Audit and Finance Committee (AFC) Special Called Meeting Transcript – 8/5/2025 Title: ATXN-1 (24hr) Channel: 1 - ATXN-1 Recorded On: 8/5/2025 6:00:00AM Original Air Date: 8/5/2025 Transcript Generated by SnapStream ================================== Please note that the following transcript is for reference purposes and does not constitute the official record of actions taken during the meeting. For the official record of actions of the meeting, please refer to the Approved Minutes. [1:29:34 PM] It's 130 on August 5th, 2025 and I will call to order the special called meeting of the audit and finance committee. We have a quorum of the audit and finance committee present. We are meeting in city council chambers, located in city hall at 301 west second street in Austin, Texas. We will have first public communication. Then we will go to our one agenda item, and we will have speakers on that agenda item. And then we'll have a discussion and motion with regard to that agenda item is what I anticipate today. Public communication. We have one person signed up for general public communication and [1:30:34 PM] general public communication and that's Zenobia Joseph. Miss Joseph, miss Joseph, all right. She doesn't appear to be here. So let's go to item number one. The item for the record is a recommendation of a tax rate election in certifying conditions for the election. And we have two speakers signed up on that. One is Zenobia Joseph. And as I've indicated, she doesn't appear to be here. Denise Baldwin. Denise. Baldwin. Denise Baldwin, miss Joseph, or miss Baldwin? Okay, well, let's go to the first item, then on the agenda. And as I've indicated, that's a recommendation of a tax rate election and certifying conditions for the election. Members, with your permission and without objection, what I will do is ask our professional finance staff to walk through the issues that are a part of the decision TRE, which was the [1:31:35 PM] the decision TRE, which was the policy that this committee passed and recommended to the full council, which was then adopted by the full council as certifying conditions for a TRE. The motion that I would anticipate that we would talk about after we go through this with our staff, the motion that I would anticipate would be a motion that would say that the certifying conditions, the audit and finance committee finds that the certifying conditions have been met and recommends or doesn't recommend a tax rate election, and it would be just that it wouldn't be an amount of tax rate election or anything like that. And then we would make that recommendation to the full council. So just in case there's a lack of clarity. So with that, I'm looking at our professional finance staff. And first let me say as we go into these questions create some context. The professional staff provided two. This council a [1:32:37 PM] provided two. This council a proposed base budget that what we've been calling the proposed the manager's proposed base budget, which had significant discussion with the council, with this committee and with the council. In addition to that, we have had a number of a number of meetings, both as the audit and finance committee and as the city council, where the council members themselves have had the opportunity to ask multiple questions and identify issues and areas of investment and things that we might be interested in. And I create that context simply so that when I ask these questions and ask for some feedback on it, it keeps the front of everybody's mind how much work has actually gone into getting us to this point. I [1:33:37 PM] into getting us to this point. I see miss Joseph has entered the room. What I'm going to do, if y'all don't mind, is and without objection, is I'm going to ask her to come down. Miss Joseph, I'd already called your name because we started at 130, and I'm going to go ahead, though, and give you the opportunity to speak. And then we will go to the work of the committee. If it was provided in accordance with our rules. >> Show that there. >> Miss Joseph, you were here. In fact, you protested when we made the change. So, you know, you knew what the rules were. Yeah, you know what they are. So let's let's try to follow them. I'm recognize you recognizing you on general citizen communication. >> Thank you. Mayor council. Well, I suppose this audit and [1:34:38 PM] Well, I suppose this audit and finance committee members respectfully. Mayor is not posted when you sign up for this, but I'll gladly go back and look. >> You're aware of the rules, but even though it may not be posted, I'll make sure it's posted in the future. But you knew the rules. >> Okay, I appreciate that and I appreciate you taking me out of order. I will just recognize that. 551 .141 does require that you actually post items appropriately. That's avoidability provision as it relates specifically to the follow up. I just wanted to let you know that I did contact I'd as it related to the Gus Garcia senior activity center. There was a audit that was done specifically for parks and recreation department. The seniors have been asking for a portable for about 30 years, or at least a fixed facility. And I did contact Mr. Zachary over at aisd, but he referred me to parks and recreation department. [1:35:38 PM] parks and recreation department. I asked miss Laine on Saturday at the districts two and four budget meeting, as it related to the portables. She was aware of it, but there is no cost analysis. So I just would ask you to recognize that you have invested since 1992, at least $2 million in the seniors that are in south Austin and central, and that this is a reasonable solution. And in general, my comments as it relates to the homeless issue, I just wanted to let you know that I did go back and look at your April 28th, 2025 joint meeting, and I just wanted to remind you that director gray actually told you then and in 2024, that rapid rehousing is not effective for chronically homeless individuals. So to continue to fund that is pretty disingenuous. I would ask you to please have a community meeting, not just to listen to providers who are asking you to fund that proposal of $100 million in its [1:36:41 PM] proposal of $100 million in its entirety, but to recognize that this is not sustainable, a better investment would be shuttle service between Samsung and apple, where you have three hubs and you have all of the tech jobs. And to remind you that in 2014, the north corridor project connect locally preferred alternative was for north Austin and the growth is in that area. Over 58% of the jobs would be there by 2035. So a better investment to help both the homeless. And if you look at the heat map from Diana gray, David gray's predecessor, you will see it goes all the way up to district six, and it's right along the north Lamar corridor. So one of the things that would be helpful is to have a pilot where you actually fund about $100 and utilities for family members, family and friends option that. David gray's staff actually said, and that would be helpful. So I thank you again. >> Thank you, miss Joseph. You're also entitled to speak on [1:37:41 PM] You're also entitled to speak on item number one. >> Yes, mayor. So I just wanted to say