AUSTIN (KXAN) — Tuesday, Travis County Commissioners are expected to vote on whether or not they’ll send a property tax rate hike to your ballot this November. The proposed 2.5-cent property tax rate increase would go toward creating new affordable child care.
According to county staff, the tax rate increase would generate roughly $75 million in the first year. It would cost the average homeowner roughly $125 in the same time period.
In return, Travis County thinks it can stimulate an industry that was hit hard by the pandemic and that keeps some Austinites from the workforce.
“Really what this will do is help people who are trying to work, trying to get job training through Workforce Solutions maybe, trying to go work for Samsung or one of these other great companies that we have here in the Austin area,” Travis County Judge Andy Brown said.
If passed, the money would go toward the following:
- Create roughly 1,900 child care slots for babies and toddlers of low-income households
- Create nearly 3,900 after school and summer school slots for elementary-age students
- Work through incentives for businesses to create or grow their child care options for employees
According to county documents, those will be rolled out in a phased approach.
“The first services may be available as early as fall 2025 and other services could start in 2026. County staff will provide updates upon the creation of a more detailed implementation timeline, county documents said. “The County will require regular evaluation of program performance.”