BG Reads 7.25.2024

🗞️ Bingham Group Reads - July 25, 2024

July 25, 2024

Bingham Group Reads

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July 25, 2024

Today's BG Reads include:

🟣 Staff lays out public safety budget choices for City Council (Austin Monitor)

🟣 UT struggling with Austin's affordability crisis — just like everyone else, Jay Hartzell says

🟣 Here's where Austin Police Department stands with staffing shortages, overtime pay (Austin American-Statesman)

Read On!

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🟣 Bingham Group has renewed its MBE and DBE certifications with the city of Austin. We are currently seeking sub-consultant services to support projects in the Austin Metro. Learn more here.

[AUSTIN METRO NEWS]

Staff lays out public safety budget choices for City Council (Austin Monitor)

Looking ahead to a tough budget year, City Council will have to choose between spending on firefighters, emergency medical services, parks maintenance, homeless outreach and improving animal services, among others. Wednesday’s budget presentation did nothing to alleviate budget concerns, with some explanations only highlighting the city’s need to spend money to continue basic services and improve conditions for city employees.

Without an election to raise taxes higher, the state-imposed 3.5 percent cap on property tax increases – coupled with the end of federal Covid-19 dollars – the budget will be tight.

For example, Austin firefighters continue to work overtime, even when they need to rest. Mandatory four-person staffing for fire trucks continues to be the primary driver of overtime spending, according to Budget Officer Kerri Lang. Fire Chief Joel Baker noted the department has seen a considerable increase in injuries, with one cause being the increased number of hours firefighters are required to work. The current vacancy rate at AFD is 5.6 percent.

According to Lang’s data, the Fire Department overtime budget is about $15.8 million, but the projected overtime expense for the current year is about $20.8 million. So the department will need an infusion of cash to close the gap. Council Member Alison Alter asked questions about why there were so many more injuries this year than in the past. Baker explained simply that firefighting is a dangerous job… (LINK TO FULL STORY)

UT struggling with Austin's affordability crisis — just like everyone else, Jay Hartzell says (Austin Business Journal)

Jay Hartzell runs one of the most prominent brands and employers around, but even he isn't immune from one of the biggest worries on managers' minds: can employees and job candidates afford to live here?

Hartzell, president of The University of Texas, said the region's affordability crisis is among the biggest challenges that the university faces. The cost of living has made it difficult not only for students to live comfortably but also for faculty and staff. It's also posed a challenge for the university's recruitment efforts, he said during a recent wide-ranging interview with the Austin Business Journal.

"Cost of living in Austin is a challenge that we wrestle with. We used to call other universities and go after their faculty and say, 'Look at what a deal you would have if you moved to Austin,' and now some schools in other parts of the country that are not faring as well are calling our faculty trying to do the same thing," Hartzell said…

Here's where Austin Police Department stands with staffing shortages, overtime pay (Austin American-Statesman)

The Austin Police Department is still struggling with sworn officer staffing shortages but has made progress on filling vacancies in 911 call taker positions, city staff told the Austin City Council at a meeting Wednesday discussing Austin City Manager T.C. Broadnax's proposed budget for the coming fiscal year.

The $5.9 billion budget Broadnax proposed earlier in July is just a draft, and the Austin City Council can make changes and will approve the budget in August. But before approving or amending the budget, the City Council has the opportunity to ask questions at meetings like the one held Wednesday — a process which often provides an up-to-date look at how different city departments are addressing some of the key issues they are facing.

Wednesday's meeting focused on the city's general fund, which pays for several city services like police, emergency medical services, fire, parks, libraries and more. The proposed total for the general fund is $1.4 billion, which is largely funded through city-collected property and sales taxes.

The largest cost driver for the city of Austin's general fund is the Austin Police Department, which is estimated to account for around 35% of the fund in the coming fiscal year. The Police Department's budget has been a key point of contention for years as some argue it should not be increased and funds should be reinvested in other city services… (LINK TO FULL STORY)

[TEXAS NEWS]

Texas lawmakers say it’s time to ban hemp. The industry wants regulation. (San Antonio Report)

The Texas Legislature doesn’t meet again until January, but a fight is already heating up over the state’s estimated $8 billion consumable hemp industry, pitting a usually business-friendly GOP against veterans organizations and others who say these products are used responsibly by millions and should be regulated — but not banned. What neither side disputes is that these products get users high, something lawmakers didn’t account for when they penned the 2019 law that legalized the hemp industry in Texas.

