After more than two years of planning, task forces and a few rounds of postponement, Austin’s parks bond is officially headed to voters! On August 6, 2026, City Council formally called a November 2026 bond election, placing a $260 million parks package on the ballot.
If you’ve been following along since our January blog post, you know this process has had a long and winding road.
Here’s a look back at how we arrived at this moment:
- July 2024 – Council adopted Resolution No. 20240718-093, directing the City to bring forth a proposed bond based on critical needs.
- August 2024 – Council created the 2026 Bond Election Advisory Task Force to provide direction related to a potential 2026 Bond.
- February 2026 – Council established a “bond decision tree” to prioritize projects and partnerships.
- May 2026– Council was proposing a $390 million Bond and further postponing all bond decisions till July 23rd.
- July 2026- Council postpones again to allow more deliberation on the bond.
- August 4, 2026 – Council adopts Resolution No. 20260804-002 and prepares the bond package and necessary ordinances to call a bond election. Council approved the package 8-3.
- August 6, 2026- The final vote securing the bond’s spot on the November ballot and confirming the official ballot language.
The Method Behind the Decision:
Reaching a final package took some convincing. Council members spent months weighing whether now was the right time to go to voters, a hesitancy shaped in large part by the failed Proposition Q tax rate election last fall. City financial staff, working from the “decision tree” process set up earlier in the year, had actually recommended holding off a bond package until 2028 since older bond programs hadn’t yet reached their internal target of spending. But that timeline doesn’t reflect reality for Austin Parks and Recreation, which has already allocated and almost spent all of its funds from the 2018 bond.
Through persistent advocacy, APF and the 75 organizations represented by Austin Outside made it clear: Austin’s park system has waited long enough. The message “Parks can’t wait till 2028” became the heart of our advocacy efforts and many Council members agreed with that sentiment.
What is the Bond Package:
Austinites in every City Council district will see direct benefits.
The $260 million in parks funding would go towards projects such as:
- $65.5 million for park buildings and facilities
- Examples: Gus Garcia Recreation Center Senior Wing Addition (D4) & Doris Miller Auditorium renovation (D1)
- $65 million for parkland improvements
- Examples: Bolm District Park (D3) & Lantana Neighborhood Park (D8)
- $29.5 million to improve park infrastructure
- Examples: Onion Creek All Abilities Playground (D2), Mt. Bonnell Improvements and Security Enhancements (D10)
- $65 million for four Austin pools
- Examples: Garrison Municipal Pool (D5), Big Stacy Neighborhood Pool (D9), Walnut Creek Municipal Pool (D7), Civitan Neighborhood Pool (D3)
- $35 million for more parkland and trail connectivity
- Examples: infill parks in park-deficient areas & acquiring land for a new southeast recreation center
The comprehensive list of all possible parks projects in the 2026 bond is available here.
Crossing the Finish Line in the Fall:
To everyone who engaged with our alerts, emailed Council or testified at City Hall: THANK YOU! Your voice helped get us here. But we aren’t at the finish line yet.
This November, our city will have the opportunity to vote on the parks bond in the upcoming election. While many issues may draw you to the polls, we hope the parks bond is one of them.
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