Austin City Council voted to delay a vote on a program that would have sent a monthly stipend to low-income families — no strings attached. | AKMcGlinchy
Elected officials in Austin decided Thursday to delay a vote on a program that would have sentCouncil Member Mackenzie Kelly, who represents Far Northwest Austin, first called for a postponement. “There are parts of this item that have raised questions that remain to be answered,” she wrote on an online message board used by council members Wednesday.
“Before you spend this money, the Council should either ask for an AG Opinion or file suit for Declaratory Judgment,” he wrote. “Otherwise, it will be inhumane to offer the poor people this money and spark their expectation, only to have the money stopped if a court rules it is illegal.” The item, which has been moved to May 5, asks council to approve a contract with the nonprofit to oversee the pilot program. Guaranteed-income programs, also called basic-income programs, provide people with one-time or regular stipends; unlike other social services, though, a guaranteed-income program does not stipulate how families are allowed to spend that money.
Council initially set aside nearly $1.2 million for a program during budget discussions last summer. From that pot, the city has proposed sending $1,000 a month to 85 low-income families for a year. During that year, city staff said, the Urban Institute, a think tank based in Washington, D.C., would study the effects on the people receiving the money. City staff and elected officials would then decide whether to establish a more permanent program.
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