Austin City Council to consider possible bond election and other funding to address city's climate equity plan

AUSTIN (Talk1370.com) -- Next week, Austin City Council members will consider taking steps towards further addressing the city's Climate Equity Plan - a process that could see a potential bond election put before voters as early as November.

Council will consider a resolution brought forward by District 5's Ryan Alter that would create an environmental investment plan to "address climate change, sustainability of City operations, and community resiliency."

A release from Alter's office says the item would start a public input process to identify opportunities in the city's Climate Equity Plan and other plans that currently lack funding.

“Austin has done an excellent job of planning to address our climate crisis, but we’re falling short of our goals,” said Alter. “Climate change will not wait for us to act. If we’re not willing to invest in our future, extreme weather will only get worse and the reliability of basic things like clean air, fresh water, and available electricity will diminish."

The city's Climate Equity Plan, approved by Council in 2021, involves 74 strategies to help the city achieve net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by the year 2040. According to Alter's resolution, as of the last update in August 2022, only three of the 74 strategies had been completed, with several identified as needing substantial investment.

Council members Vanessa Fuentes, Jose Velasquez, and Paige Ellis have signed on to co-sponsor the resolution.

The resolution would set a deadline of May 1 to submit recommendations to Council and a May 16th public hearing to discuss recommendations and next steps, which could include a potential bond election as early as November. Utility rate increases and general fund expenditures could also be part of the recommendations.

“With this resolution, the City will kick off the process to put our money where our mouth is on climate action and resilience,” said Ellis. “In the last five years, City Council, City staff, and the community have developed numerous ideas and thoughtful plans for reducing our environmental impacts and improving community resilience. Now it’s time to strategically and comprehensively look at how we can fund an impactful environmental investment plan to reach our goals.”