ATX-ETA: Impact 8/13/2026

Good Morning, East Austin!

Top Story

Austin adopts $6.6B budget and tax rate increase

Austin leaders approved a record $6.63 billion budget for the upcoming fiscal year 2026-27. The spending plan was adopted alongside a higher tax rate that would increase the typical homeowner's property tax bill more than 8%.

The details: The new budget will be nearly 5% larger than the current $6.3 billion plan for FY 2025-26. Departments responsible for parks and libraries, public safety and health programs, and housing and homelessness services are included within the $1.54 billion general fund, which is growing about 3.6%.

Austin's FY 2026-27 tax rate was set at $0.579948 per $100 in property value, the maximum allowed under state law without seeking voter approval. The new rate will increase the typical annual property tax bill from $2,074 to about $2,250, based on the city's projected median homestead value of $484,907.

In a divided vote, officials also funded the start-up of a new joint emergency communications office to begin transitioning some of the city's 911 response system away from Austin Police oversight.

Learn more.

Market Story

Moment of Tea launches tea house at Casa de Luz Village

Owner Tran Nguyen launched Moment of Tea on the second floor of Casa de Luz Village. The Japanese-inspired tea house is serving up fresh brews with the motto “Come for the tea, stay for the community,” according to Nguyen.

On the menu : The menu will soon change to feature seasonal teas, tea flights and light bites in the next few weeks, Nguyen said. Moment of Tea offers primarily Japanese teas, served hot, blended warm with milk or cold brewed.

Japanese teas include Matcha Otome, Hojicha Yuu, Genmaicha Suzu and Sobacha Aiji. The menu includes a range of caffeinated options as well.

Stay tuned: The tea house plans to offer programming like tea and meditation, tea ceremonies and tea and food pairings, according to Nguyen.

1701 Toomey Road, Austin

Now Open

New East Austin playground now open

East Austin families have a new place to play starting Aug. 10, when a kid-designed playground opens at East Communities YMCA, 5315 Ed Bluestein Blvd. The space is free for both Y members and the public and will be open sunrise to sundown daily.

The background: The playground came together through a partnership between the Greater Austin YMCA, KABOOM! and Delta Air Lines. Nearly 100 Delta employees volunteered to help build it, and the design itself was shaped by local kids — children at East Communities YMCA and the Austin Achieve afterschool program submitted drawings of their dream play spaces, which became the blueprint for the final layout of slides, swings, climbing structures and a nature exploration area.

What they're saying: "Playscapes provide a space where kids can build confidence, create friendships and simply be kids," said Shaq Brown, chief operations officer for the Greater Austin YMCA.

The build marks Delta's 44th playground with KABOOM! since 2013 and comes as KABOOM! celebrates 30 years working to close playspace gaps nationwide.

Read here.