Austin Council scrambles to rewrite the FY2025–26 budget — and the firefighter deal is back in play
The Austin City Council spent Wednesday in a special-called session to review the City Manager’s proposed amended FY2025–26 budget — part of a fast-moving effort to trim and rebalance city finances after voters rejected Proposition Q. Council reconvenes today for a regular meeting at which members could adopt an amended budget ordinance and related tax actions.
Why the rush? Proposition Q’s defeat erased the revenue increase the council had planned to rely on, forcing leaders to rework the $6.3 billion plan adopted in August and identify cuts and reprioritizations while protecting core services. The city has published an accelerated timeline and materials for the amended budget as council works through options.
What’s on the table
- Today’s council agenda explicitly includes an ordinance to amend the FY2025–26 budget to reflect reduced projected property-tax revenue and corresponding expenditure changes — plus action to ratify the tax rate reflected in that amended budget. In short: council can (and likely will) change spending allocations and formally adopt the revised numbers today.
- City staff briefings and work papers circulated ahead of the meetings show sizable proposed shifts: reductions to social-service contracts, targeted cuts in parks and other departments, one-time transfers to stabilize reserves, and other reprioritizations while aiming to keep the General Fund resilient.
How firefighters became central to the budget drama
The Austin Firefighters Association (AFA) and the current tentative four-year labor deal have become a flashpoint in the budget conversation. Council members and city negotiators have signaled concern about new contract language the union inserted after earlier removal from the agenda — language that would effectively constrain the city’s ability to change fire staffing and related funding except under an extreme “severe financial crisis.” That has prompted city leaders to recommend reopening negotiations and to delay or reconsider final approval of the contract while the budget is reworked.
At the same time, the union is pursuing a citizens’ petition to place a charter amendment on the May 2026 ballot that would lock a four-person minimum staffing rule into the city charter — a move the city says would limit its flexibility to reduce staffing or reallocate resources as budgets tighten. The petition and the contract language together have intensified political pressure: council members worry the language could hamstring future budget choices, while the union frames the moves as safety protections for Austinites and firefighters.
Let all look at https://t.co/uAysxCjUuJ. Look at NFPA1710 requirements fact sheet under ADDITIONAL REQUIRMENTS. Second paragraph and repeat after me
— Jeffery Bowen (@Bowen4Mayor) November 20, 2025
"NFPA1710 continues to require that engine companies be staffed w/ a MINIMUM of 4 Duty members…
Download and look.
Budget moves that affect fire services
Local reporting and council materials note specific reductions and shifts that touch public safety finances — including proposed overtime reductions and other savings that could complicate maintaining the current staffing model if council chooses to pursue those cuts. Those funding choices are a big part of why the firefighter contract is now getting renewed scrutiny.
What to watch for today
- Whether Council adopts the amended budget ordinance and any accompanying tax-rate action. Today’s agenda includes both motions.
- If Council reopens or delays action on the AFA labor agreement. Watch for motions to reengage negotiators, or for the contract to be pulled pending further talks. Local coverage in the last 48 hours shows council leaning toward more scrutiny.
- Public testimony during this week’s hearings. The city scheduled public hearings and made work papers publicly available — these will shape political pressure on council members as they decide where to cut and where to protect funding.
Key Changes in the Proposed Amended Budget (GF)
| Department / Program | Change Type | Amount (Δ GF) | Notes / Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Social Services & Contracts | Reduction | – $5,277,000 | 10% cut in Public Health, Municipal Court, and Economic Development–managed social services contracts; 4% cut in Homeless Strategies and Operations (HSO) contracts. |
| Parks & Recreation – Maintenance | Reduction | – $2,000,000 | Scaling back new parkland/grounds maintenance by delaying some of the positions (60 FTEs authorized, but fewer funded). |
| Emergency Medical Services (EMS) | Cut / “Reverse” amendment | – $1,165,558 ongoing + – $490,000 one-time (equipment) | This represents a reversal of previously proposed new EMS Basic Life Support (BLS) unit. Also scaled back single-response mental-health EMS units, EMS command staff, and communications staffing. |
| Fire (Wildfire & Overtime) | Cut / “Reverse” amendment | – $1,000,000 (wildfire mitigation) + – $6,000,000 one-time (overtime) | Reduces one-time overtime funding for fire operations and cuts back in wildfire mitigation funding. |
| Police / Central Booking Transfer | Reallocation | – $16,138,702 from Police, added to Non-Departmental | The budget moves central booking (Travis County) out of the Police Department into a non-departmental line. |
| Housing – Local Vouchers | Increase | + $2,000,000 | Adds more funding for local housing vouchers via the Housing Trust Fund. |
| Homeless Strategies & Operations – Shelter / Rapid Rehousing | Increase | + $750,000 (bridge shelter) + + $1,000,000 (rapid rehousing) | Boost to operations for Marshaling Yard (bridge shelter) and expansion of rapid rehousing. |
| Public Health – Sobering Center | Increase | + $500,000 (one-time) | Expanded funding for staff and facility improvements. |
| Mayor & Council | Increase | + $1,725,000 | Carry-forward of unspent FY 2024–25 funds. |
| City-Wide (Wages / Operating Support) | Adjustment | – $200,000 ongoing | Reduces in-lieu of 4% base wage pay (“Employees-03”) for lower-paid civilian employees. |
| Planning | Reduction | – $124,850 + – 1 FTE | Cuts to planning support functions. |
Interpretation: Which Departments Face the Biggest Cuts / Shifts
- Social services take a large hit, especially in ongoing contract funding, indicating that non-safety community programs are under pressure.
