🟪 Austin officials say IT consolidation could save up to $142M — with no layoffs. Workers still aren't sold. (Austin American-Statesman)

🟪 Austin Community College buys SE Austin campus for $130.5M (Austin Business Journal)

🟪 Bastrop council replaces city development code, aims to help future growth (Community Impact)

🟪 Hutto's controversial data center project has been pulled (Austin Business Journal)

🟪 Texas legislators begin digging into water use, other data center impacts ahead of 2027 session (Community Impact)

🟪 Texas restaurant owners call for work permits as immigration crackdown strains industry (New York Times)

🟪 Cryptocurrency industry is on track to surpass 2024 spending on Texas midterm races (Texas Tribune)

READ ON!

Tomorrow // 9AM: City of Austin Council Work Session

✅ Austin budget forecast includes millions in cuts to housing, job and education programs (KUT)

Programs that help low-income families, people experiencing homelessness and survivors of domestic abuse and sexual assault could face funding cuts in the city of Austin's next budget.

A first draft of what the budget could look like was released Thursday. The fiscal year 2027 forecast assumes the city will increase its tax revenue by no more than 3.5% over last year. That's the highest amount the city can increase its revenues without getting voter approval.

That means the average taxpayer would pay about $2,074 a year for a home valued at $495,000. The budget would still have a projected deficit of $26.4 million, according to city officials.

In December, City Manager T.C. Broadnax said the city would have to cut nearly $17 million in social service contracts to keep the deficit from growing further.

The forecast released Thursday morning mirrored that projection while specifically pointing to cuts for permanent supportive housing, workforce development programs and adult education programs.

There is still money to cover a $30 million increase in personnel costs laid out in the three public safety contracts, $3 million to keep the Marshalling Yard emergency shelter open and $2.8 million to hire new firefighters… 🟪 (READ MORE)

✅ Austin officials say IT consolidation could save up to $142M — with no layoffs. Workers still aren't sold. (Austin American-Statesman)

As Austin officials search for ways to rein in spending, a sweeping plan to consolidate the city’s information technology workforce is emerging as one of the largest potential sources of savings — and one of the most contentious.

City staff told council members this week that reorganizing Austin’s more than 1,000 IT employees could save between $49 million and $142 million annually, largely by reducing duplication and streamlining systems.

The proposal comes as city leaders are under increasing pressure to find savings within existing spending, with long-term budget forecasts showing rising costs and limited revenue growth. Against that backdrop, officials have been looking for internal efficiencies that don’t rely on raising taxes or cutting major services.

The IT overhaul stems from an external audit of the city’s technology operations and is part of a broader push by City Manager T.C. Broadnax to modernize and centralize systems that are currently spread across departments.

Staff said the consolidation could reduce duplication by about 19.4% over three years. The projected savings would come from a mix of changes, including ending some support and maintenance contracts, optimizing software licenses, consolidating vendors and shifting roles through redeployment and natural attrition… 🟪 (READ MORE)

✅ Austin Community College buys SE Austin campus for $130.5M (Austin Business Journal)

Austin Community College paid $130.5 million for a massive complex in Southeast Austin with the intention of using the site to expand its workforce training programs.

The acquisition of Bergstrom Tech Center, which spans 560,000 square feet across two buildings, will allow ACC to expand programs like welding, building construction and automotive repair, ACC Chief Financial Officer Neil Vickers said. The local college closed on the 6800 Burleson Road property on April 15, according to an announcement. The decision to buy instead of build is estimated to have saved the school $100 million.

While ACC intends to use the entire campus eventually, there are pre-existing tenants there leasing about half of the space. The college intends to honor those leases, Vickers said.

Sean Hassan, ACC board of trustees chair, said the new space was needed to meet student demand.

“A number of our programs are over subscribed,” Hassan said. “We can't meet the demand, and space is a part of that equation. If we could get the additional space, we would graduate more students. And, some of our facilities are due for either expansion or updating or upgrading.”… 🟪 (READ MORE)

✅ Bastrop council replaces city development code, aims to help future growth (Community Impact)

Bastrop residents and developers will see future growth shaped by a new set of land-use rules after City Council replaced the city's development rules with the Bastrop Development Code.

