Austin voters to consider $295M parks, library bond package

Austin City Council has approved placing $295 million in bond propositions before voters this November, capping a planning process that began in 2024 to address the city’s capital improvement needs. 

The council’s vote sets up two ballot measures. Proposition A asks voters to approve $260 million for Austin Parks and Recreation projects, while Proposition B seeks $35 million for two Austin Public Library branches. 

The parks funding would touch more than two dozen sites across the city, broken into four categories. Recreation buildings would receive $65.5 million, including work at the Gus Garcia Recreation Center, Doris Miller Auditorium and Mayfield Park. Another $65 million is earmarked for infrastructure projects such as the Williamson Creek Trail, an all-abilities playground at Onion Creek and park electrification citywide. 

Parkland improvements would get $29.5 million for sites including Bolm District Park and Walter E. Long Metro Park, while $65 million would go toward aquatics upgrades at four municipal pools. A separate $35 million would fund land acquisition, prioritizing park deficient areas, riverfront property, and a new recreation center in Northwest Austin.  

The library proposition would split its $35 million between two branches, $20 million to expand the Hampton Branch at Oak Hill in Southwest Austin and $15 million to build a new branch serving Colony Park in East Austin. 

The bond package is the product of a two-year process. After City Council identified nearly $3.9 billion in citywide capital needs in 2024, a resident-led task force gathered public input before recommending two proposals, one totaling $766.53 million, another at $436 million. Council members ultimately scaled the program down before finalizing the November ballot measures. 

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