Next Community Meeting: Monday, January 26th at 7PM, South Austin Recreation Center
Proposition Q – On Your Ballot in November 2025
At GENA’s September 2025 meeting, we heard from two speakers (Steven Rivas and Jeffery Bowen) on the pros and cons of Proposition Q, which will appear on ballots on the November 4th, 2025 election.
✅ In support of Prop Q, click here to read Steven Rivas’s response to the association.
❌ In opposition to Prop Q, click here read the response from the Austin Neighborhoods Council.
Click here for a brief summary of Prop Q.
In Support of Prop Q: A Letter to the Community from Steven Rivas
Dear Neighbors,
First, I want to sincerely thank the Galindo Neighborhood Association (GENA) for allowing me to present at Monday night’s meeting. It means so much to be able to share time with all of you, to listen to concerns, and to discuss what’s at stake with Proposition Q. Galindo has long been a bellwether precinct—our votes have carried weight across Austin because they reflect who we are: a community that looks out for each other and cares deeply about the future of our city.
On Tuesday, Nov. 4, we’ll decide whether Austin keeps vital services whole in the face of shrinking outside funding and state limits. I’m asking you to vote YES on Proposition Q so our city can maintain housing, public health, safety, parks, and library services that so many families depend on.
What Prop Q actually does and what it costs
Prop Q sets the City tax rate at $0.574017 per $100 of value. That is 5¢ above the voter-approval rate required under state law. For a typical $500,000 home, credible local reporting estimates about $300 more per year (roughly $25 per month).
Where the money goes (high-level totals and examples) City budget documents and briefings lay out the uses. Highlights include:
- Homelessness – $19.4M. Shelter operations and case management, such as emergency shelters and rapid rehousing.
- Housing – $15.5M. Local vouchers, landlord engagement, and permanent supportive housing to keep people stably housed.
- Public Health & Social Services – $11.3M. Family stabilization grants, trauma recovery, sobering center, and HIV/STI testing continuity.
- Public Safety – $21.8M. EMS staffing and 911 response improvements, wildfire mitigation, and mental-health response capacity.
- Environment & Culture – $11.4M. Parks maintenance, natural-lands restoration, wildfire prevention, libraries, and cultural preservation.
- City Employees – $1.25M. Frontline stipends, part-time benefits, and bad-weather pay so services remain reliable.
As promised, I’ve attached my presentation slides to this email.
Why this is an emergency need
- Federal dollars are falling away. Austin Public Health has already lost about $15M in federal grants, cutting programs like refugee services, COVID vaccination, and diabetes care.
- More cuts are on the table for FY2026. The administration’s budget proposals include deep reductions to CDC, HRSA, and SAMHSA.
- State law caps city revenue growth at 3.5% without voter approval. That’s why this decision is on our ballot; exceeding that cap requires your “yes” vote.
About the “20% forever” claims you may have seen
Some emails and posts say Prop Q is a “20% increase forever.” That’s simply not what the ballot sets. The ballot sets a rate—57.4017¢ per $100—which Council must vote on every year in public. The “forever” claim ignores that annual process.
You may also see an “8% total increase” claim online. Impact varies by taxable value and exemptions, but neutral estimates point to about $300 per year on a $500,000 home.
Galindo Cares
I love this neighborhood because we don’t just look after ourselves—we look after each other and the whole city. Prop Q is about keeping the lights on for services that catch families before they fall, help neighbors move from the street to housing, keep EMS and wildfire response strong, and maintain the parks and libraries that make Austin livable.
Galindo’s voice matters, and our vote will once again show the city what it means to care for our community. I hope you’ll vote YES on Prop Q and encourage a friend to do the same. Early voting begins on October 20th!
With gratitude,
Steven Rivas
Materials Provided by Steven Rivas
In Opposition to Prop Q: Austin Neighborhoods Council Statement
Austin Neighborhoods Council Statement on Prop Q
The EC wishes to share our concerns about this permanent tax increase with the membership. We have examined statements by the mayor, council, and staff and believe they have not shared important context with citizens about how they intend to spend this money.
