For eight years the Austin City Council has boasted that it hasn’t raised taxes.

Saturday, August 26, 2000

For eight years the Austin City Council has boasted that it hasn’t raised taxes. This year’s boast may be instead that they have increased the size of the city’s police department by two. The total costs of the two proposed additional officers comes to $95,614, including benefits, which is precisely the difference between this year’s tax levy and the proposed levy for 2001.

All that will be discussed Monday, when council members and city staff meet for the first round of budget talks that started earlier this year in individual departments and that will continue into December with the council.

The dollar amount of the proposed 2001 tax levy is $2,259,409, up from $2,163,795.

The proposed increase is not a surprise to council members, after Police Chief Paul Philipp’s request for two additional officers was well-received at a council police committee meeting Aug. 3. A well-attended public ordinance committee meeting on exotic dancing also brought to light the public’s desire for more police officers.

"The main point this meeting brought out was our need to hire more police officers, something we’ve been discussing the past six months," First Ward Council Member Neil Fedson said after that meeting, perhaps setting the groundwork for the increased 2001 tax levy. "I hope people will be understanding and if their taxes are raised they will understand why. I think they will. Everyone I’ve talked to has said they’d be willing to pay a little more to have more police on duty."

An increase would mean Austin could have 30 police officers for the first time in years. Until now, the council-set maximum has been 28. However, over the summer Philipp has had only 24 active officers, because two were on long-term sick leave, one was suspended and Captain Brian McAlister retired. McAlister has now been replaced by APD veteran Curt Rude.

Other changes in the proposed budget include increased wages and benefits in many of the city’s departments, although there could be a one-person decrease in staffing at the Austin Fire Department, because of the firing of long-time firefighter Dana Miller, and a decrease in costs for part-time Park and Rec help, because of decreased wage requirements. The proposed contingency budget also includes an increase of nearly $20,000 for mosquito spraying costs and a possible donation to the Welcome Center. Increased donations to the Mower County Senior Center and the SPAMTOWN USA festival are also included.

The total budget requests are $314,728 above last year’s, but most of the increased costs would be covered by an increase in Local Government Aid.

Once the tax levy is set – something the state says has to be done by Sept. 15 – the council may lower the tax levy but not raise it before the final Truth in Taxation hearing in December.