Denouncing the proposed City of Austin budget for not going far enough to pay its part-time, temporary workers well and to provide essential services to low and middle income families, eighty Austin Interfaith leaders descended on City Hall to urge the Council to prioritize the concerns of residents.  

Councilmembers Delia Garza (2), Gregorio Casar (4), Ann Kitchen (5), Leslie Pool (7), Kathie Tovo (9) and AISD Board president Gina Hinojosa joined Austin Interfaith in an afternoon press conference in support of Austin Interfaith's budget priorities.

Later that night, 12 leaders spoke in support of specific items including a wage increase from $11.39 to $13.03 for all adult city employees - including part-time temporary workers, investment in Capital IDEA training, after-school programming, investments in branch libraries, improved park facilities, public water fountains, affordable housing, and healthy food incentives.

The second and final public hearing is at 11:00am on Thursday, August 27th.  The final vote is scheduled early September.

[Photo Credit: Jim O'Quinn]

Religious Leaders Speak out on City Budget, Time Warner Cable

Night Moves, Austin Chronicle

Minorities, Low Income Residents Top Budget Amendment Requests, Austin Monitor [full text here]

Luckless at Capitol, Wage Advocates Go Local, Texas Tribune

In the Austin American Statesman, by Fr. Bill Wack & Rabbi Alan Freedman of Austin Interfaith: 

 When a society – whether local, national or global – is willing to leave a part of itself on the fringes, no political programs or resources spent on law enforcement or surveillance systems can indefinitely guarantee tranquility.” — Pope Francis, Gospel of Joy

The crafting of budgets is an essential activity undertaken by local governments this time of year. These budgets are moral documents — statements of our community values. These are neither left-leaning nor right-leaning values. Where we spend our collective resources reflects what matters most to all residents of Austin and Travis County.

When Austin Energy moved to more quickly cut off electricity from families in arrears Austin Interfaith stepped in to negotiate a better deal for those trying to lower their debt.

The problem began with billing errors.  In 2011 Austin Energy switched to a new, problematic billing system, resulting in billing errors for tens of thousands of families and collection problems for Austin Energy.  Residential utility debt increased from $15.8 million in 2011 to $91 million by May 2015.  With 27 thousand families in active repayment of uncollected bills, 8 thousand of which were already participating in the city’s low-income Customer Assistance Program and exempted from disconnection, Austin Energy targeted the remaining 19 thousand customers for inevitable cut-off.

Austin Interfaith leaders and allies negotiated that only those with over $1,000 in debt be subject to disconnect and that customers with smaller debt be contacted by specially trained Austin Energy representatives who will work with them to resolve the situation without disconnecting them from utilities.

Austin City Council OKs New Rules for utility Customers in the Red, Austin American Statesman [pdf]

Austin Energy to Tighten Up Collections, Austin Monitor [pdf]