Ed Van Nino, the city chief financial officer, presented a draft work plan for the Audit and Finance Committee on Feb. 19, 2025, proposing a schedule of finance and audit items tied to the city's budget calendar.

Van Nino said the plan would bring legislative updates on bills that could affect local revenues, analysis of the 3.5% revenue cap and possible tax-rate election timing, discussions of the ARPA funding "cliff" that staff expect around 2026, and updates on multibillion-dollar projects such as the convention center and airport expansion.

Van Nino outlined timing tied to existing deadlines: a financial forecast presentation to the full council on April 8, a prospectus discussion about a potential tax-rate election on April 16, delivery of the FY26 proposed budget on July 15 and subsequent council work sessions in July and August.

Several council members urged early work on the ARPA issue. The mayor urged a joint meeting with the Austin Public Health Committee to examine ARPA's role in homelessness funding. Council members asked staff to quantify whether one-time ARPA funds were used to replace general-fund spending and to estimate ongoing service costs tied to ARPA-backed capital projects.

Van Nino said staff would return with refined analyses and that committee meetings would typically include about four items per meeting. He and other staff also proposed future briefings on facilities managed by the Public Facilities Corporation, 2026 bond program development, capital delivery updates and the fiscal year close.

Committee members offered several planning requests: earlier TRE (tax rate election) discussion, an in-depth ARPA analysis in April tied to the financial forecast, more detailed department-level budget insight to assess unmet needs lists, and follow-ups on housing bond projects and capital delivery timelines.

No formal committee vote was taken on the work plan; staff were directed to refine timing and return with more detailed analyses.