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Posted

December 27, 2018 10:39 PM

(ABC 6 News) -- The Austin City Council Thursday approved an approximately 40 percent pay raise for council members and the mayor, the first pay increase for both in nearly two decades.

The city cited a number of studies showing council member pay lagged behind comparable positions in similar-sized cities across Minnesota. As of 2016, the study said, Austin's mayor made $3,000 less than his counterpart in Albert Lea. 

Since 2001, council members have been paid $6,600 annually for their work; that will jump to $9,300. The council member-at-large will see a pay increase from $7,800 to $10,800 and the mayor's pay will jump from $9,000 to $12,600.

Council member Laura Helle, who voted yes to the plan, said it was proposed by a number of council members who are leaving their seats next month, meaning they will not themselves see the increase.

Austin City Council Approves 40 Percent Raise For Council Members, Mayor; First Increase Since 2001

"I feel that the job that the council members and mayor do is an important job, it takes time and we want people in those elected offices to be compensated fairly," Helle said.

The pay increase will take effect on January 1, 2021.

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Posted
1 hour ago, TPCJ007 said:

December 27, 2018 10:39 PM

(ABC 6 News) -- The Austin City Council Thursday approved an approximately 40 percent pay raise for council members and the mayor, the first pay increase for both in nearly two decades.

The city cited a number of studies showing council member pay lagged behind comparable positions in similar-sized cities across Minnesota. As of 2016, the study said, Austin's mayor made $3,000 less than his counterpart in Albert Lea. 

Since 2001, council members have been paid $6,600 annually for their work; that will jump to $9,300. The council member-at-large will see a pay increase from $7,800 to $10,800 and the mayor's pay will jump from $9,000 to $12,600.

Council member Laura Helle, who voted yes to the plan, said it was proposed by a number of council members who are leaving their seats next month, meaning they will not themselves see the increase.

Austin City Council Approves 40 Percent Raise For Council Members, Mayor; First Increase Since 2001

"I feel that the job that the council members and mayor do is an important job, it takes time and we want people in those elected offices to be compensated fairly," Helle said.

The pay increase will take effect on January 1, 2021.

Wrong austin. She would make about 75k a year for 4 years.

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Posted
6 hours ago, TPCJ007 said:

December 27, 2018 10:39 PM

(ABC 6 News) -- The Austin City Council Thursday approved an approximately 40 percent pay raise for council members and the mayor, the first pay increase for both in nearly two decades.

The city cited a number of studies showing council member pay lagged behind comparable positions in similar-sized cities across Minnesota. As of 2016, the study said, Austin's mayor made $3,000 less than his counterpart in Albert Lea. 

Since 2001, council members have been paid $6,600 annually for their work; that will jump to $9,300. The council member-at-large will see a pay increase from $7,800 to $10,800 and the mayor's pay will jump from $9,000 to $12,600.

Council member Laura Helle, who voted yes to the plan, said it was proposed by a number of council members who are leaving their seats next month, meaning they will not themselves see the increase.

Austin City Council Approves 40 Percent Raise For Council Members, Mayor; First Increase Since 2001

"I feel that the job that the council members and mayor do is an important job, it takes time and we want people in those elected offices to be compensated fairly," Helle said.

The pay increase will take effect on January 1, 2021.

 

4 hours ago, Pasken said:

Wrong austin. She would make about 75k a year for 4 years.

Lol

Posted
35 minutes ago, Viper said:

 

Lol

Yea you would think he would be suspicious that a local news station in Minnesota is reporting about a Texas city council salary raise but I guess not.

Posted

to be fair, most of the time I google "Paramount Theater Austin"...the one in Minnesota comes up.  Which is annoying because I don't have a parking validation for that location. 

Posted
9 hours ago, Wally Pryor said:

Lulz.  Our entire council is a tribe of maniacal  lunatics.   Kelley would just be another notch in the belt.

that's fucking bullshit. I don't agree with all the council members but they are all rational people. 

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Posted
5 minutes ago, Wally Fairway said:

so 6 more weeks of the Fitlump campaign and their variety of red dress vs blue dress events?

So Fitlump's entire campaign platform was basically the 2020 version of that blue dress v. gold dress optical dilemma of 2015...only a real person with real public safety stakes on the line?  

Posted
13 minutes ago, Pasken said:

that's fucking bullshit. I don't agree with all the council members but they are all rational people. 

Your city council is a circus joke to rational people. Fitlump is just another clown. 

Posted
2 minutes ago, Pasken said:

Yea. You can sign a petition to move to ranked choice city elections to eliminate low turnoff runoffs:

https://www.austinprogress.org/amendments

Holey Shitballs - just hit me that it will be a super low turnout, which could actually lead to a Fitbump the Camwhore Drunk Titty Flashing Comic-con slut Austin City Councilwoman  

She should make this into a campaign poster

 

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Posted

So like the jury, it's a "Hong Electorate"?  

