Central Health will hold public hearing for FY 2021-22 budget in Austin City Council chambers

In a precautionary move to help mitigate the spread of the coronavirus, local health care district Central Health will hold the in-person public hearing for next year's budget and property tax rate inside Austin City Hall.

The public hearing and ensuing budget vote were previously scheduled for Sept. 2 at Central Health’s administrative building on East Cesar Chavez Street, but it will now be moved a week back.

Officials with the health care district pursued a new venue for its budget public hearing due to social distancing and health concerns. Central Health’s public hearing requires five managers to be present for in-person public comments on the budget, said Sherri Greenberg, chair for the Central Health board of managers.

The new public hearing is scheduled to take place Sept. 9 at 5 p.m. inside Austin City Council chambers, located downtown at 301 W. Second St., Austin.

“We have secured the City Council chambers for a Sept. 9 public hearing and [Central Health board of managers] meeting,” said Perla Cavazos, deputy administrator for Central Health. “We are going to quickly meet with the [city of Austin] IT staff to figure out the technology logistics.”

The Central Health board of managers will vote on the health care district’s proposed budget and property tax rate for the 2021-22 fiscal year following the scheduled public hearing Sept. 9. As previously reported by Community Impact Newspaper, Central Health is expected to raise its property tax rate to support next year’s budget.