Approving the ad valorem tax rate of $0.344445 per $100 valuation in County of Travis for the current year, a rate that is $0.025 higher per $100 valuation than the voter-approval tax rate of County of Travis, for the purpose of increasing access to affordable and high-quality child care and afterschool/summer programming and related services for low-income families and developing and administering related workforce and economic development programs. Last year, the ad valorem tax rate in County of Travis was $0.304655 per $100 valuation.
This ballot referendum proposes a tax rate increase to expand access to early childhood care and after-school and summer services for low-income residents. The childcare situation in Travis County is dire.
* Average annual cost of childcare is $13,000, the highest in the state.
* 2,000 children under the age of three in low-income families need child care right now.
* People wait approximately two years to access affordable child care.
* Options available to parents whose schedules are outside of the 9-to-5 workday are extremely limited.
The money raised would go toward increasing the number and quality of childcare providers, providing scholarships to families in need of assistance and incentivizing businesses to offer child care stipends to their workforce. It would also help current childcare providers survive the loss of federal pandemic funds in 2026. The program will be overseen by a contractor(s) that would procure more childcare providers. The majority of eligible children are residents of the City of Austin. Equitable distribution of funds throughout the County will be determined before the program is launched.
This tax rate election would raise almost $75 million for Fiscal Year 2024-25. The tax increase would amount to about $123 annually for the average homeowner. This would be in addition to their roughly $162 property tax bill ($285 total).
Disclosure: The Voters Guide is neutral and non-partisan. We are committed to offering clear, objective, and unbiased explanations of all ballot propositions. In the spirit of transparency, the Austin Area League of Women Voters is part of a coalition that has taken a stance on this bond.
Approving the ad valorem tax rate of $0.344445 per $100 valuation in County of Travis for the current year, a rate that is $0.025 higher per $100 valuation than the voter-approval tax rate of County of Travis, for the purpose of increasing access to affordable and high-quality child care and afterschool/summer programming and related services for low-income families and developing and administering related workforce and economic development programs. Last year, the ad valorem tax rate in County of Travis was $0.304655 per $100 valuation.
This ballot referendum proposes a tax rate increase to expand access to early childhood care and after-school and summer services for low-income residents. The childcare situation in Travis County is dire.
* Average annual cost of childcare is $13,000, the highest in the state.
* 2,000 children under the age of three in low-income families need child care right now.
* People wait approximately two years to access affordable child care.
* Options available to parents whose schedules are outside of the 9-to-5 workday are extremely limited.
The money raised would go toward increasing the number and quality of childcare providers, providing scholarships to families in need of assistance and incentivizing businesses to offer child care stipends to their workforce. It would also help current childcare providers survive the loss of federal pandemic funds in 2026. The program will be overseen by a contractor(s) that would procure more childcare providers. The majority of eligible children are residents of the City of Austin. Equitable distribution of funds throughout the County will be determined before the program is launched.
This tax rate election would raise almost $75 million for Fiscal Year 2024-25. The tax increase would amount to about $123 annually for the average homeowner. This would be in addition to their roughly $162 property tax bill ($285 total).
The Voters Guide is neutral and non-partisan. We are committed to offering clear, objective, and unbiased explanations of all ballot propositions. In the spirit of transparency, the Austin Area League of Women Voters is part of a coalition that has taken a stance on this bond.
