Proposition I / 03 / Cost of living

A $6.6 billion government.Make it justify the cost.

City Hall’s spending becomes someone else’s bill. Proposition I makes affordability the review’s top priority: compare City-related costs, identify spending to reduce or eliminate, and require the reviewer to commit to finding savings greater than its fee.

Explore the evidence What Proposition I changes

01 / The scale of the spending

Start with the $6.6 billion budget.

$6.6B

One City budget. Billions to scrutinize.

Austin’s adopted FY2026–27 budget covers City operations and enterprise funds. Proposition I would make identifying spending to reduce or eliminate part of an independent review.

Read the adopted-budget announcement

Affordability starts with asking what government costs—and whether the same work can be done better for less. The amendment makes City-related affordability the review’s top priority.

Read the affordability and spending requirements

02 / Make the search for savings mandatory

Find the costs Austin should not keep paying.

Cut duplication

Challenge the overhead.

Examine staffing, management structure and operations for efficiency.

Compare the cost

Show how peers do it.

Benchmark City operations and contracted programs against similar Texas cities.

Find the savings

Require more than a report fee.

The independent contractor must commit to identifying savings greater than the cost of its services.

One existing efficiency change: $5.8 million less for IT

The adopted budget reports a $5.8 million reduction in software and IT support funding through consolidation and rationalization. That existing change shows why the search matters. Proposition I would require a broader independent examination of spending.

Read the City’s explanation

See this year’s additional taxes and fees

$285.84

More per year.

The City’s estimate for its typical tax-and-ratepayer in FY2026–27.

$113.76Property tax

$172.08City rates and fees

The City’s published typical-customer estimate includes property taxes and changes in electricity, water, drainage, trash, and clean-community charges. Actual bills vary with property and usage.

Read Austin’s FY2026–27 budget announcement

03 / What the review would examine

Put affordability inside the spending review.

City-related costs

Benchmark the cost of living attributable to City government for residents and businesses.

Texas comparisons

Compare operations and contracted programs with similar Texas cities.

Spending reductions

Identify expenditures that could be reduced or eliminated—and follow the recommendations into budget decisions.

Read the affordability and savings requirements

Research reviewed September 30, 2026. Each comparison is labeled with its reporting period.

Explore how it works

From analysis to action

The proposal asks for affordability analysis, comparisons, and recommendations. Follow each finding through to a budget decision and a measurable result.

Examine

Identify costs attributable to the City.

The review would benchmark City-related costs against affordability measures for residents and businesses across income and wealth levels.

What the proposed review must examine

Source: proposed Article VII §18(A)(1)(a), (e), (h) · Full ordinance (PDF)

The proposal, explained

What Proposition I would require

Selection, scope, and follow-through: get the details behind the proposal.

Read the full proposal (PDF)

Which costs would the affordability review examine?

The review would benchmark the cost of living attributable to City government for residents and businesses across income and wealth levels. Taxes, fees, and City operations belong in that examination; the proposal does not regulate private rents.

Would the review have to identify savings?

The contractor must commit by contract to identify annual or multi-year savings exceeding its fee. The next accountability question is which recommendations the City implements and how much those changes actually save.

Are utilities part of the scope?

The proposal’s broad scope includes City entities covered by its annual financial report. Work may be phased, starting outside Austin Electric, Water, and Airport funds and proceeding to those enterprises as the City Auditor determines.

Keep exploring