AUSTIN, Texas — On Wednesday, Austin’s city manager told the mayor and City Council to find ways to run more efficiently, the day after voters rejected Proposition Q .

That measure would have raised the city’s property tax rate by around 20% compared to the last fiscal year. It would have brought in around $110 million and cost the median homeowner roughly an extra $300 per year.

“It’s a very clear message from the voters,” said Mayor Kirk Watson during a virtual interview with KVUE from Brazil on Wednesday, adding later, “They’re going to prioritize affordability.”

Watson told KVUE he was invited to the C40 World Mayors Summit 2025, a climate-focused conference in Rio de Janeiro, with the trip paid for by host Bloomberg Philanthropies, not taxpayers.

KVUE also met up with Council Me

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