Hear, Hear!

This is Fun With the Budget Month at Council, with seven meetings, running through Sept. 13. Here's the schedule for the next four Thursdays. (Worksessions are at 9am, public hearings 6pm.) The catchy titles for each week's program are Garza's and reflect the officially established "council priorities":

• Aug. 17: Public Safety Police, Fire, Emergency Medical Services, Municipal Court.

• Aug. 24: Youth, Family, and Neighborhood Vitality: Parks and Recreation; Austin Public Library; Health and Human Services; Planning, Environmental and Conservation Services.

• Aug. 31: Sustainable Community Sustainability Fund; Housing; Public Works and Transportation; Watershed Protection.

• Sept. 7: Affordability Austin Energy; Water and Wastewater; Solid Waste Services; Support Services.

This last episode will also include a public hearing on the proposed 10% increase in the Drainage Fee, along with a "revenue update," which is when Garza announces he's found a few million more for the council to spend, as happened last year to produce the Social Equity Initiative.

• Mon-Wed, Sept. 11-13 The council meets on three days in a row to adopt the budget on first, second, and third readings. The budget passed on Day 3 won't be the same as the one considered on Day 1, as last-minute horse trading livens up the proceedings.