The April 14 vote marked the final step in the city’s effort to undo and replace the previous development rules known as the B3 Code, Mayor Pro Tem John Kirkland said.

City officials said the shift was needed after the B3 Code proved difficult to use in practice, with concerns ranging from drainage to parking and site design… 🟪 (READ MORE)

✅ Hutto's controversial data center project has been pulled (Austin Business Journal)

The Austin-based developer aiming to bring a mid-sized data center to Hutto has pulled a rezoning request amid a wealth of community uproar. What this means for the future of the project was not immediately clear.

Zydeco Development Corp. – which is known for its build out of the MetCenter business park in Southeast Austin – has withdrawn its request to rezone a 41-acre site at 450 Ed Schmidt Blvd., the city of Hutto said on April 17. The site was intended to be developed into a 225,000-square-foot, 70-megawatt data center and adjacent mechanical yard.

The action comes on the heels of a contentious April 7 public hearing during a planning and zoning commission meeting. The commission had postponed a vote on a recommendation of rezoning and comprehensive plan amendments to a special meeting on April 20. The matter was set to head to the City Council after that for a formal vote. Neighbors in the meantime had filed a petition that would have required any changes to pass with a supermajority.

The city announced on April 17 that the developer has formally withdrawn its rezoning request and that the meeting is canceled. A representative for Zydeco Development declined to comment on the city's announcement… 🟪 (READ MORE)

✅ COTA Land amusement park targeted summer opening (Austin Business Journal)

The push to build an amusement park in Austin is close to the finish line. 

COTA Land, the 30-acre amusement park being built at Circuit of The Americas in Southeast Austin, has plans to open to the public sometime this summer, said Griffin Tendler, COTA Land’s vice president of marketing. 

It's the biggest step yet to diversify the Formula One-built racetrack's land and monetize unique assets such as a mammoth parking lot.

“The foundations are put in on 99% of stuff, buildings are going up, rides are going up,” Tendler said. “I look out my window and something looks different every day.”

Tendler said the park’s 30 planned rides still need to do safety checks. He added the COTA Land team should be able to get the keys from the construction team building out the park in the next 30 to 45 days. White Construction is the general contractor for the project… 🟪 (READ MORE)

✅ Texas legislators begin digging into water use, other data center impacts ahead of 2027 session (Community Impact)

Texas is home to the nation’s fastest-growing data center market, with a January report from Bloom Energy projecting that the state will see a 142% increase in its share of the data center industry by the end of 2028. Virginia currently has the nation’s largest concentration of data centers, although experts say that could change in the coming years.

“As it stands today, Texas is positioned to overtake Virginia as the world's leading data center market by 2030,” Dan Diorio, vice president of state policy for the Data Center Coalition, said during an April 9 legislative hearing on data centers.

During the wide-ranging hearing, held by the Texas House State Affairs Committee, lawmakers questioned data center developers, energy companies and state grid officials about the amount of water the large facilities use; how they impact noise levels and air quality; and whether residents can expect higher costs when data centers come to their communities.

The committee did not hear from any local elected officials or take public testimony April 9. Committee Chair Rep. Ken King, R-Canadian, said he expects to hold another hearing on the topic in the coming weeks.

“We're going to say ‘data center’ a lot through this interim. So if we don't get to the subject you came here for, stay tuned,” King said… 🟪 (READ MORE)

✅ Cryptocurrency industry is on track to surpass 2024 spending on Texas midterm races (Texas Tribune)

In the 2024 midterm cycle, 53 out of 58 candidates from around the country that crypto super PACs spent on were elected to Congress. Four of those candidates were from Texas.

This year, crypto super PACs are spending on behalf of a new crop of Texas candidates, and are on track to surpass spending on them and others in the last midterm elections.

