July 19, 2008
Troubled Times for Austin Nonprofits
As the country’s most whispered recession rolls on, the city budget faces an estimated $25.3 million deficit in 2009. At this economically fragile hour, Austin’s nonprofit human services organizations worry that the city will cut their funding when their assistance is needed most.
Some local organizations like Caritas, who are integral in providing vital services to people in need, receive a large portion of their funds through the city of Austin. Nonprofit leaders have asked for a 10% increase in funding to meet the rising demand for their services, but it seems they have a hard time ahead of them. City council member Lee Leffingwell told KVUE, "I don't think that's going to be possible."
The city manager is set to present a balanced budget to Council by next week. Between July and August, the council will hold public hearings, and vote on the final budget in September.
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Maybe if we didn't give huge tax breaks to every developer and growth profiteer cum lately we would not have such a shortfall of revenues. Maybe then too we could get a road fixed in town or afford better schools and police and fire. Just a thought... :-|
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Bill is on the way!
http://fakesteveballmer.blogspot.com
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TheTodd, developers aren't getting tax breaks - at least, not the developers most of you paleoliberals whine about; most of them are having to pay extra (via affordable housing, Great Streets) to build as high as they want to.
If it weren't for the neighborhood nitwits fighting everything new around here, the ratio of tax revenues to expenses would be a lot better - since multi-family developments are extremely profitable for the city.
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That's right. Developers for places like The Domain aren't getting tax breaks. Just the big box realtors they cater to that create poor paying jobs by selling products made in China.
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Not realtors, retailers. Retailers actually have one foot on Earthly ground.
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while i understand the importance of writing about the effect of city politics and finances on local organizations, it also seems like this article merits a suggestion of how we as individual citizens (at least those of us who haven't been hit hard economically) could help these organizations. donations, i'm guessing? who besides caritas is being hit hardest? why not highlight the "I live here, I give here" campaign?