The Austin City Council is still free to lower taxes following Tuesday’s council meeting, but they definitely won’t be raised before the next budget season.

Wednesday, September 08, 1999

The Austin City Council is still free to lower taxes following Tuesday’s council meeting, but they definitely won’t be raised before the next budget season.

With little fanfare and no applause from a Council Chamber that was only one-third full, the council voted not to raise the city’s portion of the property taxes for the eighth year in a row. Set at $2,163,795, state law required a vote on the proposed levy by Sept. 15. After that date the amount cannot be raised, only lowered. Departmental budgets for 2000, however, may fluctuate up and down until the final vote in December.

There was no discussion of the levy or the departmental budgets beyond a comment from Council member at-large Dick Chaffee highlighting the fact that, once again, the city had held the line on the budget.

A public hearing on the tax levy was set for Nov. 29, with a possible continuation hearing on Dec. 13. The final vote would likely be taken at the Dec. 13 meeting.

Also passing with little discussion was a salary hike for all council members and the mayor, to take effect in January 2001. Now set – since 1988 – at $6,000 for the mayor, $4,500 for the council member at-large and $4,000 for each council member, the salaries in 2001 will pay the mayor $9,000 annually, council member at-large $7,800 and council members $6,600.

"Compared to neighboring cities of similar size, Austin is close to last place (concerning elected official’s salaries), probably because the other cities have had some changes over the last 11 years," city administrator Pat McGarvey said.

The council voted 6-0 for both the proposed levy and the salary raises; council member Roberto Romo was not present at the meeting.