Budget would add 160 city positions

AUSTIN (KXAN) - Austin proposed budget includes almost 160 new employees, a reflection of the rebounding economy and growing work load for the city's various departments.

The $3.1 billion budget proposal was unveiled at an Austin City Council work session on Wednesday morning. This budget proposes 2.2 cent tax increase, which city officials said would translates into an increase of $1.67 per month for the median family home.

A final vote is not expected until September. Council already has approved increases to water and electric fees.

Two-thirds of the city's budget goes to public safety. And for the first time in a number of years, the budget includes new positions across various departments.

New positions reflect increasing work loads for departments such as development review and law enforcement, as well as commitments such as monitoring private waste haulers and staffing the future Water Treatment Plant No. 4.

The library department, which has relied heavily on temporary staff to handle expanding needs, will get an additional 10 positions. Another six fult-time positions will be added for the Asian American Resource Center , which has yet to open. And the city has set aside just over $1 million in additional staff and preventative maintenance programs for the city's parks.

Another three positions were added to the planning department in order to rewrite the city's land development code to reflect the priorities of the Imagine Austin comprehensive Plan. And just over $500,000 was set aside to cover overtime for the fire department, due to the high number of department vacancies.