CM Ellis Budget Priorities
Posted: Thu Jul 25, 2024 5:14 pm
Colleagues -
I appreciate the dialogue we were able to have at yesterday’s Budget Work Session. Here are my priorities for the FY 24-25 Budget discussion:
MOBILITY, TRANSPORTATION, & PUBLIC WORKS
-Ensure the Transportation User Fee covers 35 new FTEs, including 25 positions to improve signal, sidewalk, and street maintenance and 10 positions for parking compliance positions. This would be an additional 85 cents above the proposed budget referenced on pg 33: https://services.austintexas.gov/edims/ ... ?id=427101
- TMSO ebike fleet for bikeway parking prohibition enforcement per https://services.austintexas.gov/edims/ ... ?id=426783
- City Leap Planning
- Living Streets Program investments (Equipment and FTEs): This already successful program has equipment needs including attractive street barriers, planters, and benches to address community safety & visibility concerns and to support program success. I also want to ensure any additional staff members needed to expand the program are assessed in order to support additional living streets activations citywide.
CLEAN AIR MONITORING
- Continuation of Clean Air Coalition membership dues through Capital Area Council of Governments
PARKS & RECREATION DEPARTMENT
- Maintenance $1.5M for 16 new Grounds & Maintenance Full Time Positions with a plan to add a comparable number in future Fiscal Years until level of service deficit is closed. I’d also like to request the one-time funding of $740k for Grounds Maintenance Capital Equipment. This one-time line item would likely not need to come from the General Fund. This proposal has broad community support: http://assets.austintexas.gov/austincou ... 142139.pdf
- Park Ranger FTEs: Add FTEs to expand the Park Ranger program
- Park Security Cameras: Procure, install, and operate security cameras at PARD locations with high rates of vehicle burglary or other crime, preferably through a partnership with APD on a permanent basis. I have a Q&A submitted to better understand current usage and ongoing needs.
- District 8 Dog Park: Establish a dog park in District 8, potentially as a pilot if necessary. Many folks in Austin have been asking for more resources for off-leash dog park spaces. When such options aren’t available, people tend to let their dogs off-leash in places where it isn’t as appropriate. If we want to do our part to make adopting our medium and large dogs from the Austin Animal Center more feasible, we need to also think about where they can go to run out all their extra energy. Small dogs also need a safe place to play.
VETERANS SERVICES needs per our Commission on Veterans Affairs:
–Real-World needs assessment: (https://services.austintexas.gov/edims/ ... ntexas.gov)
The last time this needs assessment was done was in 2019. Many things have changed for our Veterans since then, and there has never been a resolution to the asks presented then.
–Creation of a Veterans and Military Affairs Office (https://services.austintexas.gov/edims/ ... ntexas.gov)
REPRODUCTIVE HEALTHCARE ACCESS
- Continuation of Reproductive Health Education and Service Navigation
GUN VIOLENCE PREVENTION
–Free Gun Locks & Safe Storage Education Campaign: I will also be working to understand the current needs of this program that I have championed for many years. I worked on it closely with Delia Garza when she was on the dais. At yesterday’s work session, we learned that the amount funded for this program in the proposed budget has dropped $30k.
-Continuation of our Gun Surrender Program
Looking forward to our next discussions and public input soon,
Paige Ellis
I appreciate the dialogue we were able to have at yesterday’s Budget Work Session. Here are my priorities for the FY 24-25 Budget discussion:
MOBILITY, TRANSPORTATION, & PUBLIC WORKS
-Ensure the Transportation User Fee covers 35 new FTEs, including 25 positions to improve signal, sidewalk, and street maintenance and 10 positions for parking compliance positions. This would be an additional 85 cents above the proposed budget referenced on pg 33: https://services.austintexas.gov/edims/ ... ?id=427101
- TMSO ebike fleet for bikeway parking prohibition enforcement per https://services.austintexas.gov/edims/ ... ?id=426783
- City Leap Planning
- Living Streets Program investments (Equipment and FTEs): This already successful program has equipment needs including attractive street barriers, planters, and benches to address community safety & visibility concerns and to support program success. I also want to ensure any additional staff members needed to expand the program are assessed in order to support additional living streets activations citywide.
CLEAN AIR MONITORING
- Continuation of Clean Air Coalition membership dues through Capital Area Council of Governments
PARKS & RECREATION DEPARTMENT
- Maintenance $1.5M for 16 new Grounds & Maintenance Full Time Positions with a plan to add a comparable number in future Fiscal Years until level of service deficit is closed. I’d also like to request the one-time funding of $740k for Grounds Maintenance Capital Equipment. This one-time line item would likely not need to come from the General Fund. This proposal has broad community support: http://assets.austintexas.gov/austincou ... 142139.pdf
- Park Ranger FTEs: Add FTEs to expand the Park Ranger program
- Park Security Cameras: Procure, install, and operate security cameras at PARD locations with high rates of vehicle burglary or other crime, preferably through a partnership with APD on a permanent basis. I have a Q&A submitted to better understand current usage and ongoing needs.
- District 8 Dog Park: Establish a dog park in District 8, potentially as a pilot if necessary. Many folks in Austin have been asking for more resources for off-leash dog park spaces. When such options aren’t available, people tend to let their dogs off-leash in places where it isn’t as appropriate. If we want to do our part to make adopting our medium and large dogs from the Austin Animal Center more feasible, we need to also think about where they can go to run out all their extra energy. Small dogs also need a safe place to play.
VETERANS SERVICES needs per our Commission on Veterans Affairs:
–Real-World needs assessment: (https://services.austintexas.gov/edims/ ... ntexas.gov)
The last time this needs assessment was done was in 2019. Many things have changed for our Veterans since then, and there has never been a resolution to the asks presented then.
–Creation of a Veterans and Military Affairs Office (https://services.austintexas.gov/edims/ ... ntexas.gov)
REPRODUCTIVE HEALTHCARE ACCESS
- Continuation of Reproductive Health Education and Service Navigation
GUN VIOLENCE PREVENTION
–Free Gun Locks & Safe Storage Education Campaign: I will also be working to understand the current needs of this program that I have championed for many years. I worked on it closely with Delia Garza when she was on the dais. At yesterday’s work session, we learned that the amount funded for this program in the proposed budget has dropped $30k.
-Continuation of our Gun Surrender Program
Looking forward to our next discussions and public input soon,
Paige Ellis