By Mary Velan
Gov1
In Austin, Texas, new budgetary decisions and energy contracts are placing greater focus on public wellbeing and green energy consumption.
Public Health and Social Service Funding
The Austin City Council recently announced it will inject $7.6 million in ongoing and one-time funds for public health and social services throughout the city. The city’s health department can now work with an $87 million budget thanks to the 16 percent increase from the council. The additional funding will be used to support a variety of services ranging from assistance in enrollment in Obamacare to local health initiatives, The Austin American-Statesman reported.
The health department was not the only public agency benefiting from a boost in budget dollars. Several other city departments saw their budgets increase thanks to growth in the city’s property and sales-tax supported general fund. The police department, for example, reported a 5 percent increase, while the library system noted a 12 percent jump. The allocation of funding toward public health and social services underscores the city council’s push to make a difference in the lives of residents, The Austin American-Statesman reported.
Two significant budgetary bumps were awarded to the health department and social service contracts, which received $2.5 million and $1.8 million respectively. Local nonprofits shared a recent report with the city which described Austin as split into two economically segregated halves of the city. The nonprofits pointed to historical underfunding of health and human services as a major cause of the significant disparities between the two communities. The results of the study and pressure from the community helped social service contracts receive the additional funding, The Austin American-Statesman reported.
Furthermore, the Austin City Council allocated $1 million for contracts for community based groups working to address health disparities. These contract programs offer services such as mental health for immigrant families and maternal and infant wellness for underserved populations. Similar to the social contracts, the creation of these public health contracts comes from a report from a local nonprofit that found a correlation between city policies and practices, and community inequalities, The Austin American-Statesman reported.
Solar Power Contract
The Austin City Council did not stop with citizen wellbeing initiatives. The council also approved the city’s largest solar power contract to date, which will enable Austin energy to acquire up to 300 megawatts of solar power for $33 million annually over the next 25 years. Under the contract, the cost of solar is less than 4 cents per kilowatt-our, which is the lowest solar rate in the state currently, The Austin American-Statesman reported.
To achieve this deal, the Austin City Council negotiated with East Pecos Solar to build a 118-megawatt facility and will continue to negotiate with other solar providers in the area on the purchase price for the remaining 182 megawatts of power.
In addition, the council is looking to secure a total of 600 megawatts of solar power for Austin Energy over the next 10 years. Some council members and renewable energy advocates want to acquire the additional 300 megawatts of solar energy by 2017, while utility officials argue to wait as the purchase price may drop over the next few years, The Austin American-Statesman reported.