Two PACs, Defend American Jobs and Protect Progress, have already spent more than $2.5 million on Texas candidates so far this year, according to the latest Federal Election Commission filings. Those PACs are affiliated with Fairshake, a massive cryptocurrency warchest that reported $193 million cash on hand at the beginning of 2026.

Combined with other crypto-aligned super PACs, at least $28 million have been spent on behalf of candidates across the country at this point in the midterm election cycle. Two years ago, these PACs had only spent about $22 million at the same point in the cycle, according to FEC filings… 🟪 (READ MORE)

✅ Crypto-powered payment option MegPrime introduced by D-FW homebuilder (Dallas Morning News)

A platform tied to a Dallas homebuilder launched a crypto-backed payment and rewards program that could be a pathway for homebuilders into the world of cryptocurrency. MegPrime, a payment platform powered by its own digital currency, launched its app and incentive program on Wednesday. The incentive program offers incentives up to $15,000 to homebuyers while their home is under construction. The program uses cryptocurrency as an interface in one of the first instances of cryptocurrency being used by a homebuilder in this way. MegPrime’s launch was sparked by the Dallas homebuilder Megatel Homes, which will be the first builder to use the payment program. Zach Ipour, the CEO of MegPrime and Megatel Homes, said that while a home is being built, Megatel will offer $1,500 per month through MegPrime in the form of its own cryptocurrency to customers.

Depending on the size of a home, it can take four to 12 months to build a home. During that time, buyers may be making rent or mortgage payments on their current home using the MegPrime app. “You’re already paying that rent regardless, you just choose to pay that through the MegPrime pay and receive $1,500 incentives for that,” Ipour said in an interview. The cryptocurrency token can be converted into dollars or other forms of currency, which Ipour said is part of the benefit of using cryptocurrency. He also said the platform is designed for people who aren’t necessarily crypto savvy. “We didn’t build this because the world needed another cryptocurrency,” Ipour said in a news release. “We built it to solve a real need, and we used homeownership as our starting point.

Crypto is just the architecture of the solution.” Megatel is the first builder to use the platform and Ipour said he hopes the platform is used by more builders, eventually becoming a regularly used platform, similar to PayPal. MegPrime is working with other builders to have them use MegPrime, he said. MegPrime is basing its ability to create its cryptocurrency-powered platform on a no-action letter from the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. The January letter signaled the staff of the regulatory body would not recommend enforcement action against the company. Companies can request a no-action letter if they are unsure if a product or service would be a violation of federal securities law and want clarification from the commission… 🟪 (READ MORE)

✅ Texas restaurant owners call for work permits as immigration crackdown strains industry (New York Times)

On a recent Friday afternoon at Revolver Taco Lounge in Dallas, business was slow. Many seats at the restaurant were empty, and only a few customers were waiting for their orders. An art festival down the street was not generating much foot traffic. For Regino Rojas, the owner, the day was not an anomaly but almost a new norm. “I think this, right now, is worse than the pandemic,” he said. About 50 percent of Texas restaurants reported that they were not profitable last year, up from 38 percent in 2024, according to the Texas Restaurant Association.

Some of that has been a consequence of the Trump administration’s crackdown on immigration: In Texas, where by some estimates nearly 10 percent of the work force is undocumented — compared with about 4.5 percent of the U.S. work force — restaurant owners have said that the crackdown has created a chilling effect among their workers, regardless of their immigration status.

Now as they feel the strain, the Texas Restaurant Association and business leaders across the country have started a coalition, called Seat the Table, demanding that Congress and the White House create work permits for “long-term, law-abiding immigrants playing critical roles from farms to restaurants.”

