Tuesday, August 5, 2025, 1:30 p.m. (Austin time), Austin City Hall, 301 W 2nd St, Austin, TX 78701
Committee: Audit and Finance Committee
0:03 Everybody. It's one 30 on August 5th, 2025, and I will call to order the special called meeting of the
0:09 audit and finance committee.
0:11 Uh, we have a quorum of the audit and finance committee present.
0:15 We are meeting in City Council chambers located in City Hall at 3 0 1 west second street in Austin,
0:20 texas. Uh, we will have first public communication, then we will go to our one agenda item and
0:27 we will have, uh, speakers on that agenda item, and then we'll have a discussion and motion.
0:31 Uh, with regard to that agenda item is what I anticipate today, public communication.
0:36 We have one person signed up for general public communication, and that's enovia joseph, ms. Joseph, ms. Joseph.
0:47 Alright. She doesn't appear to be here.
0:49 So let's go to item number one.
0:51 The, uh, item for the record is a recommendation of a tax rate election and certifying conditions for
0:56 the election. And, uh, we have two pe speakers signed up on that.
1:01 One is enovia joseph.
1:04 Uh, and as I've indicated, she doesn't appear to be here.
1:07 Denise baldwin, denise baldwin, denise baldwin, ms. Joseph, or ms. Baldwin.
1:16 Okay, well, let's go to the first item then on the agenda.
1:19 As I've indicated, that's a recommendation of a tax rate election and certifying conditions for the election members.
1:25 Uh, with your permission and without objection, what I will do is ask our professional finance staff to
1:35 walk through the issues that are a part of the decision tree, which was the policy that this
1:42 committee passed and recommended to the full counsel, which was then adopted by the full counsel as certifying
1:50 conditions for a tre.
1:53 The motion that I would anticipate that we would talk about after, uh, we go through this with
1:58 our staff, the motion that I would anticipate would be a motion, uh, that would say that the
2:05 certifying conditions of the audit finance committee finds that the certifying conditions have been met and recommends or
2:13 doesn't recommend a tax rate election.
2:16 And it would be just that, it wouldn't be an amount of tax rate election or anything like
2:21 that. And then we would make that recommendation to the full council.
2:25 So just in case there's lack of clarity.
2:28 So with that, um, I'm looking at our professional finance staff and, uh, first let me say as
2:35 we go into these questions, create some context.
2:38 Uh, the, the professional staff provided to this council, a, a, a proposed base budget that, that what
2:50 we've been calling the proposed the manager's proposed base budget, which had significant discussion with, uh, the, the
3:00 council, with this committee and with the council.
3:03 In addition to that, we have had a number of, uh, a number of meetings, both as the
3:11 audit and finance committee and as the City Council, where the council members themselves have had the opportunity
3:19 to ask multiple questions and identify issues and areas of investment and things that we might be interested
3:28 in. And I, I create that context simply so that when I ask these questions and ask for
3:34 some feedback on it, uh, it, it keeps everybody in the front of everybody's mind how much work
3:40 has actually gone into getting us to this point.
3:44 Um, I see ms. Joseph has, has entered the room.
3:48 Uh, what I'm gonna do, if y'all don't mind is, and without objection is I'm gonna ask her
3:52 to come down. Uh, so ms. Joseph, I'd already called your name, um, on, because we started at one
3:59 30 and, um, and I'm gonna go ahead though and give you the opportunity to speak, and then
4:05 we will go to the, the work of the, the committee
4:12 if it was provided in accordance with our rules.
4:15 No, we didn't change it.
4:17 Show that ms. Joseph, you, you were here.
4:21 In fact, you protested when we made the change.
4:24 So, you know, you knew what the rules were.
4:26 Yeah. You know what they are.
4:28 So let's, let's try to follow 'em.
4:34 I am recognize you, recognizing you on general citizen communication.
4:39 Thank you, Mayor council, uh, well I suppose it's the audit and finance committee members, uh, respectfully, Mayor,
4:47 it's not posted when you sign up for this, but I'll gladly go back and look.
4:52 Well, you're aware of the rules, but even though it May not be posted, I'll make sure it's
4:56 posted in the future, but you knew the rules.
4:59 Okay, I appreciate that and I appreciate you taking me outta order.
5:04 I will just, uh, recognize that 5 5 1 0.141 does require that you actually post items appropriately.
5:12 That's the void ability provision.
5:15 As it relates specifically to the follow-up, I just wanted to let you know that I did contact
5:21 a isd as it related to the gus garcia senior activity center.
5:25 There was a audit that was done specifically for parks and recreation department.
5:32 The seniors have been asking for a portable for about 30 years, or at least a fixed facility.
5:38 And I did contact mr.
5:40 Zachary over at a isd, but he referred me to parks and recreation department.
5:45 I asked ms. Lane on, uh, Saturday at the district's two and four budget meeting as it related to
5:52 the portables. She was aware of it, but there is no cost analysis.
5:56 So I just would ask you to recognize that you have invested since 1992, at least $2 million in
6:03 the seniors that are in south Austin and central, and that this is a reasonable solution.
6:09 And in general, my comments as it relates to the homeless issue, I just wanted to let you
6:15 know that I did go back and look at your April 28th, 2025 joint meeting.
6:20 And I just wanted to remind you that director gray actually told you then, and in 2024, that
6:27 rapid rehousing is not effective for chronically homeless individuals.
6:32 So to continue to fund that is pretty disingenuous.
6:36 I would ask you, Mayor, to please have a community meeting, not just to listen to providers who
6:41 are asking you to fund that, uh, proposal of a hundred million dollars in its entirety, but to
6:48 recognize that this is not sustainable.