Dr. Hong is a great leader.  He is building a City Council of extraordinary magnitude.  Dr. Hong deserves a great big hand.  

Posted (edited)
23 minutes ago, Armybrat said:

Your city council is a circus joke to rational people.

I know it sucks things have changed since the Middle Ages but it's time you admit the world has passed you up. 

Edited by Pasken
Posted

Not really, Austin was a shitshow of corruption before I got here in the 1950s.

Not much has changed except the crazy level has increased and the citizens are ignored more blatantly.

Posted
6 minutes ago, Armybrat said:

Not really, Austin was a shitshow of corruption before I got here in the 1950s.

Not much has changed except the crazy level has increased and the citizens are ignored more blatantly.

You don't even live here, bro. 

Posted

My son & grandsons do, but not for long because of the increased tax burden which has been a stressful issue for him. Blue collar types like him who actually do the physical work building the city are the ones getting screwed over by City Hall. His longtime St. Elmo “barrio” neighbors feel the same.

Posted
5 minutes ago, Armybrat said:

My son & grandsons do, but not for long because of the increased tax burden which has been a stressful issue for him. Blue collar types like him who actually do the physical work building the city are the ones getting screwed over by City Hall. His longtime St. Elmo “barrio” neighbors feel the same.

The problem is housing density but mouth breathers keep fighting because they think building more housing means they will have to move. The land use reform that city council worked their asses off to get within 1 reading to pass before the courts came in would do a lot to fight rising housing costs in the next decade. City council can't do anything to stop people competing for housing and driving up prices and thus appraisals which drives up mortgages, taxes and rent. The state's school financing doesn't help either. The actual city of Austin taxes aren't pushing anyone out of the city. 

Posted
13 minutes ago, tx 3 putt said:

All this is surreal !

I find it entertaining. The next four years should be a hoot when Joe moves into the WH for a while before the DNC has him committed to an ALS care facility. 😆

Posted
1 hour ago, Pasken said:

The problem is housing density but mouth breathers keep fighting because they think building more housing means they will have to move. The land use reform that city council worked their asses off to get within 1 reading to pass before the courts came in would do a lot to fight rising housing costs in the next decade. City council can't do anything to stop people competing for housing and driving up prices and thus appraisals which drives up mortgages, taxes and rent. The state's school financing doesn't help either. The actual city of Austin taxes aren't pushing anyone out of the city. 

How many houses and apartments would the city need to add to existing neighborhoods to decrease the median cost of a single family home? Is it even feasible given available land and time required to construct?

Posted
3 minutes ago, B00M said:

How many houses and apartments would the city need to add to existing neighborhoods to decrease the median cost of a single family home? Is it even feasible given available land and time required to construct?

giphy.gif

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Posted
My son & grandsons do, but not for long because of the increased tax burden which has been a stressful issue for him. Blue collar types like him who actually do the physical work building the city are the ones getting screwed over by City Hall. His longtime St. Elmo “barrio” neighbors feel the same.

Somewhat agree with you but the tax burden has more to do with how the State abuses property taxes and have shifted the tax burden to residents in high growth areas. Property values are driving property taxes. You can decrease the rates and still get screwed.
Posted
My son & grandsons do, but not for long because of the increased tax burden which has been a stressful issue for him. Blue collar types like him who actually do the physical work building the city are the ones getting screwed over by City Hall. His longtime St. Elmo “barrio” neighbors feel the same.

Somewhat agree with you but the tax burden has more to do with how the State abuses property taxes and have shifted the tax burden to residents in high growth areas. Property values are driving property taxes. You can decrease the rates and still get screwed.
Posted
32 minutes ago, B00M said:

How many houses and apartments would the city need to add to existing neighborhoods to decrease the median cost of a single family home? Is it even feasible given available land and time required to construct?

I'm not smart enough to answer that.

Posted
35 minutes ago, B00M said:

How many houses and apartments would the city need to add to existing neighborhoods to decrease the median cost of a single family home? Is it even feasible given available land and time required to construct?

Not sure it would even help. When they knocked down our Hippy House behind Texas French Bread on Red River, they covered the lot in condos, each of which rented for the same price as the entire house had before.

Not sure you'd get cheaper housing, just more of it. Whole country full of people who want to go to the party at the Moon Tower.

Posted
18 minutes ago, RDCanecutter said:

Not sure it would even help. When they knocked down our Hippy House behind Texas French Bread on Red River, they covered the lot in condos, each of which rented for the same price as the entire house had before.

Not sure you'd get cheaper housing, just more of it. Whole country full of people who want to go to the party at the Moon Tower.

