Austin Bond Dashboard FAQ
Bond Programs
The Austin Bond Dashboard is an online tool that provides information about projects and programs funded through the City of Austin’s 2016, 2018, 2020, and 2022 General Obligation Bond Programs. It allows the public to search projects, review funding information, and follow project progress.
The dashboard currently tracks the City’s 2016, 2018, 2020, and 2022 Bond Programs.
A General Obligation bond is a financing tool the City uses to fund major capital projects, such as transportation, parks, public safety, libraries, and other community improvements. GO bonds are generally repaid over time through property tax revenues.
The total bond program represented on the dashboard is approximately $2.45 billion.
The bond programs are organized by election year and, for applicable programs, by proposition. Each proposition identifies a particular investment category, such as transportation, affordable housing, parks, or public safety.
Project Status Definitions
Note: Project status reflects the current status of project delivery and may change over time. Status does not necessarily indicate how much of a project's budget has been spent or obligated.
The project is planned or expected to move forward but has not yet entered the design or construction phase. This status may include projects that are in early planning, development, or awaiting the next steps needed to begin delivery.
The project is actively being developed through the design process. This may include activities such as developing plans and specifications, conducting studies, obtaining required approvals, and preparing the project for construction.
The project has progressed to the construction phase, with physical work underway or a construction contract being executed. Construction may include renovation, rehabilitation, replacement, new construction, or other improvements.
The project's planned work has been completed, and the project has reached its completion milestone. Final administrative or financial closeout activities may still occur after physical work is complete.
The project is no longer planned to proceed as originally identified. A project may be cancelled because of changes in priorities, feasibility, funding, scope, site conditions, or other factors. Cancellation does not necessarily mean the underlying community need has been eliminated.
Understanding the Numbers
An obligated amount represents funding that has been committed to a project or program. It includes money that has been spent as well as money that has been encumbered for approved commitments.
Spent (expended) refers to funds that have already been paid out. Obligated includes funds that have been spent plus funds that have been encumbered or otherwise committed.
Expended + Encumbered = Obligated
The difference represents funding that has been committed but has not yet been spent. For example, a project may have an executed contract or other financial commitment, while payments for the work occur over time.
Not necessarily. Funding may already be committed to existing projects or reserved for future project costs. Users should review the individual project information in the dashboard to understand how funding is allocated.
Finding Project Information
Yes. The dashboard provides a Projects by Name view that allows users to search for individual projects.
Yes. The dashboard can be explored by Bond Programs by Year, allowing users to identify projects associated with the 2016, 2018, 2020, and 2022 bond programs.
Yes. The Projects by Proposition view allows users to explore projects according to the proposition under which the bond funding was approved.
Depending on the project, the dashboard may provide information such as the project name, bond program or proposition, funding information, and project progress updates.
No. The dashboard focuses on projects and programs funded through the 2016, 2018, 2020, and 2022 General Obligation Bond Programs. It is not intended to represent every capital improvement project funded through every City funding source.
Project Progress and Funding
No. Spending and project completion are different measures. A project may have spent a significant portion of its funding and still be under design, construction, or otherwise in progress. Conversely, a project may be substantially complete while final payments or closeout activities are still underway.
Projects move through multiple phases before construction and expenditures occur. Funding may be allocated while a project is still in planning, design, permitting, procurement, or another stage of development.
Project budgets and expenditures can change as projects advance. Changes may result from updated estimates, contracts, project scope, schedules, market conditions, or other factors.
The dashboard reflects financial and project information as of its most recent update. Because projects and financial transactions continue to change, users should check the dashboard's update information when interpreting the data.
Differences can occur because of the way funding is allocated, transferred, grouped, or reported within bond programs and projects. Users should refer to the dashboard's project and program-level information for the most accurate interpretation.
Transparency and Accountability
The dashboard is intended to promote transparency and accountability by making information about bond-funded projects, funding, and progress easier for the public to access and understand.
The dashboard is updated as financial and project information becomes available. The displayed figures should be understood as a snapshot of the information available at the time of the dashboard's update.
Yes. Residents can use the dashboard to explore bond programs, propositions, individual projects, funding information, and project progress.
The dashboard is provided by the City of Austin's Capital Delivery Services.
Questions About Bond Funding
No. The $2.45 billion represents the total bond program amount shown on the dashboard.
Unspent funding may support projects that are still being planned, designed, constructed, or completed. The fact that funds have not yet been spent does not necessarily mean they are unused or available for a different purpose.
A bond program is the overall voter-approved funding authorization for a particular bond election or year. A project is a specific capital improvement or initiative that receives funding from that program.
Use the dashboard's Projects by Proposition view to explore projects associated with each proposition.
Reading the Dashboard
“To date” means the amount recorded through the dashboard's most recent reporting or update period. It is not a projection of final project spending.
Looking at both measures provides a more complete picture of the status of bond funding. Spent shows what has already been paid, while obligated also captures funds that have been committed but have not yet paid.
No. Obligation measures financial commitments, not project completion. Projects can remain active while obligated funds are being spent over-time.
Start by searching for the project in the Bond Dashboard. Project-specific information and progress updates available through the dashboard can provide additional context about its funding and status.
2022 Bond Program
Proposition A Affordable Housing included $350 million.
2020 Bond Program
Proposition B included $460 million.
2018 Bond Program
The 2018 Bond Program included seven propositions covering affordable housing, libraries and cultural facilities, parks and recreation, flood mitigation and water quality, health and human services, public safety, transportation and mobility.
Proposition A – Affordable Housing included $250 million.
Proposition B – Libraries, Museums, and Cultural Facilities included $128 million.
Proposition C – Parks and Recreation included $149 million.
Proposition D – Flood Mitigation, Open Space, and Water Quality Protection included $184 million.
Proposition E – Health & Human Services included $16 million.
Proposition F – Public Safety included $38 million.
Proposition G – Transportation and Mobility included $160 million.
2016 Bond Program
The 2016 Proposition 1 program included $720 million.
Understanding Projects and Funding
No. The number of projects and total proposition funding are separate measures. Individual projects can vary considerably in size and cost.
No. A proposition may have many smaller projects or a smaller number of larger projects. Project count alone does not indicate the total cost of an individual project.
Showing both measures provides a clearer picture of the scope of each bond investment. The project count shows how many projects are associated with a proposition, while the funding amount shows the overall bond funding allocated to that proposition.
Understanding the Dashboard's Financial Figures
The Total Bond Program represents the overall funding included in the dashboard. The Amount Spent represents funds that have been expended, while the Amount Obligated includes funds that have been spent or otherwise committed.
Because obligated funding can include money that has been committed or encumbered but has not yet been paid.
Not necessarily. The project count represents projects associated with the applicable bond proposition. A project may be in planning, design, construction, or another stage of delivery.
Users can search for the project in the dashboard to review available project details, funding information, and progress updates.