BUDGET

If bills now being considered pass, lawmakers will be left with $3.3 billion to take care of unforeseen costs over the next two years. Some experts worry that Texas can’t sustain its massive spending on the border and public education.

In the adopted Fiscal Year 2024 budget, the city included an additional $200,000 in diversion funds to help with case management, in addition to utility and rental assistance.

With the start of October, the city is looking to clean up encampments of unhoused people within two weeks of getting a call.

With about a month until the San Antonio City Council is slated to pass a final version of next year’s budget, council members and residents alike are beginning to sift through the record $3.7 billion proposed version.

The City of San Antonio is expected to grow its budget to a whopping $3.7 billion this year as it pumps up its Animal Care Service budget, makes the biggest increase to its police department this side of the millennium, and funds hundreds more homeless camp cleanups.

Lawmakers this year didn’t approve extra money to help schools pay for raises despite having an unprecedented $32 billion surplus — even after Gov. Greg Abbott commissioned a task force last year to improve teacher pay and retention.

As home and property values continue to, the City of San Antonio is expected to cut its property tax rate for the second year in a row and possibly offer additional relief for property owners.

The proposal for the 2024-25 budget cycle includes $142.1 billion in general revenue spending — about $5 billion higher than the proposal approved last week by the Texas House — at a time when lawmakers have a historic $32.7 billion surplus at their disposal this session.

After a marathon debate, the bill will head to the Senate, where lawmakers have been crafting their own version of the spending plan.

House Bill 1 is being debated on the floor of the lower chamber, where representatives are hammering out details on the next two years of state spending.

The proposal recommends spending billions on programs including property tax cuts, teacher pay raises, mental health services and border security. It leaves out requests for pay raises for retired state employees and funding for rent relief and childcare programs.

If Texas’ budget surplus were distributed directly to Texans, it could pay for 12 years of school lunches, seven months of rent or 11,000 miles of travel. Here’s how to put the big number into perspective.

Abbott’s spending proposals also include spending $750 million on school safety and mental health services and expanding postpartum Medicaid to a year.

Community colleges want a funding overhaul this legislative session, and four-year universities are hoping for a boost in research funds. Meanwhile, faculty are bracing for a potential threat to tenure and limits to conversations about race.

The leaders of the state’s six biggest university systems are seeking the money to fund instruction, university operations and employee health insurance and to cover a free tuition program for veterans and their children.

Lawmakers begin work today for their biennial legislative session. They’ll debate over the state budget, school issues, border security and property taxes, among other issues.

It’s far more money than legislators have ever had at their disposal, with an increase in available funds that dwarfs any previous jumps between cycles. It’s also more money than lawmakers can constitutionally spend.

Texas homeowners have some of the highest property tax bills in the nation, a byproduct of the state’s reliance on such taxes to help pay for public schools and the state’s lack of an income tax.

Local governments in Texas have spent the summer preparing their budgets for next year, wrestling with inflation and a law that prohibits them from raising property tax revenues beyond 3.5% without voter approval.

The San Antonio City Council is poised to pass a $3.4 billion budget Thursday that includes pay bumps for employees, dozens of new police officer positions, and a property tax cut. But it is unclear whether council members will follow a staff recommendation to send $50 million in extra revenue back to CPS Energy customers or take more time to figure out an alternate use.

While the current budget proposal for the city in FY 2023 would provide $100,000 to the commission, its members want council members to approve $300,000 when the vote on the final version.

The housing department’s proposed jump from $48.8 million in the current budget year to $150.2 million for FY 2023 is fueled almost entirely by the city’s first-ever housing bond, which voters approved in May. The $99.9 million in bond money is split between producing and preserving affordable housing.

With just over two weeks until the San Antonio City Council is scheduled to vote on a budget, the question of what to do with $50 million of unexpected revenue is still up in the air.

Under the proposed city budget, SAPD would get 78 new uniform positions for a total of 2,581. Meanwhile, SAFD’s firefighter and EMS positions would rise to 1,795 with the addition of 21 new spots.

The City of San Antonio will host several town halls this month to discuss the proposed Fiscal Year 2023 budget, which totals $3.4 billion.

Rebates for CPS Energy customers, a property tax rate cut, and pay bumps for city employees are all part of the proposed $3.4 billion city budget the San Antonio City Council will discuss Thursday morning.

In this week’s episode, Matthew speaks with Mitchell and Patrick about the power grid, the race for governor and the extra money the Texas Legislature will have on hand to spend next year.

Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick had asked House leaders to support his push for arming school police officers with bulletproof shields after the Uvalde shooting. House Speaker Dade Phelan is also asking for more money for mental health and school safety programs.

Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs Mike O’Brien has stepped down from his post “effective immediately,” according to an email University President Cynthia Teniente-Matson sent to faculty and staff Thursday. The provost’s comments about a $4 million budget shortfall at a Nov. 22 faculty town hall were central to KSAT and other media outlets’ recent reporting.

In the face of a reported $4 million hole in the current year’s budget, the administration at Texas A&M University-San Antonio claims all is well. Faculty, though, have been left wondering about the university’s financial health and are skeptical of its budgeting practices.

Hegar will also talk about how to keep Texas business-friendly and what another wave of COVID-19 could mean for the state budget.

Gov. Greg Abbott said Texas was stepping up to do the federal government’s job after Biden’s immigration policies had “opened the floodgates” to illegal immigration and crime.

The City Council on Thursday adopted a $3.1 billion budget for the 2022 fiscal year that restores many cuts made over the past two years, focuses on critical community needs, responds to crises differently and makes investments to become a more resilient city.

San Antonio City Council members considered the final few changes to the city’s largest-ever budget Wednesday afternoon on the eve of its passage.

The proposed San Antonio budget for 2022 is a record $3.1 billion. It is expected to be adopted Sep. 16 and people around San Antonio should be able to see changes.

The Flower Mound lawmaker is the most senior Republican in the upper chamber and has served as its top budget writer for the past four sessions.

Of course, it depends on when you book and how savvy you are at tracking airfare deals, but scoring a great deal on a flight these days certainly isn’t impossible.

Gov. Greg Abbott pledged $250 million in state funds for a Texas-Mexico border wall and is soliciting donations to fund the rest.

The governor suggested more details would be released next week. The announcement Thursday of several initiatives is the latest in an ongoing conflict between Abbott, a Republican, and Democratic President Joe Biden's administration.

Abbott has the power to veto individual line items he objects to.

Abbott already planned to call a special session later in the year for the Legislature to do its decennial redrawing of Texas political maps.

Financial forecasts show high-profile portions of the city's annual budget could face deficits for years to come, but federal money from the American Rescue Plan Act could help soften the blow.

A study of San Antonio police calls for service found some lower priority call types, such as disturbances or barking dogs, might be able to be handled by something other than the typical dispatch of a sworn SAPD officer.

When assessing what changes to make to your home this year, some improvements will be your choice. But some improvements are necessary, like repairing big problems you uncover in your new house. To plan for improvements around your home, it helps to have a system to guide your strategy. “I recommend walking around your house, just like you’re getting ready to buy it, because that’s when you’re going to be most critical. Write down everything you see and don’t worry about budget just yet,” Angie’s List Co-Founder, Angie Hicks said.

SAN ANTONIO – On the eve of the city council’s vote on the FY 2021 budget, proposed amendments to the $2.9 billion document would make small adjustments to areas like housing, health, and small businesses programs. City staff presented $4 million worth of proposed amendments to the city’s operating budget and $2.4 million worth of additional capital spending on Wednesday, following dozens of council member requests. City staff proposed these $4 million worth of amendments to the city budget. City staff are recommending $2.4 million in additional capital funding in the FY 2021 budget. (City of San Antonio)The city council is scheduled to vote on the FY 2021 budget on Thursday, Sep. 17.

City of San Antonio staff presented a $2.9 billion budget proposal to city council members on Thursday. I cant help but feel as though this proposed budget is a slap in the face, Celeste Brown told council members during the public comment portion of the meeting. I am strongly urging city council to push back. The majority voiced opposition to a budget increase for police, urging instead for city leaders to divert the money to areas like health care, housing, and education. Walsh told reporters he wanted to provide council members with "a deliberate approach that benefits everyone."

San Antonio Employee paychecks, street maintenance, and arts funding could all see cuts as the City of San Antonio tries to find ways to shrink its next budget to meet low revenues due to the COVID-19 pandemic. City staff presented city council members with a trial budget Thursday that attempts to deal with an expected $109 million shortfall in the general fund over fiscal 2021 and 2022. Forecasts from consultants and city staff showed various revenue sources could take years to return to pre-pandemic levels, meaning cuts are needed. If the economy recovers more quickly than expected, city staff say the council has the flexibility to reverse the cuts. As a result, the trial budget showed arts and culture funding dropping from $11.5 million in the original fiscal 2020 budget to $7.7 million in fiscal 2021.

Have you ever seen this quote floating around the internet? “Impossible only means you haven’t found the solution yet.”

After a marathon 17-plus hour debate that started just after noon last Tuesday, the House finally gave its preliminary nod to its version of the state budget, so we start this week's playlist of the week’s news with “For the Love of Money” by The O’Jays.