Fiscal Year 2026-2027 Proposed Budget

Supported the community investment budget, cutting police recruitment funds, and creating a joint communications department.

Supported the community investment budget, restoring senior meal programs, and protecting youth services.

Supported moving 911 out of APD, keeping the APD budget flat, and funding housing and social services.

Spoke about experiences with homelessness, criticizing encampment sweeps and the lack of accessible storage for unhoused residents.

Called for genuine commitment to addressing homelessness through housing rather than temporary measures.

Requested funding for storage programs to protect unhoused people's vital documents instead of increasing police budgets.

Urged a pause on encampment sweeps and an expansion of safe storage and housing services.

Expressed a neutral stance on the budget, supporting funding for Austin Energy, shelters, and trusted community service organizations while keeping APD flat.

Spoke as a social worker against police recruitment spending and in favor of keeping the APD budget flat.

Criticized a shift away from community engagement and public service toward administrative efficiency.

Objected to encampment clearing strategies, police budget increases, and the erosion of equity initiatives.

Asked the council to restore full funding for emergency veterinary care in animal services using donation funds.

Advocated for reallocating funds from APD to social services and moving 911 dispatch out of the police department.

Spoke on behalf of FarmShare Austin about the importance of food access programs and requested fair evaluation of program effectiveness.

Opposed reductions in funding for fresh food access programs and social services.

Urged full funding for social services and requested transparency regarding reviews of these investments.

Critiqued bond fund allocations, pedestrian safety infrastructure, and transparency in city management.

Spoke in support of level funding for Capital Idea workforce development programs.

Supported ongoing funding for Capital Idea, citing life-changing results and economic returns.

Advocated for continued support of Capital Idea to ensure regional workforce strength and affordability.

Spoke in support of fully funding Capital Idea and social services to support vulnerable populations.

Encouraged prioritizing long-term workforce development programs like Capital Idea.

Spoke in support of Capital Idea's intergenerational impact and community importance.

Provided updated budget recommendations for early childhood networks, family stabilization grants, and immigrant support services.

Praised staff budget work, supported APD funding based on contractual obligations and pension payments, and emphasized public safety.

Urged the council to reject police budget increases and invest in rape crisis programs, shelter, and youth needs.

Requested continued funding for Communities in Schools mental health professional support in schools.

Spoke against encampment sweeps and in favor of funding non-profit service providers.

Highlighted the mental health services provided by the Trauma Recovery Center and requested budget amendments to prevent its closure.

Spoke in support of the community investment budget, keeping APD flat, and moving 911 out of the police department.

Questioned proposed police budget increases and enforcement practices while advocating for social services.

Shared youth mentoring experiences and requested continued funding for the African American Youth Harvest Foundation.

Asked for an independent emergency communications department staffed by civilians.

Asked to restore funding for the Conveniently Healthy Food Program and FarmShare Austin.

Asked the council to keep the police budget flat, increase funding for social services, and move 911 dispatch out of APD.

Urged full funding for social services, the safe alliance, and civilian oversight of police.

A physician spoke against encampment sweeps, citing negative health impacts on unhoused patients, and asked for flat police funding.

Expressed concern over proposed cuts to the senior congregate meal program and criticized police budget increases.

Asked to keep APD's budget flat, fully fund social services, and move 911 out of the police department.

Spoke in support of the community investment budget, ending encampment sweeps, and moving 911 dispatch out of APD.

Criticized police collaboration with immigration enforcement and advocated for flat police funding.

Spoke on behalf of Equity Action supporting the community investment budget and moving 911 out of APD.

Spoke on behalf of Integral Care workers urging dedicated funding for the no wrong door crisis response program without cutting existing services.

Appreciated staff efforts to clarify overhead costs in the budget and urged clear communication.

Urged the council to reject the proposed increase to APD's budget following recent officer-involved shootings.

Expressed concern over increased spending, debt, and tax burdens on residents.

Spoke in favor of the community investment budget, re-entry services, housing, and keeping APD's budget flat.

Supported community investment budget priorities and urged establishing a joint emergency communications department.

Supported restoring social service funding and shifting 911 call operations out of APD.

Supported community investment budget priorities, moving 911 out of APD, and reviewing police budget allocations.

Shared powerful student testimonials regarding the positive impact of Mexic-Arte's mural after-school programs.

Asked council to vote no on social service cuts and restore funding for Con Mi Madre.

Advocated against increasing the police budget beyond contractual requirements and supported shifting 911 out of APD.

Urged council to restore proposed reductions to the congregate meal program for older adults.

Spoke against social service budget reductions, highlighting Mexic-Arte's violence prevention programs for youth.

Advocated for full restoration of social service funding and greater transparency in contract reviews.

Spoke in opposition to the proposed police budget increases and urged reallocating funds to community health and social safety net programs.

Spoke against proposed budget cuts affecting the Sickle Cell Association of Texas Mark Thomas Foundation.

Asked council to protect the city's investment in Con Mi Madre and educational youth programming.

Expressed concern over the compounding tax impacts of city budgets on small businesses.

Urged council not to eliminate Mexic-Arte Museum's education programs funded under Austin Public Health.

Requested level funding of $350,000 for sickle cell programs and services in the fiscal year 2027 budget.

Presented Universal Tech Movement's annual report, highlighting job placement success in tech and requesting continued funding.

Spoke on behalf of Moms Demand Action in support of community violence intervention funding.

Urged the council to reduce the police department budget and reinvest in mental health and community safety services.

Spoke in support of continued funding for the Mark Thomas Foundation and the mental health needs of sickle cell patients.

Advocated for higher wage increases for temporary city employees compared to regular employees.

Highlighted the financial strain on young city workers and students, asking for a larger raise than the proposed 10 cents.

Spoke on behalf of Family Eldercare, asking the council to maintain funding for senior and disability services.

Urged the council to maintain funding for social service contracts, early childhood education, and keep the police budget flat.

Asked the council to support level funding for Capital Idea to help adults access living wage career training.

Thanked the council for past support and asked for continued funding for the Sickle Cell Association of Texas Mark Thomas Foundation.

Urged fiscal restraint, reducing consultant spending, and completing efficiency audits before raising taxes or debt.

Represented Integral Care workers, defending the agency's performance and urging no cuts to behavioral health services following an audit.

Expressed concern over proposed cuts to social service contracts and highlighted their role in economic mobility.

Shared personal testimony as a Capital Idea graduate whose life and family stability were transformed by the program.

Shared how the Mark Thomas Foundation helped her family navigate her daughter's sickle cell diagnosis.

Discussed the success of Family Eldercare's employment program for formerly unhoused individuals and urged no cuts.

Advocated for extending the budget review timeline from one month to three months for better community engagement.

Supported the community investment budget and digital inclusion work through Universal Tech Movement.