Overview
- Preliminary tallies show about 63.5% voted no, with nearly 110,000 votes against across Travis, Williamson and Hays counties.
- Prop Q sought about $110 million a year via a five-cent-per-$100 property tax increase that would have added roughly $302 to the average homeowner’s annual city tax bill.
- With the measure failing, the city estimates $109.5 million less than budgeted in FY 2025–26 and projects the typical 2026 city tax bill will rise by about $104.76 instead.
- The city manager will deliver a revised budget for council consideration, and officials warn of potential reductions affecting EMS staffing, homelessness services, rental assistance, park maintenance and public health outreach.
- Opposition led by Save Austin Now argued the plan hurt affordability, while Mayor Kirk Watson and council members cast the outcome as a mandate to restore trust and rein in spending.