Austin Metric

Articles in the fiscal category

Police Ratio

The proposed 2015-2016 City of Austin budget increases the number of sworn police officers per capita.

police-ratio

I previously discussed some of the problems with the PERF police staffing study that recommended a significant increase in sworn personnel (PDF.html). Some readers were surprised that the study actually recommended a further …

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Better Budget

A budget proposal that lowers new taxes while enhancing affordability and equity.

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The "Better Budget" proposal mixes cuts, spending shifts, and new programs to improve public investment outcomes while reducing overall taxation and spending levels relative to the staff-proposed budget.  The specific changes are outlined below.

1. $8.1 million …

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Patrolling Police Spending

The study justifying substantial increases in Austin's police staffing doesn't present any evidence that its recommendations are the most effective way to reduce crime.

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Public safety has grown dramatically as a share of total City government spending. The shift happened between 1995-2005. This table is from the 2005 City of …
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Save Our Mansions exemption fuels inequality

The percentage-based homestead exemption is an unfair tax shift that will disproportionately benefit the wealthiest homeowners.  More effective affordability alternatives should be pursued instead.

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The "Save our Mansions" homestead exemption reduces taxes based on a percentage of a homestead's value.  Therefore, a $2,000,000 homestead value would get ten …

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Mansion Exemption Alternatives

I asked a dozen of the most policy-minded critics of the "mansion exemption" for alternative ways of spending approximately $30 million annually to boost Austin's affordability. Here are the four main themes that came across in their responses.

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The 20% homestead exemption's dollars flow to the district's with the highest …

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