown by nearly 25 percent. The cost to provide wages, healthcare, retirement, and overtime to those employees has exploded, jumping 60 percent over that same time period.
The city of Austin funds a number of politically controversial projects, such as the “Climate Equity Plan” which proposed to reallocate $20 million out of the Austin Police Department to fund climate initiatives.
Austin still funds DEI in hiring and other controversial topics. Austin reserved $400,000 to pay for women to travel to other states to seek abortions, as well as $300,000 targeted at LGBTQ+ youth. It has also established a Human Rights Division in the office of Equity and Inclusion.
Before Austinites give the city a pay raise, it’s worth looking into where the city can make cuts, eliminate waste, and shift priorities before increasing the burden on taxpayers.
