City's new budget in effect = increases

AUSTIN (KXAN) - The city of Austin's $3.1 billion budget took effect Monday -- and with it the start of quite a few utility rate hikes.

Austin Energy bills for October will bump up by $6.53 per month for the average residential customer.

New Austin Water rates will have retail customers adding another $6.77 a month, on average.

And Austin Resource Recovery, the trash division, has a new rate structure as well to encourage more recycling and less waste.

The property tax rate will increase from 48.11 cents to 50.29 cents per $100 of property valuation. Some will pay and additional $20, others $100 and more.

The approved budget includes funding for:

• A 3 percent wage increase for all city employees
• An additional 22 police officers and six paramedics
• three positions in the Austin Fire Department to create a Wildfire Mitigation Division
• three positions to create a Short-Term Rental Program in the Code Compliance Department.