Group concerned power being stripped from Austin's Equity Office

AUSTIN (KXAN) — In the thick of hundreds of pages worth of a proposed budget for the City of Austin, equity advocates believe there's a deeper problem that will affect progress made over the last decade.

Monica Guzman with Go Austin/Vamos Austin said the city's proposed plan to restructure the Equity Office will strip it of its power.

Last Friday, a secretive change to our city structure is the latest action in a recent pattern of non-transparency from this city’s leadership. We’re talking about the decision to take power away from the offices of Equity, Civil Rights, Sustainability, and Resilience.  

The budget draft was delivered in paper copies on Friday afternoon with no digital copy available for the public or media until Sunday. The proposed 2024 Budget (see page 42) shows Equity and Civil Rights under “Civic and Business Equity.” Resilience and Sustainability are moved under Planning, an office often influenced by developer interests. 

These offices must stay independent, or we will move backwards toward an unjust and unsustainable Austin. It will put years of work with the community below other city priorities."

Monica Guzman, Go Austin/Vamos Austin.

Guzman's organization alongside others will speak publicly about their concerns in greater detail in a press conference Tuesday afternoon.

This developing story will be updated as more information becomes available.