The language of Proposition Q states that the tax increase is “for the purpose of funding or expanding programs intended to increase housing affordability and reduce homelessness; improve parks and recreation facilities and services; enhance public health services and public safety; ensure financial stability; and provide for other general fund maintenance and operation expenditures included in the fiscal year 2025-2026 budget as approved or amended by City Council.”
The ANC Executive Committee fully supports public spending that directly serves citizens’ vital interests—responsible governance demands no less. However, City Hall must own up to its choices on other massive expenditures entirely left out of this proposition. Why is the city pouring $1.6 billion into a vastly expanded convention center? Why has it committed $104 million to the I-35 Cap and Stitch project this year? City leaders are also pushing other nonessential projects ahead while they leave essential needs underfunded.
Prop Q’s wording is fundamentally deceptive and tries to coerce taxpayers, falsely suggesting that a failed vote will gut basic city services. That isn’t responsible budgeting—it’s intimidation. This budget and the Tax Rate Election that supports it appear deliberately structured to shelter discretionary pet projects while demanding more from residents for the core services our communities cannot go without. That’s backward and unacceptable.
We are acutely aware that these are unsettled times: longstanding federal funding will likely be cut or eliminated, the economy is unstable, the job market is flat, and the housing market is unpredictable. Enormous post-flood cleanup costs confront Travis County, and the county will almost certainly increase taxes. The State of Texas has limited local governments’ ability to levy taxes. The source of these funds, property taxes and usage fees, is regressive and impacts working families at a greater rate than the wealthy.
What Council refuses to acknowledge is how many of our neighbors already live close to the edge. This measure will increase the displacement of longtime residents because rising taxes will push homeowners to sell their properties and landlords to raise their rents. Many Austinites are already struggling to pay taxes and increased utility costs. The passage of Prop Q may mean the difference between a household making mortgage/rent payments or losing a home.
We have concluded that the mayor and council have focused on projects best characterized as “wants” at the expense of what we know to be “needs,” meaning the benefits and services that we believe are most essential for Austin citizens. The wording of this proposition is fundamentally deceptive, as it implies that the only way for the city to pay for these essential services is to increase the existing tax rate in perpetuity.We call on our membership to review this statement carefully and share it with their neighbors.
A vote in favor of Proposition Q is a mistake. Before asking the citizens to pay more, the city must thoroughly audit existing programs and entitlements and cut everything that doesn’t serve all of its citizens, has no proven results, or fails in its intended purpose. We ask that the mayor and council return to their spreadsheets and create an honest, clear budget proposal that we can all support.
What is Proposition Q?
Proposition Q would raise the property tax rate in the City of Austin by $0.05 per $100 valuation to a total of $0.574017 per $100 valuation, for the current year. For the average homeowner, the increase would amount to a roughly additional $25/month (or $300/year) and would raise $110 million in additional tax revenue for the city.
Read the ordinance (20250813-010) here.
Why are we voting on Proposition Q?
The recently passed city budget faces a $33 million deficit. The tax increase would address the deficit. In addition, by law, cities and counties in Texas cannot raise property taxes more than 3.5% in a given year without triggering an election.
What are the arguments for and against Proposition Q?
In general…
- Proponents of the tax rate increase point to the need to fund essential city services such as public health and safety programs, homelessness services, and parks and public facilities.
- Opponents say that the tax rate increase will only further burden residents dealing with the high cost of living in Austin, and instead have called for an audit into the city’s spending.
What will I see on my ballot?
Proposition Q: THIS IS A TAX INCREASE
Approving the ad valorem tax rate of $0.574017 per $100 valuation in the City of Austin for the current year, a rate that is $0.05 higher per $100 valuation than the voter approval tax rate of the City of Austin, for the purpose of funding or expanding programs intended to increase housing affordability and reduce homelessness; improve parks and recreation facilities and services; enhance public health services and public safety; ensure financial stability; and provide for other general fund maintenance and operation expenditures included in the fiscal year 2025-2026 budget as approved or amended by City Council. Last year, the ad valorem tax rate in the City of Austin was $0.4776 per $100 valuation.
Lower your salary and there won’t be a Proposition Q. Do your research and speak with your constituents in Dallas and San Antonio concerning their funding of the homeless population. And I am a registered voter.