Room for the Unexpected

During these recessionary years, the practice of cutting library hours has become one of the sad perennials of budget season: an old standby that, like deferred parks maintenance, cuts to summer programs, and fee increases, is invariably trotted out each budget cycle.

But the recent scene at the Ruiz Branch of the Austin Public Library marked a departure even from that norm, with the announcement of immediate closure of the entire library for two months. Two weekends ago, thieves ripped apart all of the Southeast Austin branch's 10 air conditioning units for the copper wiring, and it indeed looked like the city was prepared to keep the library closed for two months, until new library funding could be freed up in the city's budget. But now, with an emergency purchasing expenditure encouraged by Mayor Pro Tem Mike Martinez, new units have been purchased, and neighborhood children will have a place to cool off – and read, imagine, and study – in July and August.

Like the Place 3 run-off election that just passed, the city's annual budget process affects far more people than pay attention to the process. The Ruiz Branch Library scenario is but one example, as is the backlash greeting some of the city's budget-trimming proposals, like closing several neighborhood pools. And, as in budget years past, while releasing a list of nearly $35 million in potential citywide cuts, City Manager Marc Ott's budget team has also compiled departmental wish lists, in hopes that departments can spend smarter and fund needed initiatives while still lowering their overall costs.

And yes, departments are still expected to do magically more with less. Despite the fact that Austin is weathering the nation's ongoing economic downturn better than most municipalities, this budget cycle began – yet again – with a gap between projected expenses and anticipated revenues. The revenue gap is almost $10 million, and that's with a 3-cent increase in the property tax rate. While Austin officials rightly point out that our tax rates are in the middle of many Texas cities', that's cold comfort when the city's portion of our tax bills adds up to only one-fifth of the whole.

In sum, the city's often arcane budget process has real effects on all of us. Fiscal year 2012's impact will be made clearer come the end of July; while City Council enjoys its annual summer hiatus, staff is at work drafting a final proposed budget, which comes to council July 27. It will then be considered and debated for a month and a half before receiving final approval in September. As the burgeoning protest over closing Shipe Pool demonstrates, you can affect the process. But as the Ruiz example also testifies, in budget season, you have to expect the unexpected.

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FY 2012 Summary of Potential Budget Reductions

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General Fund	FY 2012 Forecast	Potential Reductions
Parks & Recreation	$45,093,110	$1,963,342	4.4%
Health & Social Services	41,588,858	1,772,337	4.3%
Library	27,183,857	957,402	3.5%
Planning & Development Review	22,072,835	766,097	3.5%
Municipal Court	12,990,893	344,859	2.7%
EMS	49,216,305	531,903	1.1%
Police	270,494,239	3,039,968	1.1%
Fire	132,303,598	881,216	0.7%
Subtotal	$600,943,695	$10,257,124	1.7%
Other Funds
Austin Energy	$1,178,347,259	$12,409,369	1.1%
Austin Water	460,588,964	6,820,075	1.5%
Communications & Technology Mgmt.	50,049,838	1,808,024	3.6%
Economic Growth & Redevelopment	9,953,798	427,975	4.3%
Subtotal	$1,698,939,859	$21,465,443	1.3%
Support Services*	$62,835,274	$2,686,204	4.3%
Total Citywide	$2,362,718,828	$34,408,771	1.5%

*Internal services such as financial/administrative services, human resources, law department, etc.

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On the Chopping Block

Specific proposed cuts to the General Fund and enterprise departments

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Emergency Medical Services

$230,910: Shelve five vacant EMS positions created for an Austin Community College development program

$133,712: Eliminate a deputy medical director vacancy

Fire

$112,000: Limit recruiting-activities budget to local events

$243,423: Hire only certified firefighters, cutting training costs

Police

$1.8 million: Delay cadet class six months

$1.2 million: Reduce sworn overtime

Parks & Recreation

$500,000: Institute new fee at the Zilker Botanical Garden ($2, adult; $1, seniors and children)

$405,626: Close Civitan, Gillis, Kealing, Kennemer, Reed, and Shipe pools and Shipe Wading Pool; close Balcones and Dick Nichols pools September-April

