ATX-SCA: Impact 10/9/2025

Campaign activity for and against Austin's tax rate increase ballot measure is ramping up ahead of the Nov. 5 election, drawing tens of thousands of dollars in donations for and against Proposition Q.

Several area nonprofits, labor groups and City Council members were among the top donors to political committees favoring the tax rate proposition as of late September. Those organizations reported having more than $120,000 on hand just over a month before the election.

On the other side, the political group Save Austin Now reported the second-highest donation total of any PAC this fall with hundreds of individual contributions. Another political group led by contributions from a handful of residents and businesses also drew tens of thousands of dollars to oppose Proposition Q.

A pro bono clinic in Southwest Austin is teaching children and youth with neuromotor disabilities how to walk and regain movement while training the next generation of physical therapists.

Since 2016, the Pro Bono Neuroplasticity Clinic at the University of St. Augustine for Health Sciences' Austin campus has provided free physical therapy to under- or uninsured families of children with cerebral palsy, spinal cord injuries, and other central nervous system conditions.

The pediatric clinic provides hands-on experience for physical therapy students while offering high-demand care for a growing number of families in the Austin area, University of St. Augustine for Health Sciences staff said.

The overview: A handful of children and teenage patients visit the clinic multiple times a week to receive physical therapy services provided by students and faculty. The clinic helps patients foster independence by learning how to walk and improving their motor skills, said Sheila Brose, a physical therapy faculty lab instructor.

The impact: The clinic is an important resource for families who couldn’t otherwise afford physical therapy services, Brose said.

In the midst of developments on the rise in one of Austin’s historic residential areas, the Rainey Street District has seen changes left and right but one Austin staple has learned to evolve with the space while maintaining its classic charm.

What’s changed: Since its launch 13 years ago, Banger's Sausage House & Beer Garden has expanded in a few ways from opening a sandwich shop, a sausage house, a meat processing facility, a pickling facility, a curing facility and a smoking facility, all on the same property.

“One of the things that drove us to doing this big expansion and create this space that you're seeing now is to give our people and ourselves the opportunity to be excellent,” Siegel said.

Siegel said the restaurant’s menu has evolved throughout the years from a special event space to a dining spot locals and visitors alike can eat at everyday. The eatery features 200 beers on draft and 20 varieties of sausage on the menu at any given time.

• 79 Rainey St., Austin

Odyssey, a New York-based tech company, has been selected to manage Texas’ $1 billion education savings account program, the state comptroller’s office announced Oct. 6.

The overview: Odyssey will work with the comptroller to launch the program, deemed “Texas Education Freedom Accounts,” ahead of the 2026-27 school year. Families can begin applying for the program early next year, and those accepted will receive thousands of dollars in state funds to send their children to private school or homeschool them.

Zooming in: Odyssey will develop and manage an online platform to administer Texas’ education savings account program. State law also tasks the company with:

• Collecting applications and determining which families are accepted to the program
• Approving vendors for education-related materials and services, such as textbooks, transportation and tutoring
• Reviewing inquiries and complaints about the program
• Advertising the program and communicating with interested families