Bond Programs
General Obligation Bonds are a funding tool used for long-term investments in public infrastructure. GO Bonds allow cities to borrow money to pay for major community projects, such as streets, libraries, or open spaces. These bonds are repaid using property taxes, allowing improvements to be made without taking money away from important services. By approving a GO Bond, community members address the current city needs, allowing for a safe, accessible, and vibrant Austin for generations to come.
Austin GO Bond Programs
- 2016 Mobility Bond
In 2016, a $720 million bond was approved that consisted of funding for transportation and mobility improvements throughout the city.
- 2018 Comprehensive Bond
In 2018, a $925 million bond was approved that consisted of seven propositions that funded affordable housing, libraries and cultural facilities, parks and recreation, flood mitigation and water quality, health and human services, public safety, and transportation and mobility.
- 2020 Transportation Bond
In 2020, a $460 million bond was approved to improve transportation infrastructure, including sidewalks, bicycle facilities, urban trails, Vision Zero safety projects, Safe Routes to School improvements, and upgrades to substandard streets.
- 2022 Affordable Housing Bond
In 2022, a $350 million bond was approved to support the acquisition, development, rehabilitation, and preservation of affordable housing for low- and moderate-income households, including the purchase of land and property for affordable housing projects.
- 2026 Parks and Libraries Bond
In 2026, a $295 million bond was approved that consisted of two propositions that funded parks and recreation and libraries.
- Austin Bond Dashboard
Track the spending and status for projects funded exclusively through Austin’s General Obligation (GO) Bond programs from 2016, 2018, 2020, 2022 and 2026. The Austin Bond Dashboard provides a focused look at how bond dollars from these four program years are allocated, obligated, and spent.
Bond Program Quarterly Reports
Austin Capital Delivery Services (CDS) publishes Bond Program Quarterly Reports to provide the Mayor and City Council, stakeholders, and the community with timely and consistent information regarding the City’s Bond Programs. These reports will provide project-level information, including project status, obligations, expenditures, and remaining balances.
The Bond Program Quarterly Reports will include summaries of each bond program, detailed information for bond programs that have not yet reached 90% spent, have a considerable remaining balance, and/or have a significant delay in schedule.
CDS maintains the Austin Bond Dashboard and publishes quarterly reports to provide consistent, accurate, and publicly accessible information regarding bond program spending and project delivery. Reporting reflects the City’s commitment to transparency and timely reporting by providing consistent information regarding bond-funded projects, expenditures, remaining balances, and project delivery across multiple bond programs.
View Bond Program Quarterly Reports
Austin GO Bond Program Development
- 2026 Bond Development Process
- Citywide Call for Projects
Capital Delivery Services conducts internal meetings with City departments to develop the capital improvement needs assessment and Infrastructure Needs Inventory list. The identified projects are ranked and prioritized through a technical criteria process, consideration of City policy and/or initiatives, as well as confirming those projects are GO bond eligible. Next, staff develops the scope, schedule, and budget estimates for the identified programs and projects.
City staff focuses on programs and projects that can feasibly continue through the prioritization process.
- City Council Calls for Bond Package
Austin City Council directs the City Manager to bring a comprehensive bond package for Austinites to approve through an election. City Council decides what proposal to submit; voters decide whether to authorize it.
- Bond Election Advisory Task Force Appointed
City Council calls for the establishment of a Bond Election Advisory Task Force (BEATF) to consider projects identified through the public process; projects that are within the scope of a needs assessment and funding priorities recommended by City staff; and projects aligned with recommendations from the adopted plans and reports.
Its members are appointed by City Council and the Mayor.
- Phase 1 Community Engagement
City staff launches the initial round of community engagement efforts to reach residents through survey(s) and a variety outreach activities. Outreach is structured around bond categories defined by the BEATF and Capital Delivery Services to align feedback directly with potential projects.
Public Engagement is intended to identify community funding priorities, budget allocation preferences, and tax willingness for future bond investments.
- Initial Project Request List
The Initial Project Request List details each project or program’s name and description, departmental prioritization, City Council district location, associated BEATF working group, and requested funding amount. It is a curated set of projects that, if selected, can be successfully delivered within the six-year timeframe.
City departments evaluate and score projects using a priority matrix aligned with six guiding principles: equity, affordability, innovation, sustainability and resilience, proactive prevention, and community trust and relationships.
- Phase 2 Community Engagement
The BEATF launches another round of community engagement, to solicit input on the priorities in the Initial Project Request List. The engagement provides an opportunity to hear detailed, real concerns and project ideas directly from community members. This round of engagement also serves to explain the bond process, scoring criteria, and how community input will be used.
- Initial Draft Project Recommendation
The public input process, BEATF listening sessions, and the Project Review Board (PRB) scoring results in the Initial Draft Project Recommendation which refines the needs assessment into an initial list that fits within the funding guidelines developed by Austin Financial Services.
The initial draft project list does not speak to a decision on whether these projects are fiscally responsible but is released to inform and include the public in the decision-making process.
- Phase 3 Community Engagement
The last stage of community engagement is designed to understand how community members respond to the refined list of proposed bond projects. This phase focuses on project-level preferences, awareness, fiscal feasibility, and confidence in delivery.
This engagement combines survey data of Austinites’ priorities with insight from engaged participants and feedback from in-person activities to provide a clearer picture of why these priorities matter for the proposed bond program.
- BEATF Final Recommendation to City staff
After working groups submit their initial recommendations to the full BEATF, funding scenarios are adjusted to fit within the City's debt capacity. The BEATF submits its report identifying the projects it recommends as part of a comprehensive bond package for Council’s review and direction.
City staff considers the BEATF's proposed project list when developing the City’s final recommendation to Council.
- City Staff Final Recommendation to City Council
City staff reviews the BEATF’s final recommendations to update staff’s Initial Draft Recommendation and summary report into Bond Staff's Final Recommendation for City Council consideration. City Council then considers the approval of an ordinance ordering a General Obligation Bond Election.
- City Council Calls for Bond Election
City Council must formally call for an election since voter approval is required before the City can issue bonds and repay them with property taxes. Calling the election is the legal action that puts that question before voters.
That requirement does not mean Council must propose a bond program whenever capital needs arise. It means that if the City chooses to pursue this type of bond financing, it must obtain voter approval first. For an election on a uniform election date, the election must be called for at least 78 days before Election Day.