- Public safety is not exempt: EMS sees reduced expansion (or rollback), and fire operations, especially overtime and mitigation, are scaled back.
- Police budget is being restructured rather than cut — the large “cut” is driven by a reallocation of central booking costs, not necessarily a reduction in core policing capacity.
- Homelessness gets a mixed treatment: while contract funding is cut, there are targeted increases for rehousing, a bridge shelter, and navigation services, suggesting a reprioritization.
- City council and admin support also see some adjustments, including carry-forward funds and modest cuts to wage spending.
Caveats / Things to Watch
Vacancy savings are mentioned in broader city reports as a lever for balancing — not all reductions mean program eliminations.
These are proposed changes — Council may amend further or reject some of them in today’s meeting.
Some “cuts” are one-time, while others are ongoing; the long-term impact depends on how many of the one-time items are restored or replaced later.
Bottom Line
Austin’s budget story this week is a compressed drama of politics, policy and public-safety tradeoffs. With voters having rejected the tax increase that underpinned the original plan, council must now choose which services to protect and which to pare back — and the firefighting contract, the union’s charter-petition push, and a potential cut to overtime and staffing levels put public safety at the center of those choices. Expect continued negotiations, possible amendments on the council floor today, and (at minimum) more headlines as budget changes and labor talks play out.
TODAY’S AGENDA:
Meeting Logistics
- Time & Location: The meeting convenes at 10:00 AM at Austin City Hall (301 W. Second Street).
- Proclamations (9:00 AM): Presentations include Transgender Day of Remembrance, Figure it Out Agency Day, Imam Islam Mossaad Day, and Open Door Preschool’s 50th Anniversary.
- Public Communication (12:00 PM): Speakers are registered to discuss topics including automated license plate readers, homelessness, Gaza/Israel, and driverless cars.
Budget and Finance
- Tax Rate & Budget Adjustments: Council will vote on amending the FY 2025-2026 budget to reflect reduced property tax revenues because voters did not approve the previously adopted tax rate.
- Tax Ratification: They will ratify the property tax increase reflected in the amended budget and approve an ordinance reducing the tax rate to the voter-approval rate.
- Radio System Funding: A resolution to declare official intent to reimburse the City from debt proceeds ($27.6 million) for the Austin Public Safety Handheld Radio Modernization Project.
Major Contracts and Purchasing
- Public Safety Communications:
- A contract with Motorola Solutions for up to $86 million for hardware and infrastructure for the Greater Austin-Travis County Regional Radio System.
- A separate customer support and maintenance contract with Motorola Solutions for up to $30.6 million.
- Security Fencing: Three contracts totaling up to $38.3 million for security fencing services for Austin Energy.
- Water & Engineering: A $12 million contract for engineering project management staff augmentation and a $12 million amendment for the Center Street Pump Station replacement.
- Short-Term Rentals: Contracts regarding short-term rental enforcement ($1.7 million) and licensing services ($745,000).
Zoning and Land Use (2:00 PM Hearings)
- Homestead Preservation: Public hearings to consider extending the term of Homestead Preservation Reinvestment Zone No. 1 by 10 years and increasing the tax increment amount to 40%.
- Disannexation: Hearings to disannex properties on “On the Lake Road” and “Rockcliff Road” from the City’s jurisdiction.
- Rezoning Cases:
- Montopolis-Fairway: A request to change properties from Single Family/Civic to Mixed Use.
- Malcolm and Margaret Badger Reed House: Rezoning a property on Rio Grande Street to Historic Landmark status.
- Duval-Harris Residential: A request to rezone properties on Duval Street and Harris Avenue to multifamily residence medium density.
