AUSTIN,
ACCOUNTED FOR.
We did it · November 3, 2026
Proposition I is
on the ballot
City Hall has a $6.6 billion budget. On November 3, vote YES to force independent scrutiny of spending, services and financial controls—with deadlines written into the Charter.
Proposition I · Election Day
November 3. Your next vote.
Polls open at 7 a.m. Central.
Choose where to start
Your money.
Make City Hall answer.
Choose the issue. Follow the evidence. See how a YES vote turns demands for accountability into a Charter requirement.
Property taxes
Make City Hall answer before it asks for more.
City services
Demand results for every dollar.
Cost of living
Austin is expensive enough.
Independent oversight
Force the audit. Start the clock.
Waste & fraud
Demand a full accounting of the failures.
Prefer the whole picture? Read Proposition I at a glance.
See the city-by-city data Property-tax bills and City tax ratesThe mandate voters can impose
Pass it. Start the clock.
Require answers.
Passage triggers a mandatory timetable. City officials would have a nondiscretionary duty to carry out the initiative.
THE CHARTER REQUIREMENT / 01
The first deadline follows passage.
The City Auditor must competitively select a qualified, independent contractor within 120 days after passage. City officials have a nondiscretionary duty to implement the initiative.
The clock begins with passage.Reviews must be completed again every five years—or sooner to satisfy the tax-election requirement. Proposition I writes the duty into the Charter. See what it adds to the existing assessment.
The public record
Five stories that explain why Austin voters stopped trusting City Hall with their money.
Fictitious vendors. A million-dollar brand program. City-card lunches. Missing contract records. Missed results. Open the documents behind each story.
DECEMBER 2025 · AUSTIN ENERGYAbout $980,000 in fraudulent vendor transactions.
A City Auditor investigation identified transactions involving fictitious vendors over approximately six years. Weak purchasing controls and supervisory review helped the conduct continue.
What followed: Austin Energy reported stronger approvals and oversight. This finding comes from an existing investigation; it is not a forecast of future audit savings.
Read the investigation (PDF)CITY RECORDS · BRAND PROGRAM$1.08 million for a new City brand.
The City reports a $1,077,725 program covering design, research, strategy, materials, staffing, legal work, and advertising. Visual design and guidelines accounted for $207,400.
The $270,645 public-awareness campaign was canceled; the City says its materials were repurposed and paid media reallocated. The question remains: how was the investment’s value measured?
See the City’s cost breakdownSTATESMAN INVESTIGATION · JULY 2025About 150 solo lunches charged to a City card.
The Austin American-Statesman reported approximately $3,300 in solo lunches charged by City Manager T.C. Broadnax during his first year. Its review also examined high-end dinners and upgraded flights across top City offices.
Public spending should come with a public purpose—and a control that checks it.
Read the expense investigationMARCH 2026 · CONSULTANT CONTRACTSStaff could not provide needs assessments for 11 of 28 contracts.
In a judgmental sample of 28 consultant contracts, staff could not supply a formal needs assessment for 11. Supporting evidence for deliverables was missing in six.
Inside the sample: This sample cannot be projected across all contracts. The audit did not identify any sampled contract as clearly unjustified; the reported $279 million was consulting spending, not proven waste.
Read the final auditJULY 2026 · NONPROFIT PERFORMANCE67 of 151 annual performance expectations were missed.
The performance review covered 25 contracts worth about $30 million. Six contracts met all their annual expectations.
What the figure means: It describes expectations, not the share of funding wasted. The report also documents City-process problems and provider challenges; its findings do not represent all nonprofit contracts.
Read the final auditOriginal reports linked above. Research reviewed September 30, 2026.
In their own words
Why they’re backing
Proposition I.
Hear Bill Aleshire and Susan Spataro explain their support for independent review of Austin’s City spending.
01 / Save Austin Now
Bill Aleshire
On supporting Proposition I
02 / Save Austin Now
Susan Spataro
On supporting Proposition I
The record. The next chapter.
Austin Voters Made These Wins Possible.
Neighbors organized. Voters made the call. Proposition I is the next opportunity to put accountability into law.
2021 / Proposition B
58%A vote on shared public spaces.
Voters approved the ordinance restoring restrictions on public camping and related activities, 57.69% to 42.31%.
Official election results2025 / Proposition Q
63%Voters rejected the higher tax rate.
Austin rejected Proposition Q. The proposed City tax rate was about 20.2% above the prior year’s rate.
Election records & results2026 / Proposition I
IOn the ballot. In your hands.
The petition is certified and the election is ordered. Now Austin decides whether recurring independent review belongs in the Charter.
Help make the next win possibleOur position
Vote YES on Proposition I
Getting it on the ballot was the first win. Passing it starts the clock. Vote YES on November 3 to require an independent review, expose weak controls and identify spending that can be cut.
Read the official ballot languageStay connected
You Can Help
and Learn How.
Get Proposition I updates and election reminders from Save Austin Now PAC.
Be ready to vote November 3.
Put it on your calendar