$183,893: Reduce supervised playground sites from 27 to 10 (four "premier" sites, six "satellite" sites)

Health & Human Services

$445,199: Eliminate new social service contracts tied to the five goal areas in the city's Comprehensive Plan

$200,000: Eliminate unallocated social service contracts

$100,000: Eliminate funding for off-site animal adoptions as laid out in city's "no-kill" plan

$22,950: Eliminate six temporary positions in the city's Graffiti Abatement program

Planning & Development Review

$140,000: Reduce the city's "concrete testing" budget

Municipal Court

$97,371: Temporarily hold two court clerk positions vacant

$20,500: Eliminate $10 payments to jurors

$33,440: Eliminate $6 payments to citizens reporting for jury duty but not selected

Library

$102,251: Reduce hours at Faulk Central Library, opening an hour later and closing an hour earlier Monday-Thursday

$101,393: Eliminate three vacant positions lost via attrition

$484,390: Reduce materials budget

Austin Energy

$1.16 million: Remove one-time maintenance costs to AE's Sand Hill Energy Center Administration and Control Building

$500,000: Reduce scope of work to save consultant costs on rate review

$630,036: Reduce contract maintenance for tree trimming

$300,000: Renegotiate Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition and Emergency Management System software maintenance

Austin Water

$1 million: Reduce contract repairs of small-diameter water lines

$750,000: Reduce in overtime, callback, and on-call pay, which may impact response times to water leaks

$950,000: Reduce funding tied to leak detection and assessment of large water mains

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FY 2012 Summary of Unmet Needs – General Fund

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	Total Requested Funding	Positions
Police	$3,102,480	44
Emergency Medical Services	2,723,841	25
Health & Human Services	2,318,954	18
Fire	1,970,311	17
Parks & Recreation	1,142,891	16
Animal Services	810,431	15.5
Municipal Court	797,226	8
Planning & Development Review	785,289	13
Library	718,741 4
General Fund total	$14,370,164	160.5

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Regrouping Resources

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Unmet service needs, as described by the departments

Police

$754,966: 18 additional 911 call takers

$712,961: Convert 12 call-taking and dispatch grant positions to General Fund-funded positions

$293,616: Convert four victim services grant positions to General Fund-funded positions

$187,959: Three additional crime scene specialists

Emergency Medical Services

$796,086: Ambulance, equipment, and six paramedics to staff Downtown AMLI EMS station

$536,428: Additional Command District to assist with calls wherever needed

$368,956: Five-person communications staffing increase (including 911 call takers)

Health & Human Services

$810,574: Public health emergency preparedness (including pandemics, "bioterrorism response," etc.)

$861,000: Funds for 46 permanent supportive housing units, in response to anticipated state funding cuts

Fire

$447,880: Additional overtime for firefighter professional development training

$629,356: Funds for "Zero Fire Deaths" prevention program

$518,336: Four positions to ensure compliance with inspection of firefighter protective equipment

Parks & Recreation

$261,328: Enhanced grounds maintenance

$316,848: Additional staff, resources to oversee contract management

Animal Services

$756,931: Additional staffing resulting from "no-kill" implementation

Municipal Court

$120,000: Transitional housing increase

$90,762: Project Recovery program contract increase

Planning & Development Review

$141,760: Two electrical inspector positions

$141,760: Two building inspector positions

$26,082: One administrative assistant position

Library

$544,000: Additional security cameras

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Your Two Cents

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The city has held dozens of meetings at the boards and commissions level and at City Council's work sessions reviewing several parts of the budget. Staff work proceeds behind the scenes over the next month, but the public still has a few opportunities to provide input on the process, in person and online.

Upcoming City Council Action

• Budget/Tax Rate/Utility Rate Public Hearing: Thursday, Aug. 25, City Hall, 301 W. Second

• Budget/Tax Rate Public Hearing: Thursday, Sept. 1, City Hall

• Budget/Tax Rate Adoption: Monday, Sept. 12, City Hall

• Citizens can also rank suggestions and make their own online at www.austinbudget.austintexas.icanmakeitbetter.com/ideas.