Eminent Domain & Real Estate
- I-35 Capital Express Project: Three resolutions authorizing eminent domain proceedings to acquire electric easements for the “Lady Bird Lake CKT1015 Project” at 41 Waller Street, 1106 Lambie Street, and 48 Waller Street.
- Acquisitions: Authorization to acquire a property on Delmar Avenue for Austin Housing ($535,000).
Council Resolutions and Policy
Appraisal District Votes: Casting the City’s votes for the Board of Directors elections for both Travis Central and Williamson Central Appraisal Districts
Samsung Designation: A resolution nominating Samsung Austin Semiconductor, LLC as a “Texas Enterprise Project” for state economic designation.
Internal Policies:
A resolution to develop financial accountability and transparency policies for Council offices regarding expenses and purchasing.
A resolution to implement financial best practices to strengthen the annual City Budget adoption process.
WATCH TODAY’S BUDGET SESSION HERE.
Austin ISD trustees will vote today on a proposed consolidation plan that would close 10 schools and shift nearly 4,000 students to new campuses in the fall. (FOX 7 Austin)
Parents in Leander are speaking out against proposed school closures there. (FOX 7 Austin)
Two people were injured Wednesday morning near Mustang Ridge after a two-car collison.
A Kyle man is accused of assaulting another driver after following him into a parking lot on I-35, one of two recent road rage incidents authorities are looking into.
The Austin Police Department is looking for a man they say robbed a North Austin Home Depot and assaulted an employee on the way out.
The man who kidnapped and killed a University of Texas nursing student more than 40 years ago pleaded guilty and was sentenced to eight years in prison, officials said.
A Bexar County grand jury has indicted Sigfredo Ceja Alvarez on a murder charge for the fatal shooting of King of the Hill voice actor Jonathan Joss on June 1.
At least five Austin school district employees have been detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, sparking alarm among co-workers and administrators who say they’ve been left in the dark about their colleagues’ fate. (Austin-American Statesman)
Reporte Austin reported ICE activity in Round Rock yesterday.
During a presentation to the Downtown Commission last night, street safety advocates recommended the city convert all current one-way streets back into two-ways. (KVUE-TV)
The Paramount and State Theatres on Congress Avenue downtown are about to get renovated. It’s a project estimated to cost around $65 million.
Travis County has yet to pay Tesla any of the money potentially owed under a 2020 incentives agreement because the county has yet to determine the degree to which the company has been living up to the deal. (Austin Business Journal)
Starting December 1, Austin Energy customers are set to see their bills drop by about $2 per month in a change to power supply adjustment rates.
A proposed plan to trap and kill deer in the small Georgetown community of Sun City is facing opposition from not only some residents, but also from people around the world. (Austin American-Statesman)
Volunteers spent part of Wednesday clearing brush, removing fuels and clearing areas in the Steiner Ranch section of Travis County, all in an effort to prevent the spread of wildfires.
WEATHER
WEDNESDAY’S HIGH / LOW TEMPERATURES
AUSTIN-BERGSTROM INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT
(We tied the high temperature record at ABIA yesterday.)
CAMP MABRY
FLOOD WATCH
Llano-Burnet-Williamson-Val Verde-Edwards-Real-Kerr-Bandera-
Gillespie-Kendall-Blanco-Hays-Travis-Kinney-Uvalde-Medina-Bexar-
Comal-Maverick-
Including the cities of Fredericksburg, Burnet, San Antonio,
Boerne, San Marcos, Leakey, Rocksprings, Blanco, Uvalde, Llano,
Del Rio, New Braunfels, Kerrville, Hondo, Brackettville,
Georgetown, Austin, Bandera, and Eagle Pass
1236 AM CST Thu Nov 20 2025
…FLOOD WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT THROUGH LATE TONIGHT…
* WHAT…Flooding caused by excessive rainfall continues to be
possible.
* WHERE…A portion of south central Texas, including the following
counties, Bandera, Bexar, Blanco, Burnet, Comal, Edwards,
Gillespie, Hays, Kendall, Kerr, Kinney, Llano, Maverick, Medina,
Real, Travis, Uvalde, Val Verde and Williamson.
* WHEN…Through late tonight.
* IMPACTS…Excessive runoff may result in flooding of rivers,
creeks, streams, and other low-lying and flood-prone locations.
Creeks and streams may rise out of their banks. Flooding may occur
in poor drainage and urban areas. Low-water crossings may be
flooded. We urge people to stay weather aware and keep up with
weather updates from us and trusted sources.
