Austin voters approve $295 million for parks and libraries. What happens to the money now

Austin voters approved both city bond measures on Tuesday's ballot, authorizing the city to borrow $295 million for parks and libraries. Proposition A, $260 million for parks, had just over 61% in favor, and Proposition B, $35 million for libraries, had a little more than 60%, KUT reported in a story updated at 7:24 a.m. Wednesday. KUT described those as final unofficial results.

The council still has to canvass the vote before the results are official.

What the money is for

According to KUT's October summary:

• Prop A, parks: park buildings and facilities, infrastructure, public pools, and new parks and trails.
• Prop B, libraries: about $20 million to renovate and expand the Hampton Branch at Oak Hill and $15 million for a new branch in Colony Park.

KUT estimated that a homeowner with an average-value home, $495,000, would pay about $40 more a year in property taxes once the debt is issued. The Austin American-Statesman reported that the full cost would arrive after the city issues the debt, likely around 2033.

Supporters said pools were the most urgent need. The treasurer of the pro-bond group Austin Outside told KUT that without the bonds, some pools would have closed because they needed new equipment.

How the council got here

The vote to send it to voters was split. On Aug. 4 the council voted 8-3 on a show of hands to move the package toward the ballot. Mayor Kirk Watson and Council Members José Velásquez and Marc Duchen voted no. Watson said he would vote no because the council should follow the safeguards it had built, and asked "is this the right time?" in his remarks. KUT reported that city staff had recommended waiting two more years.

The library money grew on the dais. Earlier that day, the council approved an amendment adding $15 million to the library proposition, raising it to $35 million and adding the Colony Park branch. Duchen was shown voting no.

It started in May. Council Member Ryan Alter was lead sponsor of the May 28 resolution directing staff to develop a November bond package, with Mayor Pro Tem José "Chito" Vela and Council Members Velásquez, Mike Siegel and Paige Ellis as co-sponsors. The council formally ordered the election on Aug. 6 and amended the ordinance on Oct. 8.

The money already in the pipeline

The new bonds join a large backlog. The city's first Bond Programs Quarterly Report, sent to the council Oct. 16, showed about $752 million from bonds approved since 2006 still unspent as of Sept. 30. That includes $228.2 million from the 2022 affordable housing bonds and $141.4 million from the 2018 package. Our story on the report breaks it down.

At the Oct. 20 work session, Duchen asked whether the city was still on track to spend 90% of prior bond dollars in 2027. An assistant director of Capital Delivery Services said it is on track.

What's next

• The canvass. The council accepts the results, likely in mid-November based on last year's timing.
• Selling the bonds. The tax cost begins when the city issues the debt, and the full cost would arrive around 2033, the Statesman reported.
• Tracking. Projects will show up on the city's bond dashboard and in the quarterly bond reports.
• The next bond. On Oct. 8 the council adopted a six-year bond cycle resolution, led by Duchen with Vela, Council Member Krista Laine and Alter as co-sponsors, pointing to future bond elections in 2028 and 2034. Our pre-election bond explainer has more on that plan.