Austin's Nov. 3 Ballot Has 10 City Propositions, A Through J: What Each One Does Before Early Voting Opens Oct. 19

Austin's Nov. 3 city ballot has ten propositions, labeled A through J, and early voting starts a week from today, Monday, Oct. 19. According to ATX Things' reading of the City Council's ordinances, two are bonds ($260 million for parks, $35 million for libraries) and eight are charter amendments, which change the city's founding document and mostly get skipped.

We covered the bond package when council placed it on the ballot. This is the rest of the ballot, in the words the city put on it, plus what voters can do this week.

What are Austin's ten city propositions?

Here is every item, using the question as it appears in the council's ordinances. You vote Yes or No on the charter items and For or Against on the bonds.

Sources: Ordinance 20260806-004 (Props C-J) and the city's Notice of Bond Election (Props A-B), both read Oct. 12, 2026.

What does a Yes on the bonds cost?

The ballot itself says it: both propositions open with the words "THIS IS A TAX INCREASE."

The city's required bond notice gives the long-run numbers. It assumes a 6 percent interest rate and repayment over 20 years. On that assumption, Prop A's $260 million would carry about $193.4 million in interest, for roughly $453.4 million repaid in total. Prop B's $35 million would carry about $26 million in interest, for about $61 million. The notice lists the city's outstanding bond principal at $2.378 billion as of the day the election was ordered.

For a household, Austin Current reported in August that if both pass, the owner of a median-valued home (about $485,000) would pay roughly $40 more a year in city property tax, moving from about $2,071 to $2,111 on current rates, and less in the early years because the money is spent over time.

Council placed the package on the ballot after a split vote. Mayor Kirk Watson and two council members opposed calling the election, arguing the city should not ask for a new bond while most of the money from earlier bonds is still unspent. Supporters on council pointed to a city that has not had a parks bond since 2018.

What is Prop I, the audit measure everyone is arguing about?

Prop I is the one drawing the rally signs. The ballot question asks whether the charter should require an "Independent Affordability and Efficiency Initiative" on a regular basis and before any tax-rate increase election, with the outside contractor required to identify savings that exceed the cost of its own service.

The amendment text in the ordinance spells out the mechanics:

• The City Auditor picks an independent contractor through a competitive process within 120 days of passage.
• The contractor must finish within one year.
• The review repeats every five years.
• Council could not order an election to raise the maintenance-and-operations property tax rate unless a review was finished within the year before.
• The first round may start with every city fund and department except the electric, water and airport funds, which would follow in phases.
• Drafts and the contractor's information would be public.

Bill Aleshire, who wrote the amendment, told Fox 7 it would reduce excessive city spending and that an ordinance, unlike a charter amendment, could be changed by council. Opponents rallied against it over fears of privatizing city services; Equity Action's Savannah Lee told Fox 7 the city is already doing an efficiency assessment, so the measure "isn't giving us some new tool we don't already have."

What do Props G and H change?

Two of the "housekeeping" props are not housekeeping.

Prop G would move petition-driven elections, meaning citizen initiatives and petitioned charter amendments, to the next November election in an even-numbered year. The amendment text replaces the current rule of the next allowable election date. Supporters say it brings out more voters; Austin Current quoted District 5 candidate David Weinberg objecting at a July 28 council meeting that residents should not be told when they may use the process.

Prop H moves the power to appoint and remove the city attorney. The charter text in the ordinance shows the appointing authority changing from the city manager to the council. Under the charter, the city attorney represents the city in litigation and files legal objections to ordinances before council acts on them.

What are C, D, E, F and J?

These are the clean-up props, though each is a real vote. C reworks the redistricting commission: more people in the appointee pool, exceptions to voter-registration and residency rules for student members, a clearer way to fill vacancies, and an effective date for the commission's plan. D and E remove two council requirements, a weekly meeting and rules set by ordinance. F changes when campaign contribution and spending limits are updated. J fixes typographical and punctuation errors and strips language that state law or a final court order has already overridden.

When and where can you vote?

Per Travis County Elections, Travis County voters can use any county polling site, both early and on Election Day. The last day to apply for a mail ballot (received by the early voting clerk) is Friday, Oct. 23. The voter registration deadline was Oct. 5. Parts of Austin sit in Williamson and Hays counties, which run their own voting sites; the city's bond notice links all three county election pages.

What should locals know before they go?

• All ten city items are on the same ballot as the state and federal races, so expect a long one.
• Props A and B are separate votes. You can vote For one and Against the other.
• Prop letters C through J are charter items, so a majority of voters at the election decides each one.
• If you moved here from another Texas county, Travis County describes a "limited ballot" option during early voting only. Check the county page for eligibility.
• Not covered here: council candidates, school board races and the state ballot.

Frequently asked questions

When does early voting start in Austin? Monday, Oct. 19, and it runs through Friday, Oct. 30, 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Some Travis County locations have extended hours on the last two days.

Which Austin propositions are bonds? Props A ($260 million, parks, recreation, aquatics and open space) and B ($35 million, libraries). The ballot labels both "THIS IS A TAX INCREASE."

What is Prop I on the Austin ballot? A charter amendment requiring a recurring outside efficiency review of city spending, repeated every five years and required before a tax-rate increase election. Supporters and opponents disagree about whether it saves money or invites privatization.

Can I vote at any polling place in Travis County? Yes, according to Travis County Elections, for both early voting and Election Day. Williamson and Hays County residents should use their own county's sites.

Where can I see the exact ballot language? In Ordinance 20260806-004 for Props C-J and the bond election notice for Props A-B.

We will update this page if the city or county changes dates or hours. Follow @austintexasthings for the early-voting week.