Austin's lowest tax hike ever?
That's what Marc Duchen is proposing.
Most Council members are trying to figure out what to cut in order to keep the budget under the state-mandated 3.5% per-year revenue cap, but Marc Duchen, the most conservative person on the dais, is pushing for greater cuts to bring the increase down to 2.5%.
(If you're confused by what the "tax increases" we're talking about actually mean, here is my handy explainer of how property taxes in Texas work.)
In a recent statement posted online, Duchen proposes cutting $7.3 million from the City Manager's proposed budget, saving the median Austin homeowner about $50/yr.
I'm not in a position to judge the feasibility or wisdom of most of these proposed cuts, although I really don't see the point in cutting hours at all pools besides Deep Eddy & Barton Springs for a $180,000 savings. That's the kind of thing that really pisses people off and makes them feel like they're not getting a good deal for their tax dollars.
If Council were to follow Duchen's path, it would be the lowest tax increase in recent memory.
