Vote No on Proposition I

Why It's Bad for Austin

• It puts services at risk. To pay for it, the City Council could be forced to cut parks, libraries, social services, and public safety funding.
• It's a conflict of interest. Consultants must identify enough cuts to pay their own fee, whether those cuts make sense or not.
• It's expensive. Each mandatory audit could cost Austin taxpayers between $5.2 million and $20 million.
• It's redundant. Austin already has an independent City Auditor's office that investigates waste, fraud, and abuse year-round.

What Is Proposition I?

Proposition I is a City Charter amendment on this November's Austin ballot. It would force the city to hire outside corporate consultants for a mandatory "Independent Affordability and Efficiency Audit" of every city department — and require those consultants to find enough budget cuts to cover their own fee.

It was placed on the ballot by Save Austin Now, a group run by longtime Republican operative Matt Mackowiak and funded by wealthy conservative donors and tech-industry interests. It's modeled directly on Elon Musk's DOGE.

Prop I is just another attempt from conservatives to impose their political agenda on Austin.