JBGoodwin REALTORS® - Austin & San Antonio Real Estate Blog

Want to tell the city of Austin how to spend your tax dollars? Now you can! Right now, until June 5, the city is collecting community feedback on how our tax dollars should be allocated.

The city's total budget is $3.5 Billion, and it gets spread out between:

• Emergency Response
• Parks and Libraries
• Health & Housing
• Planning and Economic Development
• Energy
• Water
• Clean Community
• Streets & Infrastructure

Austin is using Budget in a Box for the second year in a row, letting you have a say in how the city spends your tax dollars. The box includes instructions, a game board, an informative video, discussion materials, and other interactive resources, giving you everything you need to understand city budgeting and make smart decisions.

Approximately 20% of property taxes (and 12% of sales taxes) go to the city. You pay these taxes, and now you can help decide how they are spent! Once you know your options and opinion, simply fill out a mail-in or online form and send it back to the city.

At Home Budget In A Box

Get together a group of friends and make a night of it! The Budget In A Box was initially developed for small groups of 5-10 people, and this is a fantastic format. You can get together with friends, share some appies and learn all about budgeting in a social, informal setting. Once you know your priorities, fill out the form and send in your feedback using the postage-paid envelopes included.

Request your Budget In A Box right here! (Deadline: June 7, 2015)

Community Budget In A Box

Community members are also welcome to attend district-wide guided sessions, eliminating the need to organize your own at-home event. Many sessions have already occurred, but here are the ones that remain:

District 1
May 30: Victory Grill (1161 Angelina St) @ 11 am - 1 pm

District 2
May 20: Dover Springs Rec. Center (5801 Ainez Dr) @ 5:30 - 7:30 pm

District 3
*Discussions Complete*

District 4
May 26: Gus Garcia Re Center (1201 E. Runderberg L) @ 6 - 8 pm

District 5
*Discussions Complete*

District 6
May 20: Balcones Country Club (8600 Balcones Club Dr) @ 6 - 8 pm

District 7
May 30: Yarborough Branch Library (2200 Hancock Dr) @ 10 am - Noon
June 6: North Village Branch Library (2505 Steck Ave) @ 10 am - Noon

District 8
May 27: Hampton Library at Oak Hill (5125 Convict Hill Rd) @ 6 - 8 pm

District 9
May 28: Hancock Rec Center (811 E. 41 St) @ 6 - 8 pm

District 10
June 2: Jewish Community Center (7300 Hart Lane, Rm 150D) @ 6 - 8 pm

From the beginning to the end, city budgets take about 5 months to develop. Gathering citizen input is the very first step in the process, and it's a critical one, giving the community a voice on what their priorities are. Austin is giving its citizens the opportunity to speak up and we highly recommend doing so!