The Austin tax rate election ballot measure Proposition Q appears headed for failure, based only on early voting results released after 7 p.m. Nov. 4.

Current situation

Early vote totals out of Hays, Travis and Williamson counties show Proposition Q being rejected by a two-to-one margin, with 60,225 votes cast against—more than 67%—versus just 29,568 votes cast in favor.
Proposition Q asks voters to approve a 20% increase to Austin's property tax rate, as set by City Council during their budget adoption this summer. The annual increase from a rate of $0.4776 per $100 in property value to $0.574017 would raise more funds than allowed under a state law limiting local tax revenue gains year-over-year without voter approval.

If Proposition Q passes, the budget and tax rate will stand as approved. The measure would bring in nearly $110 million for homelessness and housing programs, public health services, parkland management, employee benefits, and other spending under Austin's general fund portion of the budget that supports public-facing services. The city has accounted for most, but not all, of the added spending under the tax rate election.
If Proposition Q fails, the city property tax rate will automatically fall to $0.524017 per $100 valuation—the highest allowed under Texas' voter-approval cap. Council members will then have to reconvene in the near future to adopt a balanced budget based on less tax revenue. Officials would have discretion over which spending to cut through that process.

A closer look


The owner of a median-valued home in Austin—assessed at $494,803—would pay about $303 more in taxes next year if Proposition Q is approved. If the ballot measure fails, their bill would still rise by about $105 under the reduced rate.

Those calculations account for lowered home values year-over-year, with Austin's median dropping from an estimated $524,082 for the previous fiscal year.

Regardless of the election outcome, the typical resident can also expect some increases to city fees and utility charges.
Also of note

Political action committees for and against Proposition Q poured hundreds of thousands of dollars into their campaigns in the lead-up to Nov. 4.


Spending in favor of the tax rate measure came from PACs aligned with local labor groups for public employees, nonprofits and other entities involved with homelessness programs and housing development, city officials, and others. Opposition was led by Save Austin Now, the political group that heavily out-raised and out-spent campaigns on both sides of the ballot measure through October with support from several local business leaders and hundreds of individuals.

Zooming out

This year's city taxing measure followed a series of local elections in which community members supported increased spending, with impacts to local tax bills. Through the 2020s, Austin-area voters considered and approved:Travis County property owners also face higher costs in the year ahead after county commissioners approved a roughly 9% tax rate increase. That change wasn't on the ballot this fall; a higher annual increase was allowed under emergency authority due to July flooding response, and officials said the rate will drop to a lower level next year.