That is BS. The Austin Recycle center takes for all of Travis County. I make an annual run for dropping off all the odds and ends TDS won't take (e.g. batteries, paint, etc.) although I haven't tried the brush drop-off. They used to take it at the reuse center, but now you have to drive to Hornsby Bend to drop off any brush, and it's a good 45 minute drive to get there, so I'll pay the 15 bucks to drop it off at TDS.
Now the one that irks me: City of Austin will pay to put in a rain capture system on your property, and will plant trees on your property. I would really like to see all the wasteful spending we have on the tax-payer dime and start trimming some fat (looking at you, homeless services). Ain't no way we're spending more per homeless individual than we are on anyone else in this county. But the homeless services division is thriving in City hall, and we have 2 hotels that are slated for homeless shelters, but 2 years later they're rotting on the foundations.