At the time, CBD was the most common hemp-derived consumable, and it is generally not intoxicating or habit-forming. But as the industry grew, it discovered that other intoxicating compounds could be coaxed from hemp, leading to an explosion of legal products that offer users a similar high to marijuana. Under both current federal and state law, these products, which include candies, drinks, vape pens and even hemp flower, can legally be sold to minors, be shipped across state lines and purchased with credit cards.

“It looks like we inadvertently made cannabis legal in Texas,” said state Sen. José Menéndez (D-San Antonio), who favors additional regulation of the industry as opposed to an outright ban. Doing so, he said, could bring Texas millions in tax revenue, which could be used to “fix public schools, fix our roads.” A majority of his colleagues across the aisle, however, seem to support Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, who made banning these products one of his interim legislative priorities. But as demand for these products in states like Texas that have not legalized marijuana has exploded, the industry is fighting back, asking for additional targeted regulation that would keep it away from children and teens.

“A state legislature is meant to reflect the will of the people,” said Cynthia Cabrera, director of the recently formed Texas Hemp Business Council. “Given the size of the market in Texas, it’s obvious that people want these products.”… (LINK TO FULL STORY)

[US and World News]

Republican leaders urge colleagues to steer clear of racist and sexist attacks on Harris (Associated Press)

Republican leaders are warning party members against using overtly racist and sexist attacks against Vice President Kamala Harris, as they and former President Donald Trump ‘s campaign scramble to adjust to the reality of a new Democratic rival less than four months before Election Day. At a closed-door meeting of House Republicans on Tuesday, National Republican Congressional Committee chairman Richard Hudson, R-N.C., urged lawmakers to stick to criticizing Harris for her role in Biden-Harris administration policies.

“This election will be about policies and not personalities,” House Speaker Mike Johnson told reporters after the meeting. “This is not personal with regard to Kamala Harris,” he added, “and her ethnicity or her gender have nothing to do with this whatsoever.”

The warnings point to the new risks for Republicans in running against a Democrat who would become the first woman, first Black woman and first person of South Asian decent to win the White House. Trump, in particular, has a history of racist and misogynistic attacks that could turn off key groups of swing voters, including suburban women, as well as voters of color and younger people Trump’s campaign has been courting. The admonitions came after some members and Trump allies began to cast Harris, a former district attorney, attorney general and senator, as a “DEI” hire — a reference to diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives.

“Intellectually, just really kind of the bottom of the barrel,” Wyoming Rep. Harriet Hageman said in a TV interview. “I think she was a DEI hire. And I think that that’s what we’re seeing and I just don’t think that they have anybody else.” Since Biden announced he was exiting the campaign, Republicans have rolled out a long list of attack lines against Harris, including trying to tie her to the most unpopular Biden policies and his handling of the economy and the Southern border. Trump campaign officials and other Republicans have accused Harris of being complicit in a cover-up of Biden’s health issues, and they have been mining her record as a prosecutor in California as they try to paint her as soft on crime... (LINK TO FULL STORY)

Trump says he is willing to debate Harris multiple times (New York Times)

Former President Donald J. Trump said on Tuesday that he would “absolutely” be willing to debate Vice President Kamala Harris, who has already clinched commitments from enough delegates to become the Democratic presidential nominee.

“I would be willing to do more than one debate, actually,” he said.

In a call with reporters hosted by the Republican National Committee, however, he also said he was “not thrilled” about having a debate hosted by ABC — even though he and President Biden agreed months ago to take part in a debate put on by that network in September.

Mr. Trump’s remarks were his first extensive comments on Ms. Harris since Mr. Biden announced he would drop out of the presidential race on Sunday. It was the second time this week he appeared to try to change the terms of a debate... (LINK TO FULL STORY)

[2024 Austin City Council Race Watch]

This fall will see elections for the following Council Districts 2, 4, 6, 7, 10, and Mayor.

Declared candidates so far are:

Mayor

District 2

District 4

District 6

District 7 (Open seat)

District 10 (Open seat)

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