and thank you again before you actually come up with a list of items to put before the voters, I just want you to recognize that there needs to be some language before voters actually approve. Once again, another bond or whatever it is, a tax rate election. I would ask you to recognize that they've not been genuine in following contract with voters. And so putting another request before the community, when we vote for something, that is what we expect. You heard me this morning when I mentioned the transportation, the sidewalks and infrastructure. And I would just say, as it relates to these projects, one of the other things that is needed is a community health center north of us 183 was actually identified in 2017. There is again an audit that shows this need in the community. And so simply putting forth a proposal, perhaps to fund social services without [1:38:43 PM] fund social services without actually going out to the community to ask what we think we need is disingenuous. I will tell you that industrial microwaves are not expensive. These are some of the low hanging fruit, some of the things that can actually be funded now, but it would be helpful to have the list and to actually go out to the community and to recognize these partners who said in 2021 that they were going to house 3000 individuals in three years, and the public private partnership never really came to fruition. The public dollars were there, but the private dollars never came. So again, I would just ask you to recognize, as I saw David king, who has long since passed city council, way back in 2016, that it is certainly something that renters are impacted by as well as homeowners. And so I would ask you to make that available, that information, so that individuals who are renters don't think that it doesn't affect them, that these costs get passed down. So I did speak [1:39:43 PM] get passed down. So I did speak to David gray today, and I did bring forth my idea as it related to the family and friends option. So I just want you to recognize that these are the types of projects that would be helpful, and to ask you to put forth some type of resolution to have a good samaritan provision as well, because if you're just moving people to a family or friends home, if that person is renting, then that puts them in jeopardy of losing their housing too, because they're not on the lease. So it has to be more comprehensive. I think you need a community meeting, and I think you really need to take the input from individuals who know. I would just lastly tell you with the veterans that you need to look at the August 2024 homeless, the hud vash voucher update, and it says specifically that you can you need to ask the veteran before you actually have case management. So it's in consultation with the veteran. And I would ask you to include [1:40:43 PM] And I would ask you to include that language in anything that you put forward. If you have any questions, I will gladly answer them. And thank you again. >> Thank you, miss Joseph. Okay, members, I will turn to our professional finance staff and what I the way I thought I would approach this, but you all, since it's the first time we've done this, feel free to add, subtract or do whatever, but give us advice. But. And members, feel free to weigh in with questions if you have questions. But what I would ask is with from you, with your professional opinion, from your professional. I talk for a living right from your professional perspective. Has there been a comprehensive analysis of general fund programs and services to identify areas for investment of additional funding that could be provided by revenue from a tax rate election? >> Yes, sir. [1:41:44 PM] >> Yes, sir. >> Thank you. And the other one is, I would say again from your professional perspective, has the city clearly identified the level of programing or services funded with the additional revenue based upon the proposals that you've provided? Now granted, those proposals may get changed and added to. But the proposals that you've provided, when we ask for the eight different alternatives, have you clearly identified the level of programing or services funded with the additional revenue that's generated above the voter approval rate, and provided provided an accounting of the expected level of services should the election fail? >> Yes, sir. >> And then the final question I would ask again, utilizing your professional credentials and perspective in structuring those alternatives for us to consider as we now move forward to Thursday and then to the ultimate vote, has the city manager structured proposed [1:42:45 PM] manager structured proposed proposed TRE or TRE alternatives, in this case to include a balance of one time and ongoing expenditures that will allow the investments to be sustained over the medium term and allow for funding one time startup expenses related to expanded operational requirements. >> Yes, sir. >> So, members, I'm going to now ask if you all have any additional questions about those specific criteria and conditions that we need to certify. So with that being the case members, I'm going to call for a motion and I'll read the motion that I'll recognize here in just a second. But that motion says in it that we're certifying to the council that items have been met. The items, of course, would be the three items that that are part of our decision TRE and that I've just asked a opinion from our professional staff. So if anybody has any questions, let [1:43:46 PM] anybody has any questions, let me know, let me know, and we'll make sure we do that in the right way. The motion that the chair would recognize is that the Austin city council audit and finance committee, having considered the policy of the city council and found that the items set forth in the council's decision TRE have been met and certifies to the council that these items have been met, recommends to the full Austin city council that a TRE be conducted, subject to the decision of the council regarding the actual conduct of the TRE and any amount. Is there a motion? Mayor pro tem moves seconded by council member alter the vice chair of the committee. Is there discussion? Yes. Council member vela. >> Thank you mayor, and we'll be supporting the recommendation of the committee. You know, this council has been bold and we've been bold on on housing. We've been bold on police transparency and accountability. And the [1:44:48 PM] and accountability. And the state leadership is trying hard to limit local government. But the residents of Austin have supported libraries and parks and sidewalks and high quality local services for decades. We will be quite possibly the first major city in Texas to put this type of theory before the voters and Austin will lead like we have in the past. So I'm look forward to discussing this further with the full council. But we'll be voting supported. >> Thank you. Council member. Further discussion hearing none. Without objection, the motion is adopted unanimously. Members. That concludes the agenda for this special called meeting of the audit and finance committee of the Austin city council. So, without objection, we will be adjourned at 1:45 P.M. We are adjourned. Thanks, everybody.