Austin City Council discussed 2022 budget and tax levy, plus tree trimming at Monday meeting

The Austin City Council discussed the city’s budget and tax levy for 2022 in a work session following their regularly scheduled meeting Monday evening at the Austin City Council chambers.  Austin Mayor Steve King spoke with KAUS during the “Meet the Mayor” segment of “Wright Here, Right Now” and stated that the city is eyeing a tax levy of just under 7% for 2022…

The city must approve the proposed tax levy for 2022 by the end of this month, and after that approval, the levy may be lowered, but it cannot be raised before its final approval at the last council meeting in December.  Mayor King went on to state that the city is always looking for ways to save money in relation to the budget and tax levy, and he stated that one cost saving measure has been the city’s tree trimming program…

City Administrator Craig Clark, Director of Administrative Services Tom Dankert and Parks, Recreation and Forestry Director Kevin Nelson met recently to discuss the future of tree trimming in Austin, and whether the city should continue with contracting the service out, or go back to in-house staffing conducting the tree trimming and removals in the city.