Some Austin city departments are figuring out what to do next after having their budgets slashed.
On Thursday, the Austin City Council approved the amended budget for the next fiscal year. The city had to revise the budget after voters rejected Proposition Q, which would have generated $110 million each year.
One of the most significant impacts falls on the city’s Parks and Recreation Department, which will operate with $5.2 million less than originally budgeted. City officials say the department will likely need to reduce staffing and cut back on resources that are typically used for routine park maintenance. That could mean fewer employees available to clean restrooms, mow grass, empty trash cans and repair damaged play structures — tasks already strained by longstanding understaffing…