BG Note | News - What We're Reading (August 3, 2017)
Budget proposal would raise Austin property taxes, increase permitting capacity (Austin Monitor) LINK TO STORY
"Austin homeowners could see higher property tax bills next year. Under the city’s proposed $3.9 billion budget, most residents with a median-value home ($305,510) would pay an additional $118 in property taxes compared to last year. Utility fees would rise, too – with median-value homeowners seeing an additional $60 annually in fees. The proposed budget also aims to increase the city’s permitting capacity, while maintaining current service levels across the board."
Adler bashes Texas over ‘state property tax’ (Austin Monitor) LINK TO STORY
"During Wednesday’s budget presentation to City Council, Mayor Steve Adler spoke passionately about the state’s system for funding public schools, calling the current system a 'state property tax."
"'It is not city taxes that are out of line, Adler said. If Austin taxpayers are unhappy with the continuing increase in property taxes, they need look no further than the state legislature, Adler explained. 'The state’s property tax, taxing our citizens to pay for public schools, is virtually the single cause for what people in this community are feeling is an increase in property taxes.'"
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At halfway mark, House Speaker Straus cites special session progress (Austin American-Statesman) LINK TO STORY
Brushing aside concerns that they are not moving swiftly enough to enact Gov. Greg Abbott’s 20-point agenda, Texas House members opened the second half of the special session Wednesday with a flurry of activity Wednesday."
“We made good progress, and we’re only half the way through,” House Speaker Joe Straus told the American-Statesman.
“I’ve been spending my time, the first half of the 30-day session, trying to get the House in a place to consider the items that the governor has placed on the agenda,” said Straus, a San Antonio Republican. “We work more slowly than the Senate does because we listen to people and we try to get the details right. And so the House committees have been meeting and have shown some good progress, moving many of the items that are on the call.”
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- Halfway through special session, Patrick wants "better communications" with House (Texas Tribune, 8/2/17) LINK TO STORY
House panel weighs bill giving residents a say in annexation (Austin American-Statesman) LINK TO STORY
"A Texas House panel on Wednesday heard testimony from more than 50 people on a bill that would require cities in large Texas counties to get residents’ approval before annexing their property. House Bill 6, a version of which passed in the Senate last week, is largely identical to a version that nearly passed in the regular session but was blocked by a filibuster."
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Link to HB 6 Rep. Dan Huberty (R-Houston), relating to municipal annexation.
TODAY -> Austin City Council Regular Meeting and Agenda
The Austin City Council will convene today at 10AM at City Hall (301 W. Second Street, Austin, TX).