Bonded Pair

City of Austin approves $295M bond election for parks and libraries

Austin's parks could get a big investment influx if Austinites approve a tax increase.

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Funding for Austin's parks and libraries will be in locals' hands this fall. Austin City Council approved an ordinance ordering a General Obligation Bond Election, which will held November 3, 2026.

Voters will weigh in on parks and library investments separately. The draft ordinance shows a proposed investment of up to $260 million for parks and up to $35 million for libraries. The investments would cover things like new construction, design, rehabilitation, and more of the facilities affected. They would also include acquiring new parkland and creating a new library.

Debt incurred would be repaid via a property tax increase. Community Impact reported August 6 that this would amount to "a projected $41.60 to the typical homeowner's annual property tax bill by 2033 once all new debt is issued."

The draft ordinance also lists a number of parks and libraries to prioritize in assigning improvements:

Gus Garcia Recreation Center
Doris Miller Auditorium
Mayfield Park
Williamson Creek Trail
Evergreen Cemetery
Onion Creek all abilities playground
Brentwood Neighborhood Park
Riata Neighborhood Park
Springwoods Park
St. Edward’s Greenbelt Trail & Park
Zilker Metro Park
Circle C Metro Park
Mt. Bonnell Park
Jamestown Neighborhood Park
Bolm District Park
Walter E. Long Metro Park
Lantana Neighborhood Park
Citywide Community Gardens
Old Lampasas Pocket Park
Cooper Neighborhood Park
Wooldridge Square
Onion Creek Metro Park
Guitar Land Park
Grand Meadow Neighborhood Park (Phase II)
Commons Ford Park
Garrison Municipal Pool
Big Stacy Neighborhood Pool
Walnut Creek Municipal Pool
Civitan Neighborhood Pool
Hampton at Oak Hill branch library
New Colony Park branch library

parks libraries civic issues taxes funding

Social Butterflies

New app sets Austin locals up with social gigs like tours and events

Photo by Justin Wallace on Unsplash

Finding a local for an informal bike tour would be a perfect use of Social Additions.

A new app is building a network of extroverted Austinites who are ready to act as guides in the city. Called Social Additions, the app has opened its waitlist for locals to become "Austin Social Ambassadors," for doing things like showing someone around town, co-hosting events, providing local services, and more.

Social Ambassadors are paid, making this a gig app above all. Ambassadors set their hourly rates; there are only 10 existing profiles on the site, with rates ranging from $30 per hour to $250 per hour.

The app appears to be like a social version of Fiverr, Taskrabbit, or Thumbtack, all marketplaces where independent contractors offer a range of services depending on their skillsets. A press release from Social Additions invokes Uber and Mary Kay as inspiration for the flexible service model.

The release also emphasizes that people can connect based on shared interests, personality, and relevant social experience, not just availability.

The website lists a number of roles Ambassadors can fill, including networking plus-ones, business assistants, brand ambassadors, accessibility support, study buddies, conversation pals in another language, and even someone to go to the gym or practice yoga with (notably, the site does not specify that it is searching for certified instructors). Some roles are expected one-off hires like photographers, makeup artists, and musicians.

On the more purely social side, it suggests Ambassadors for people who are new in town, seniors, or folks just want to go to an event that is less fun on their own, like an F1 race or karaoke. Though this is somewhat uncommon as a paid service in the United States, it isn't unheard of internationally.

"We built Social Additions to formalize work that has always existed informally," said founder Sandra Hucker in the release. Hucker has worked in service, retail, and event marketing. "Showing up for someone. Making introductions. Hosting an event well. Helping someone experience a city through a local's eyes. Those are valuable skills, yet there has never been a marketplace where people could build flexible income around them."

A few common sense measures are in place for safety and quality. Both parties need to approve the connection, and they are encouraged to meet once or at least talk before starting the gig. The platform also offers ID verification. Finally, clients can rate Ambassadors after the service is rendered to help other users choose.

Even if users don't end up hiring someone, the site offers a free local business directory, event listings, and a job board for local businesses to post on. The board is for "temporary staffing opportunities, event support, promotional work, hospitality positions, and community based gigs," the release says.

Interested Austinites can join the waitlist at socialadditions.com. Qualified early applicants will get limited waived membership fees and Stripe Identity verification, the release says.

This article is not a review. CultureMap has not tested Social Additions.

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