Election Returns In Rundberg

Results from Tuesday’s election gave the political temperature of Austin and the state as a whole. Voters turned out in high numbers for an off-year election to push back on Prop Q. Statewide, people voted to approve all 17 constitutional amendments.

But how did Rundberg vote on these issues? Turns out, they agree with their neighbors.

According to the Travis County Clerk’s Office, over 220,000 voters cast ballots on Prop Q, which would have increased Austin property taxes by about five cents per $100 of property value. Average Austin homeowners would have paid about $300 more per year in property taxes and that money would have gone to things like homelessness services, safety and public health.

Austinites overwhelmingly voted against the measure. 63% voted against it, and 40% voted in favor of it. Rundberg residents voted on similar lines. 61% percent of voters in Rundberg precincts rejected Prop Q. But some nearby neighborhoods moved in favor of the property tax increase. Precincts 130, 216, and 225 in the St. Johns neighborhood just south of U.S. Route 183 all voted to pass Prop Q.

Rundberg residents also turned out to the polls in similar numbers as the rest of the city. About 25% of registered voters in Austin cast ballots during this election. In Rundberg, about 23% of voters headed to the polls. And this wasn’t just a local voter surge. Statewide about 15% of all registered voters participated this year, breaking a record from 2023.

Statewide, voters passed 17 new constitutional amendments. But Rundberg residents voted in favor of only seven of them:

• Prop 1
• Prop 4
• Prop 7
• Prop 10
• Prop 11
• Prop 13
• Prop 14

Voters in Rundberg turned down ten amendments, including a ban on prohibiting inheritance taxes, and Prop 16, which adds language to the constitution stating that noncitizens cannot vote.

So what now?

In an interview before early voting opened, District 4 City Council Member Chito Vela said if Prop Q didn’t pass, the city would probably start by using money from the reserve budget to make up shortfalls. Long-term, the city would be looking at cuts to some services

“I don't think we're going to close any swimming pools or libraries. It would be cutting hours of programs, cutting availability,” Vela said.

He also expressed concern about the city’s ability to fund efforts like emergency mental heath response units. Additional tax rate funds would have been used to expand the program 24-7.

“We've done a great job with our mental health response efforts,” Vela said. “It's going to be tough to continue to fund those, moving forward if the TRE doesn't pass.”

The Austin City Council will now have to pass a new budget. Any property tax increases will have to fall under the 3.5% cap, per state law.

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