FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 13, 2026

MEDIA CONTACTS
Grassroots Leadership | [email protected]
Avow Texas | [email protected]
Equity Action | [email protected]
Workers Defense Action Fund | [email protected]

Austin, TX – Wednesday evening, Austin City Council voted for a 2026-2027 budget that establishes and funds a new Office of Joint Emergency Communications that would ensure that people in crisis receive the right response the first time when 911 is called, restored 4.7 million dollars to social services, and invested in housing and family shelters.

While advocacy organizations applaud these significant strides towards a community-centered budget and thank allied City Council members Vanessa Fuentes, Mike Siegel, Zo Qadri, Krista Laine, José Velásquez, and Ryan Alter for fighting for social services and the Office of Joint Emergency Communications — the final budget fell short of prioritizing full restoration of funding for social services as outlined in the Community Investment Budget.

Members of the Community Investment Budget Coalition issued the following statements in response to the approved city budget:

Avow Texas Governing Power Director, Yaneth Flores (she/they), issued the following response:

“City budgets are a reflection of our shared values, and our communities had to fight tooth and nail to ensure this year’s budget provided collective care and meaningful public safety investments for Austinites. We’re proud that people showed up and spoke out to claw back funds for social services and strengthen the resolve of allied council members to establish the Joint Emergency Communications Office. Austinites deserve care, not violence, when they reach out for help. And the JEC gets us closer to that goal. 

“For Avow Texas, restoring social services was our focus in the fight for real care and true public safety. Reproductive Justice advocates and providers requested $600,000 to support pregnant and parenting families in our community, and we received roughly half of those funds in the final budget. In a state where reproductive healthcare is under constant attack and maternal mortality rates soar, our communities deserve just as much investment as APD because investment in us is a true investment in public safety.”

Equity Action issued the following response:

“We’re heartened to see that our representatives listened to the calls of our community and established a Joint Emergency Communications Department. This step will change how our emergency response functions for the better. Our next steps are to make this office truly independent by moving the call takers out of APD, and to ensure that our 911 system responds to the most difficult calls by sending the right response, the first time. Disappointingly, Council still chose to fund APD to the tune of $550M. If we continue down this path, we will see a City that has no choice but to divest in our safety net. We have to remain strong in our opposition and make sure that our government prioritizes its people.”

“The city agreed to restore $4.7 million in proposed cuts to social service contracts listed in the FY27 budget. The proposed restoration was due to a revised upward estimate in the amount of sales tax expected in the next year. While this is a step in the right direction, advocates state that the fight continues to keep all of the social service contracts at last year’s level.”

Hands Off Central Texas issued the following response:

“We believe in giving power to the people’s priorities. This budget season saw some major wins thanks to coordinated community advocacy and representatives who listened. Public safety means violence prevention and community care. 

“For generations, policing has relied on violence and the threat of violence to manage issues best taken care of by social workers, mutual aid, and healthcare. The role of government is to represent and take responsibility for community needs, particularly the most vulnerable. We celebrate the services and programs restored through the $4.7 million amendment for social services. However, our community’s most urgent needs are still funded at less than the levels of years prior, leaving many holes in Austin’s social safety net.

“We will continue to fight for sexual assault survivors and advocate for Austin to have trauma-informed forensic exam service access outside of hospitals. The funding proposed for victims’ services is still on the table, and we need that funding delivered.”

Grassroots Leadership issued the following response:

“Yesterday’s vote is a critical step toward a safer Austin—one where people in crisis get care, not cops. By moving 911 out of APD’s hands, we’re decreasing the chances that police encounters end in tragedy. But our work doesn’t stop here. The county must match this commitment by fully funding the public defender’s office and the Family Unity Pilot Program, because true public safety includes ensuring due process for all and keeping families together. Without providing public defenders with all the resources they need, we deny due process to our most vulnerable neighbors. Without the Family Unity Pilot, we continue tearing families apart through the inhumane immigration system. We’re calling on county leaders to prove they share this vision of community care and accountability.”

Workers Defense Action Fund issued the following response:

“We are relieved that the Austin City Council answered residents’ concerns by establishing a new Office of Joint Emergency Communications and restoring over half of proposed cuts to social service contracts in Austin. We must continue pressuring our local elected officials to allocate funds to social services that benefit all residents and give them the opportunity to not only survive, but to thrive.”

The Fiscal Year 2026-2027 Budget will go into effect on October 1, 2026. Advocates urge community members to continue contacting their city council members to voice their support for officially moving 911 dispatch out of APD’s purview.