Across the country, roughly 42 percent of restaurant operators said they were not profitable last year, according to the National Restaurant Association, a slight uptick from 2024 as food and labor costs have steadily increased for years. In backing the coalition, the Texas Restaurant Association, in a state with strong conservative roots, made clear that it was not calling for amnesty, nor was it asking for a pathway to citizenship for immigrants. “I think the vast majority of Americans recognize that there is a large group of undocumented immigrants who have been literally keeping food on our tables,” said Kelsey Erickson Streufert, the chief public affairs officer for the Texas trade group. “And if we remove those people, it is going to hurt everyone in terms of higher prices.”… 🟪 (READ MORE)

✅ Data center disputes have been local. But the midterms might change that (NPR)

Data center developments can bring massive amounts of money to local communities, mostly in construction jobs and property taxes. Bourgeois, of Louisiana's economic development agency, said that Meta's investment in the Richland Parish project amounts to $1.3 billion in construction wages and nearly $1 billion in tax revenue over five years.

And to get that investment, states hand out lucrative tax incentives. North Carolina has given data centers a sales tax exemption on the electricity they use. Some states, like Georgia, give data centers a sales tax break on the computing equipment they buy to make the centers run.

Chris Clark, president and CEO of the Georgia Chamber of Commerce, said data centers are especially attractive for rural areas: They don't require a large workforce to operate, and they don't stress the housing supply or school systems. It's a lifeline for the state's aging rural population.

"Where I live, they're building one of the largest data centers in the world right now, and it will generate more property tax value than all of us that live in the county combined," he said… 🟪 (READ MORE)

✅ Carney says Canada’s economic ties with US are a weakness that must be corrected (Associated Press)

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said in a video address released Sunday that Canada’s strong economic ties to the United States were once a strength but are now a weakness that must be corrected.

In the 10-minute address, Carney spoke about his government’s efforts to strengthen the Canadian economy by attracting new investments and signing trade deals with other countries.

“The world is more dangerous and divided,” Carney said. “The U.S. has fundamentally changed its approach to trade, raising its tariffs to levels last seen during the Great Depression.

“Many of our former strengths, based on our close ties to America, have become weaknesses. Weaknesses that we must correct.”

Carney said tariffs imposed by U.S. President Donald Trump have affected workers in the auto and steel industries. He added that businesses are holding back investments “restrained by the pall of uncertainty that’s hanging over all of us.”… 🟪 (READ MORE)

✅ Behind Trump’s public bravado on the war, he grapples with his own fears (Wall Street Journal)

It seemed like Donald Trump’s appetite for risk had run out, and his fears were ramping up. It was Good Friday afternoon in a nearly empty West Wing soon after the president learned that an American jet had been shot down in Iran, with two airmen missing. Trump screamed at aides for hours. The Europeans aren’t helping, he said repeatedly. Gas prices averaged $4.09. Images of the 1979 Iranian hostage crisis—one of the biggest international policy failures of a presidency in recent times—had been looming large in his mind, people who have spoken to him said.

“If you look at what happened with Jimmy Carter…with the helicopters and the hostages, it cost them the election,” Trump had said in March. “What a mess.” Trump demanded that the military go get them immediately. But the U.S. hadn’t been on the ground in Iran since the government overthrow that led to the hostage crisis, and they needed to figure out how to get into treacherous Iranian terrain and avoid Tehran’s own military.

Aides kept the president out of the room as they got minute-by-minute updates because they believed his impatience wouldn’t be helpful, instead updating him at meaningful moments, a senior administration official said. One airman was recovered quickly, but it wasn’t until late Saturday that Trump received word that the second airman had been rescued in a high-stakes extraction. What could’ve turned into the lowest point in Trump’s two terms, wouldn’t.

After 2 a.m., Trump, too, went to bed. Six hours later, the chest-thumping president was back with another audacious gamble to loosen Iran’s grip on its most powerful point of leverage, the Strait of Hormuz. “Open the Fuckin’ Strait, you crazy bastards, or you’ll be living in Hell,” he blasted on social media Easter morning from the White House residence, adding an Islamic prayer to the post. A president who thrives on drama is bringing an even more intense version of his unorthodox, maximalist approach to a new situation—fighting a war.

He is veering between belligerent and conciliatory approaches and grappling behind the scenes with just how badly things could go wrong. At the same time, the president sometimes loses focus, spending time on the details of his plans for the White House ballroom… 🟪 (READ MORE)