Good morning, Austin.
Here’s what you need to know today: Central Health’s budget is final and key decisions are on the table this week at City Hall, the Commissioners Court, and AISD.
TL;DR
Central Health Budget Details — Travis County confirms $875.8M budget with 11.8¢ tax rate; average homeowner pays $64 more annually.
Infrastructure Watch — Major I-35 construction continues; potential Dean Keeton closure (monitoring).
AISD Developments — Enrollment decline reported; official count pending verification, potential for >$5M revenue loss.
Civics Workshop TONIGHT — Learn how your local government works at 6pm.
Central Health Budget: $64 More Per Homeowner, $290M in New Debt
Travis County Commissioners Court approved Central Health's $875.8 million budget Tuesday, increasing the Central Health portion of an average homeowner's annual bill by $64 to $608.33. The hospital district also authorized up to $290 million in debt financing for facility upgrades. When Central Health launched in 2005, homeowners paid $156 annually, making the current $608 bill a 300% increase over two decades, with budget growth accelerating from ~$400M to $875.8M in the past decade alone.
Where the Money Goes: Of last year's $889M budget, approximately $353M funded direct healthcare delivery, with the remainder covering operations, partner organizations, and capital projects. The district operates separately from Austin's city budget, funded almost entirely by county property taxes.
Key Deployments:
Three new clinics have opened since 2023, including Hornsby Bend and Rosewood-Zaragosa facilities, with Del Valle under construction
Specialty care wait times dropped from six months to two weeks across most services
The Medical Access Program (MAP), which provides locally-funded coverage for low-income residents, has doubled enrollment since 2018
The Trade-Off: The budget continues multi-decade growth while expanding healthcare access for uninsured residents. The strategy represents both expanded services and increased taxpayer burden.
Next: The budget takes effect October 1. Central Health aims to serve 209,000+ residents in FY2026.
The Rundown
AISD Enrollment Decline Signals Possible $5M+ Funding Gap
Austin ISD is projecting another drop in student enrollment this year. Since Texas funds schools based on attendance—providing just over $6,000 per student—even a small 1% decrease in enrollment would cut the district's state funding by $5 million. The final, official student count will be confirmed in early October.
Impact: If the projection holds, AISD may need to make mid-year budget adjustments that affect staffing levels, class sizes, extracurriculars, and support services.
Action: Trustees are scheduled to discuss enrollment trends and budget implications at their Oct. 6 board work session. Find your trustee and follow agendas at austinisd.org.
Confidence Assessment: MEDIUM — this figure is based on district projections. The official 10-day student count, which determines funding, will not be released publicly until early October.
Local Government 101 Workshop
What: Free workshop explaining how local government works and how residents can engage effectively.
When: Wednesday, Sept. 17, 6:00–8:00 PM
Where: YMCA of Austin – East Communities, 5315 Ed Bluestein Blvd, Austin, TX
Why it matters: Empowers residents to understand and influence local government—ideal for a newsletter focused on civic engagement.
By the Numbers
$608 — The new annual amount an average homeowner will pay to Central Health. This represents approximately 5% of their total property tax bill.
The Civic Calendar
This Week
Wednesday, Sept. 17: Austin Transit Partnership Board Meeting, 2:00 PM
Thursday, Sept. 18: Austin City Council Mobility Committee, 1:00 PM
Friday, Sept. 19: Austin City Council Economic Opportunity Committee, 10:00 AM
Coming Up
Tuesday, Sept. 23: Travis County Commissioners Court, 9:00 AM
Thursday, Sept. 25: Austin City Council Regular Meeting, 10:00 AM
Thursday, Sept. 25: Austin ISD Board Regular Meeting, 6:00 PM
Key Deadlines
October 6: Voter Registration Deadline for November 4 election
October 6: AISD Board Work Session on budget implications
November 4: Election Day — includes City of Austin property tax rate vote
CivicIn7 Austin tracks local government decisions affecting your daily life. All meeting times verified against official calendars. Financial figures sourced from primary budget documents.
Sources: Travis County Commissioners Court, Central Health Finance Department, Austin American-Statesman, Austin ISD
