The upcoming fiscal year, which begins in October, will see an increase in city rates and levies, just like so many other expenses. The average Austin homeowner is expected to pay $417 per year as a result of all the cost hikes.
These hikes include the Clean Community Fee, the Transportation User Fee, drainage, water, and trash service fees. Austin Energy is cutting the total customer bill by lowering the rate per kilowatt-hour consumed, but the monthly charge will also go up a little. (For instance, a consumer who uses 860 KWh of electricity per month will save roughly $59 the next year.)
Trash carts from Austin Resource Recovery come in four different sizes. Next year, the price of the smallest one, 24-gallons, will increase from $26.20 to $28.50 a month. The biggest cart has a capacity of 96 gallons. At the moment, that cart costs $58.40 a month. The biggest increase in cart sizes will be that charge, which will rise to $64.10 each month. If you request it, Austin Resource Recovery will swap your cart for a bigger or smaller one.
Parking in the wrong spot will also cost more, but not significantly. In the past, the average vehicle’s non-consent towing fee was $272. Council will establish a new rate of $275.
Additionally, tickets to private events hosted in Austin parks will now cost more due to the city. In accordance with a budgetary resolution that was passed by Council, the city manager will create a Parks Maintenance Fund and report to Council on the fund’s receipts and outlays. Previously, the city’s General Fund would have received these payments directly. However, the funds will be allocated to the Parks and Recreation Department under the guidance of the budget item’s sponsors, Council members Ryan Alter, Paige Ellis, Marc Duchen, and Mayor Pro Tem Vanessa Fuentes.
Fees for developers are increasing significantly more than those for residents. The site plan review cost for the Barton Springs Zone, which is presently $633, has increased the most. With the new cost set at $3,890, that fee will increase by more than 500 percent. On October 1, the cost of a pond’s environmental re-inspection will increase to $500. Right now, the cost is $242. The cost of a residential development plan’s initial floodplain study has increased from $64 to $110. The cost of all other development fees is also increasing.
Additionally, property taxes are rising. Voters who cast ballots in the November 4 election will determine how much they raise. The estimated median property tax on a non-senior homestead worth $503,000 will rise by over $303 per year, from $1969 to $2272, if those voters support a 5-cent increase per $100 valuation for property owners.
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