6:50 A better investment would be shuttle service between samsung and apple, where you have three hebs and you
6:58 have all of the tech jobs.
6:59 And to remind you that in 2014, the north corridor project connect locally preferred alternative was for north
7:06 Austin, and the growth is in that area.
7:08 Over 58% of the jobs would be there by 2035.
7:12 So a better investment to help both the homeless.
7:15 And if you look at the heat map from diana gray, david gray's predecessor, you will see it goes
7:20 all the way up to district six and it's right along the north lamar corridor.
7:26 So one of the things that would be helpful is to have a pilot where you actually fund
7:32 about a hundred dollars in utilities for family members, family and friends option that david, uh, gray's staff
7:40 actually said, and that would be helpful.
7:42 So I thank you again.
7:43 Thank you ms. Joseph. You're, you're also entitled to speak on item number one.
7:49 Yes, Mayor. So I just wanted to say, uh, and thank you again.
7:54 Um, before you actually come up with a list of items to put before the voters, I just
7:58 want you to recognize that there needs to be some language before voters actually approve once again another
8:04 bond or whatever it is, a tax rate election.
8:08 I would ask you to recognize that they've not been genuine in following contract with voters.
8:13 And so putting another, uh, request before the community when we vote for something, that is what we
8:20 expect. You heard me this morning when I mentioned, uh, the transportation, the sidewalks and infrastructure.
8:27 And I would just say as it relates to these projects, one of the other things that is
8:31 needed is a community health center north of us, 180 3 was actually identified in 2017.
8:39 There is, again, an audit that shows this need in the community.
8:43 And so simply putting forth a, a proposal perhaps to fund social services without actually going out to
8:50 the community to ask what we think we need is disingenuous.
8:54 I will tell you that industrial microwaves are not expensive.
8:57 These are some of the low hanging fruits, some of the things that can actually be funded now.
9:02 But it would be helpful to have the list and to actually go up to the community and
9:06 to recognize these partners who said in 2021 that they were going to house 3000 individuals in three
9:13 years. And the public private partnership never really came to fruition.
9:18 The public dollars were there, but the private dollars never came.
9:22 So again, I would just ask you to recognize as I saw, uh, david king, who's long since passed,
9:28 uh, say a council way back in 2016, that, uh, it is certainly something that renters are impacted
9:36 by as well as homeowners.
9:38 And so I would just ask you to make that a, a available that information so that individuals
9:44 who are renters don't think that it doesn't affect them.
9:47 This, these costs get passed down.
9:49 Um, so I did speak to david gray today and I did bring forth my idea as it related
9:56 to the family and friends option.
9:58 Um, so I just want you to recognize that these are the types of projects that would be
10:02 helpful and to ask you to put forth some type of, uh, resolution to have a good samaritan
10:09 provision as well. Because if you're just moving people to a family or a friend's home, if that
10:15 person is renting, then that puts them in jeopardy of losing their housing too because they're not on
10:20 the lease. So it has to be more comprehensive.
10:23 I think you need a community meeting, and I think you really need to take the input from
10:28 individuals who know. I would just lastly tell you with the veterans that you need to look at
10:33 the August, 2024, um, home, the hud vash voucher update, and it says specifically, um, that you can, you
10:43 need to ask the veteran before you actually have case management.
10:46 So it's in consultation with the veteran.
10:48 And I would ask you to include that language in anything that you've put forward.
10:52 If you have any questions, I'll gladly answer them.
10:54 And thank you again.
10:55 Thank you, ms. Joseph. You're welcome.
10:57 Okay, members, I will, uh, turn to our professional finance staff and, uh, what I, the way I,
11:04 I thought I would approach this, but y'all, since this is the first time we've done this, feel
11:10 free to, uh, add, subtract or do whatever, uh, but give us advice.
11:15 But, um, and, and members feel free to weigh in with questions if you have questions, but what
11:20 I would ask is with re from you, with your professional opinion from your profe, I talk for
11:29 a living, right? Uh, from your professional perspective, has there been a comprehensive analysis of general fund programs
11:39 and services to identify areas for investment of additional funding that could be provided by revenue from a
11:46 tax rate election? Yes, sir.
11:49 Thank you. And, and the, the other one is, I would say again, from your professional perspective, has
11:56 the city clearly identified the level of programming or services funded with the additional revenue, uh, based upon
12:04 the proposals that you've provided?
12:06 Now, granted, those proposals May get changed and added to, but the proposals that you've provided, when we
12:13 ask for the eight different alternatives, have you clearly identified the level of programming or services funded with
12:20 the additional revenue that's generated above the voter approval rate and provided, provided an accounting of the expected
12:27 level of services, should the election fail?
12:30 Yes, sir. Um, and then the final question I would ask, again, utilizing your professional credentials and perspective,
12:38 um, in structuring those alternatives for us to consider as we now move forward to Thursday, and then
12:46 to the, the ultimate vote, has the city manager structured, proposed, uh, proposed tre or tre alternatives in
12:54 this case to include a balance of onetime and ongoing expenditures that will allow the investments to be
13:01 sustained over the medium term and allow for funding onetime startup expenses related to expanded operational requirements?
13:10 Yes, sir. So members, I'm gonna now ask if you all have any additional questions about those specific
13:18 criteria and conditions that we need to certify.
13:22 Um, so with that being the case members, I'm gonna call for a motion and I'll, I'll read
13:30 the motion that I'll recognize here in just a second.
13:33 Um, but that motion says in it that we're certifying to the, the council that items have been
13:40 met. Uh, the items of course would be the three items that, that are part of our decision
13:45 tree, uh, and that I've just asked a, an opinion from our professional staff.