The Austin City Council held a work session on June 3, 2025, focusing on updates to the citywide strategic plan. The session began with a public comment from Zenobia Joseph, who expressed concerns regarding equity issues in the city’s planning, particularly highlighting the lack of infrastructure in Northeast Austin and the disproportionate impact on veterans and marginalized communities.

Following the public comment, City Manager Spencer Broadnax introduced Carrie Lang, the Director of the Office of Budget and Organizational Excellence, who provided a comprehensive update on the strategic plan's development. Lang noted that the strategic plan has been in progress since 2018 and serves as a blueprint for operationalizing the city council's priorities. She emphasized the importance of equity, affordability, innovation, sustainability, proactive prevention, and community trust as foundational values embedded in the plan.

Lang detailed the ongoing efforts to refine the strategic plan, including the establishment of 45 teams working on various initiatives. She highlighted that the plan is a living document, subject to continuous updates based on feedback and performance metrics. The city has refined 29 measures, added five new ones, and removed eight, ensuring that the metrics are relevant and actionable.

A significant aspect of the discussion was the integration of the strategic plan into the budget development process. Lang explained that departments are now required to demonstrate how their budget requests align with the strategic goals, fostering accountability and transparency in resource allocation.

Council members engaged in a dialogue about the relationship between policy and implementation, with some expressing a desire for more direct involvement in setting strategic goals. Lang reassured them that the plan is designed to reflect council priorities and that there are opportunities for adjustments based on council feedback.

The session concluded with a preview of a new strategic plan dashboard, set to go live in mid-June, which will provide stakeholders with interactive access to performance measures and progress updates.

Overall, the meeting underscored the city’s commitment to refining its strategic planning process, enhancing community engagement, and ensuring that the strategic plan effectively addresses the needs of all Austin residents. The council plans to continue discussions on how to better align the strategic plan with community priorities and budgetary considerations in future sessions.