City of Austin requesting input on 2026 bond package, would impact your property tax bill
AUSTIN (KXAN) -- Austin leaders are eying a comprehensive bond package that you are expected to vote on in November 2026 -- it could address city issues like homelessness, affordable housing and public safety.
The city of Austin is asking you to share your feedback on what you would like to see in that bond package. According to a post from the city, there is only a week left to do that online.
“The city has real needs whether it be parks, whether it be road infrastructure…the council has asked for a comprehensive approach,” Austin Mayor Kirk Watson has previously said.
You can submit your feedback online here or call 311.
What is a General Obligation bond?
The city of Austin describes it like this:
"Austin, as well as other cities, use General Obligation (GO) Bonds to fund long-term investments in public infrastructure. GO Bonds allow cities to borrow money to pay for major community projects, such as streets, libraries, or open spaces. These bonds are repaid using property taxes, allowing improvements to be made without taking money away from important services."
What to expect moving forward
After public input is gathered online, the city will host town halls this fall and city council members could vote to put the bond election on your ballot next summer. According to the city, the timeline will be as follows:
- April-June 2025: Community feedback will be gathered starting in May 2025 and will continue accepting input through the end of the bond development process.
- September-October 2025: Townhall meetings provide additional opportunities for Austinites to participate
- July-August 2026: City Council calls for bond elections
- November 2026: Bond election
Previous bonds from the city of Austin
Nearly half of the city’s public improvement bond funding going back to 2006 has been for mobility and transportation. The city has also asked, and received, bond funding for parks, public safety and affordable housing.
The city is still paying off those public improvement bonds (those are the ones that go to voters), including the $350 million approved by voters for affordable housing in 2022.
“Not even talking about a future bond election, the tax rate and the amount that impacts the typical tax payer will go up,” said Kimberly Olivares, director of financial services, in an Audit and Finance Committee meeting last week.
Olivares said the city has $1.9 billion in general obligation debt that has been authorized but not issued, $1.4 billion of that being voter-approved debt.
For the average Austin homeowner, that means even without a 2026 bond package, your property tax rate is expected to go up. The debt service property tax rate for the average homeowner in Austin is $396.29 for 2025, Olivares said. It’s expected to be $541.41 in 2029.