Good Friday mid day --
We have a few updates for you today:
AUSTIN CITY COUNCIL PLACES $295 MILLION BOND ON NOVEMBER BALLOT
Another week, another City Hall attempt to raise taxes, increase spending and accumulate more debt.
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Here’s the story from KXAN:
AUSTIN, Texas (KXAN) — Austin voters will see a bond aimed at improving libraries and parks in November.
On Thursday, Austin City Council voted to include a $295 million general obligation bond on the upcoming ballot.
That $295 million would be broken up into two pieces, $260 million for parks and recreation and $35 million for libraries, which would be repaid through a temporary property tax increase.
“When it comes to the Bond I would say I am for it,” said Austinite Jude Sabo. “Just due to the fact that I grew up in Austin going to the parks.”
While some are for the bond, others feel like there are more important things to focus on.
“We should be putting funds towards things that are going to better benefit all of Austin not just a small portion of it,” said Austinite Nick Moreau.
On Tuesday, members approved a resolution directing the city manager to prepare an ordinance that could order a bond election, council voted 8-3 for the proposal with Councilmember Marc Duchen being one of the three who was against it.
“When we survey our district, the number one and two things that come up is public safety one, and utility infrastructure number two, and parks is up there, but I fully understand for some people, that may not be their highest priority.”
City estimates show it would cost taxpayers about $40 extra a year if passed by voters in November.
“This is not happening in a vacuum, we are not just asking voters to pass a bond, we are also about to go pass a budget that may have a max tax rate increase,” said Duchen. “And when you talk about the 40 dollars for the bond it is not in the context of just that, but what could be 300 dollars between city, taxes, fees and utilities.”
Duchen says in a time when some have lost trust in the city and when finances are tight for everyone–making the right decision is paramount.
“So that is an ongoing conversation and I wouldn’t be surprised if voters continue to have skepticism in what we are doing, until we can demonstrate in a very compelling way, that we have done everything we can to make sure we are spending on urgent and necessary items and that we are delivering projects they want,” said Duchen.
The consideration follows a tough budget season for the city, crafted in the wake of Proposition Q failing — a measure to hike taxes and pay for “core services” which voters rejected roughly 63-37%.
ACTION ALERT: Release the List of Nonprofits That Failed City Audit!
More than 300 Austinites demanded the release of the list of nonprofits that failed the city audit when we sent out the action alert last week. We need more!
As local media reported recently, an internal city audit found that of 25 local nonprofits who were fully paid their taxpayer-funded contracts with the City of Austin, 19 did not deliver the services that were required.
For some inexplicable reason, the City Council has refused to release the list of nonprofits.
Today, we are asking all Austinites to join us in demanding the City Council release the list.
ACTION ALERT: You can easily email the Mayor, the entire City Council, the City Manager and the City Auditor by clicking this link. Please make the email your own before you send it. This will take you less than 30 seconds.
Our press release is pasted below.
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For Immediate Release
June 30, 2026
Save Austin Now Calls on Austin City Council to Release List of Nonprofits Who Failed Internal Audit
City Audit Found 19 of 25 Reviewed Nonprofits Failed to Deliver on Contract Requirements
AUSTIN, TX — Nonpartisan grassroots organization Save Austin Now PAC today is calling on the Austin City Council to release the list of nonprofits that failed a recent internal audit. City leaders have said they will not release the list, which only deepens distrust between taxpayers and City Hall.
As KXAN reported last week:
The auditor’s office looked at a sample of 25 family and social service contracts amounting to roughly $30 million (for context, the city spent roughly $100 million with 95 of those nonprofits during FY 2025).
They found of those contracts, 19 of the contracted nonprofits did not meet one or more performance expectations.
“For nonprofits that did not meet one or more performance expectations, there were significant deviations between what the City was expected to receive and what the nonprofit provided,” the report said. It continued: “For more than half of the performance expectations we reviewed, what was provided was more than 40% below the expected amount. As a result, the City is paying for services that were not fully delivered, and vulnerable residents may not get the services they are supposed to receive.”
However, city leaders are refusing to release the list of nonprofits who failed the audit.
“City Hall needs to stop looking at city spending as a private matter and recognize these are taxpayer dollars paid by hard working Austinites,” said Save Austin Now co-chair Matt Mackowiak. “The overwhelming defeat of Prop Q last November undeniably showed that trust is broken between taxpayers and City Hall. You do not rebuild trust by hiding failure. Austin taxpayers have a right to know which city nonprofits failed this narrow and limited internal audit. Unlike this effort, or any future city-run audit ordinance, our Outside Audit Charter Amendment will fully release all findings and backup material. We are calling on City Council to release the list immediately, and we are asking all Austin taxpayers to join us in making this reasonable demand.”
“Austin social service nonprofits are more dependent by far on City tax funding than nonprofits in other large Texas cities,” said Bill Aleshire, a local attorney and former Travis County Judge who drafted the Save Austin Now’s Outside Audit Charter Amendment language. “There is a city law barring vendors from lobbying Council Members but the Council has exempted social service agencies from that law. These conditions plus secrecy in the audits of these contracts make this a Petri dish for corruption and waste of tax dollars. This situation was explained to the Council in a 2019 Audit and Council has done nothing to fix it.”
Austinites who wish to contact the Mayor and City Council to join this effort can easily do so here.
More information about Save Austin Now PAC can be found at SaveAustinNow.com.
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89 DAYS TO GO UNTIL ELECTION DAY!!!
FINANCIAL SUPPORT NEEDED: PLEASE DONATE TO OUR EFFORTS
We absolutely need your financial support.
We have to be ready to:
Legally challenge any biased ballot language immediately in court
Professionally administer the campaign to pass the Audit charter amendment!
Ways to Give:
ONLINE: You can securely contribute online here.
BY CHECK: You can make a check to “Save Austin Now PAC” and mail it to:
807 Brazos Street
Suite 306
Austin, TX 78701
VENMO: @saveaustinnow
WIRE: If you wish to send a wire, please email Matt.
As we have said before, WE HAVE ONLY BEGUN TO FIGHT!
THANK YOU.
-Save Austin Now PAC
Pol. ad. paid for by Save Austin Now PAC. Leland Bickers, Treasurer. SaveAustinNowPAC.com
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