* ADDITIONAL DETAILS…An upper level storm system and above normal atmospheric
moisture will combine to create several rounds of rainfall
overnight through late tonight. Rainfall amounts of 1 to 3
inches with isolated totals of 6 to 8 inches are possible.
The focus for the highest rainfall amounts is likely to
remain across the western Hill Country and southern Edwards
Plateau, where the Weather Prediction Center highlights those
areas under a moderate risk of rainfall exceeding flash flood
guidance.
5-DAY FORECAST / AUSTIN, TEXAS
Meteorologist Nick Bannin explains a few ways arctic air can drop south, including the potential for a Sudden Stratospheric Warming event.
Lake Travis Weather Timelapse
A viral outbreak that is hitting horses in Texas has canceled an upcoming rodeo event in Uvalde. The EHV-1 virus is highly contagious and has prompted a statewide alert from Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller.
Dr. Suleman Lalani, a Democratic state representative from the Houston area who was one of the first Muslims elected to the Texas Legislature, accused the governor of using the decree to distract from more important issues. (Houston Public Media)
“Greg Abbott doesn’t want Texans to look at him when they can’t afford home insurance, public schools close down, and health care is out of reach for millions of families. He wants to turn our diversity into divisiveness. He wants you to think that Muslims and other minorities are the enemy. But his failing policies are the enemy of Texas families. I condemn his rhetoric against Muslim communities across Texas. The federal government is the one that makes terrorist designations; the Governor of Texas simply invents campaign issues to avoid accountability.”
The percentage of Texas high schoolers who left school before graduating dropped to an all-time low last year, according to a study of high school attrition rates by the Intercultural Development Research Association, or IDRA. (Texas Public Radio)
Houston Airports says travelers will notice big changes this Thanksgiving, from new facilities to parking upgrades designed to ease congestion for millions of flyers.
A total of 31 undocumented immigrants were arrested in the joint commercial vehicle enforcement (CVE) operation, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott announced Wednesday.
The operation took place on Nov. 11 along I-40. In the 105 vehicle inspections, 31 drivers were unable to prove their lawful residence despite having CDLs.
Texas apprehended 31 illegal immigrant drivers in the Panhandle.
— Greg Abbott (@GregAbbott_TX) November 20, 2025
Most of them had been licensed in California.
This is an operation by the Texas Department of Public Safety and federal law-enforcement.
The mission continues. pic.twitter.com/uAG9rrxRBp
Police are investigating a shooting that left one person dead and two women injured on Wednesday afternoon in the parking lot of a Walmart in Dallas.
TEXAS WAS JUST CAUGHT GERRYMANDERING…NOW WHAT?
Senior Reporter Brad Johnson interviews state Representative Briscoe Cain about his campaign for Congress in Texas’s new Congressional District 9. Cain shares his thoughts on the recent ruling that overturned district maps, his continued commitment to his campaign, and his work in the Texas legislature, including his pivotal role in passing the Texas Heartbeat Act.
The Parker County Sheriff’s Office revealed charges against five people who are accused of running a scam that bilked county residents out of $1.2 million.
Royal Caribbean’s “Icon of the Seas” cruise ship will set sail from Galveston beginning in August 2027, company officials announced last week. Alongside Galveston, Icon of the Seas will also feature dock-off trips beginning in California and the Northeast before cruising along to the Caribbean. (My San Antonio)
SPORTS
NBA: Make it five in a row for the Houston Rockets.
Alperen Sengun had 28 points and 11 rebounds, Kevin Durant scored 20 points, and the Houston Rockets extended their winning streak to five with a 114-104 victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers on Wednesday night. (Yahoo! Sports)
Meanwhile, another L for the Mavericks.
Jalen Brunson had a game-high 28 points in his return from a two-game absence, Landry Shamet scored a pair of 3-pointers in the final 1:02 and drew a crucial charging foul in the final second, and the Knicks beat the Dallas Mavericks 113-111 on Wednesday night. (Yahoo! Sports)
ON THE SCHEDULE
Houston and Dallas are off tonight. The San Antonio Spurs host Atlanta.
STANDINGS
COLLGE BASKETBALL: Two games of note tonight in the Top 25:
Still no C.J. Stroud tonight.
COLLEGE FOOTBALL: The Texas Longhorns continue preparations for Arkansas.
Coach Steve Sarkisian said he’s proud of the team’s resiliency when asked whether they have underachieved so far this season.
Texas’ Steve Sarkisian Says He’s STAYING | LIVE | 11/20/25
The Daytripper heads to Palestine, Texas, for an adrenaline-fueled night vision hog hunt deep in the East Texas wilderness.
