Austin Rejects Ballot Measure to Hire Hundreds of Officers

Opponents of Proposition A — including Mayor Steve Adler and the unions that represent Austin firefighters and paramedics — warned of dire financial fallout for the city if the proposition passed, saying deep cuts in the city’s budget would lead to fewer firefighters, medics and librarians.

Austin voters shot down a ballot proposition Tuesday night that would have forced the city to hire hundreds of new police officers.

With an estimated 91% of votes counted, voters rejected Proposition A by about 68.4% to 31.6%, according to KXAN-TV, preventing Austin from having to hire enough police officers to have two on patrol for every 1,000 residents.

Opponents of Proposition A — including Mayor Steve Adler and the unions that represent Austin firefighters and paramedics — warned of dire financial fallout for the city if the proposition passed, saying deep cuts in the city’s budget would lead to fewer firefighters, medics and librarians, the Texas Tribune reports.

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