New stuff will skew higher but it'll come down as newer projects come online as long as buyers aren't competing. Also, lowering would be amazing but the first focus needs to be mitigating increases. Getting to the point where appraisals don't change from one year to a next (and not do to TCAD fuck ups like last year) then that would be an amazing start. 

Posted
23 minutes ago, RDCanecutter said:

Not sure it would even help. When they knocked down our Hippy House behind Texas French Bread on Red River, they covered the lot in condos, each of which rented for the same price as the entire house had before.

Not sure you'd get cheaper housing, just more of it. Whole country full of people who want to go to the party at the Moon Tower.

My brother’s first house on Piedmont in Crestview (600 sq/ft, 2/1) - paid $6,500 for it in 1959. Now appraised at $340,000. The current annual property taxes are about the same as the original purchase price.

 

B8171A40-BE90-444A-9121-FE2407768A60.jpeg

Posted
9 minutes ago, Armybrat said:

My brother’s first house on Piedmont in Crestview (600 sq/ft, 2/1) - paid $6,500 for it in 1959. Now appraised at $340,000. The current annual property taxes are about the same as the original purchase price.

 

B8171A40-BE90-444A-9121-FE2407768A60.jpeg

This is how our Republican leaders in Texas have decided public education should be funded.

Posted
13 minutes ago, Armybrat said:

My brother’s first house on Piedmont in Crestview (600 sq/ft, 2/1) - paid $6,500 for it in 1959. Now appraised at $340,000. The current annual property taxes are about the same as the original purchase price.

 

B8171A40-BE90-444A-9121-FE2407768A60.jpeg

That would mean the city of Austin annual bill is $1,813.90 but likely much less due to homestead exemption. It's likely closer to $1,500. You really think it's unreasonable to pay $1,500 a year for all of the things that the city of Austin provides? Just a reminder that the year is 2020 and not 1856.

 

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Posted
7 minutes ago, elguapo said:

This is how our Republican leaders in Texas have decided public education should be funded.

Well every state funds public education from property taxes, state income taxes or a mix of both so I'm not sure what you are implying. We are actually in a better situation by using just property taxes because you are only taxed on the amount of home you decide to live in versus how much you make.

Posted
1 minute ago, ZB'Tejas said:

Well every state funds public education from property taxes, state income taxes or a mix of both so I'm not sure what you are implying. We are actually in a better situation by using just property taxes because you are only taxed on the amount of home you decide to live in versus how much you make.

I'm just pointing out that blaming Austin City Council for property tax increases appears to be misguided.

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Posted
34 minutes ago, Pasken said:

New stuff will skew higher but it'll come down as newer projects come online as long as buyers aren't competing. Also, lowering would be amazing but the first focus needs to be mitigating increases. Getting to the point where appraisals don't change from one year to a next (and not do to TCAD fuck ups like last year) then that would be an amazing start. 

You could start by not building $7.1B (allegedly) fixed rail trains. Your vehement support of that project should basically exclude you from EVER speaking about housing affordability in this city. 

Posted
20 minutes ago, Orange&White said:

You could start by not building $7.1B (allegedly) fixed rail trains. Your vehement support of that project should basically exclude you from EVER speaking about housing affordability in this city. 

cry baby GIF

Posted
40 minutes ago, elguapo said:

This is how our Republican leaders in Texas have decided public education should be funded.

Democrat city council & school board could vote to give the lower income homeowners a special tax exemption, like the Owners of “historical structures”. That would have saved the East Austin from the gentrification destruction of its AA community.

Posted

Do you see me crying about it? 

I'm simply pointing out your hypocritical bullshit. You're just like this ridiculous council the spews on and on and on about affordability yet every single action they take adds more to the cost of living. Literally everything they do.

Posted
10 minutes ago, Armybrat said:

Democrat city council & school board could vote to give the lower income homeowners a special tax exemption, like the Owners of “historical structures”. That would have saved the East Austin from the gentrification destruction of its AA community.

The historical structure exemptions were only for the rich, white folks who live in Pemberton.

Posted (edited)
29 minutes ago, Armybrat said:

Democrat city council & school board could vote to give the lower income homeowners a special tax exemption, like the Owners of “historical structures”. That would have saved the East Austin from the gentrification destruction of its AA community.

I don’t know if AISD can do that.

Edited by Bozo_Casanova
Posted
1 hour ago, Armybrat said:

My brother’s first house on Piedmont in Crestview (600 sq/ft, 2/1) - paid $6,500 for it in 1959. Now appraised at $340,000. The current annual property taxes are about the same as the original purchase price.

 

B8171A40-BE90-444A-9121-FE2407768A60.jpeg

When you said your brother, I was picturing something more like this:

800px-Keldur_01.jpg

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