REGULAR MEETING OF THE AFRICAN AMERICAN RESOURCE ADVISORY COMMISSION TUESDAY, APRIL 7, 2026, AT 5:30 PM PERMITTING AND DEVELOPMENT CENTER ROOM 1401 6310 WILHELMINA DELCO DR AUSTIN, TEXAS Some members of the African American Resource Advisory Commission may be participating by videoconference. Public comment will be allowed in-person or remotely via telephone. Speakers may only register to speak on an item once either in-person or remotely and will be allowed up to three minutes to provide their comments. Registration no later than noon the day before the meeting is required for remote participation by telephone. To register to speak remotely, contact Nekaybaw Watson, 512-974-2562, nekaybaw.watson@austintexas.gov. CURRENT COMMISSIONERS: Daryl Horton, Chair Alexandria Anderson Sophia Dozier Kyron Hayes Nelson Linder Justin Parsons Mueni Rudd Emmy Weisberg AGENDA CALL TO ORDER PUBLIC COMMUNICATION: GENERAL Dr. Chiquita Eugene, Vice Chair Roger Davis Joi Harden Antony Jackson Kenneth Loyde Antonio Ross Greg Smith The first ten speakers signed up prior to the meeting being called to order will each be allowed a three-minute allotment to address their concerns regarding items not posted on the agenda. APPROVAL OF MINUTES 1. Approve the minutes of the African American Resource Advisory Commission regular meeting on February 3, 2026. STAFF BRIEFING 2. Staff Briefing on Social Service Contract funding to inform the Commission’s prioritization efforts. Briefing by Kerri Lang, Director, and Daniel Culotta, Assistant Director, Office of Budget & Organizational Excellence. DISCUSSION ITEMS 3. Presentation from the Office of the County Clerk regarding election demographics information for primary elections in Austin. Presentation by Dyana Limon-Mercado, Travis County Clerk, Office of the County Clerk. 4. Discussion regarding FY 26/27 recommendations. 5. Board roles and responsibilities. 6. Discussion regarding possible bylaws changes. DISCUSSION AND ACTION ITEMS 7. Approve the election of Chair 8. Approve the election of Vice Chair FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS ADJOURNMENT The City of Austin is committed to compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act. Reasonable modifications and equal access to communications will be provided upon request. For assistance, please contact the Liaison or TTY users’ route through 711. A person may request language access accommodations no later than 48 hours before the scheduled meeting. Please call or email Nekaybaw Watson at Austin City Clerk’s Office Department, at 512-974-2562 or nekaybaw.watson@austintexas.gov to request service or for additional information. For more information on the African American Resource Advisory Commission please contact Nekaybaw Watson at 512-974-2562 or nekaybaw.watson@austintexas.gov.
AFRICAN AMERICAN RESOURCE ADVISORY COMMISSION REGULAR MEETING MINUTES TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 3, 2026 The African American Resource Advisory Commission convened in a regular meeting on Tuesday, February 3, 2026, at the Permitting and Development Center Room 1406. Chair Horton called the African American Resource Advisory Commission Meeting to order at 5:41 p.m. Commissioners in Attendance: Daryl Horton, Chair Dr. Chiquita Eugene, Vice Chair Alexandria Anderson Roger Davis Sophia Dozier Justin Parsons Emmy Weisberg Commissioners in Attendance Remotely: Joi Harden Kyron Hayes Antony Jackson Mueni Rudd Greg Smith Commissioners Absent: Nelson Linder Kenneth Loyde Antonio Ross PUBLIC COMMUNICATION: GENERAL Cherelle VanBrakle – Mama Sana Vibrant Woman 1 APPROVAL OF MINUTES 1. Approve the minutes of the African American Resource Advisory Commission regular meeting on January 6, 2026. The minutes from the meeting of January 6, 2026, were approved on Commissioner Parsons’ motion, Commissioner Davis’ second on a 10-0 vote. Vice Chair Eugene and Commissioner Rudd were off the dais. Commissioners Linder, Loyde, and Ross were absent. DISCUSSION ITEMS 2. 3. 4. Presentation by American Gateways regarding successes with the City of Austin and a request for the prioritization of immigration funding in the FY26-27 budget. Presentation by Rebecca Lightsey, Co-Executive Director, American Gateways. The presentation was made by Rebecca Lightsey, Co-Executive Director, American Gateways. Presentation by Communities in School of Central Texas regarding the outcomes and data from the recent Harvard Education Redesign economic mobility study. Presentation given by Sharon Vigil, Chief Executive Officer, Communities in School of Central Texas. The presentation was made by Sharon Vigil, Chief Executive Officer, Communities in School of Central Texas. Discussion regarding updates on the progress of the Election Mobilization Project. Update was given by Vice Chair Eugene. WORKING GROUP UPDATES 5. Update from the Budget Working Group regarding their first planning meeting. Update was given by Commissioners Anderson, Dozier and Parsons. FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS Discussion on detention and immigration for Black Austinites Create a WG for Election Mobilization Project Update on Mission Accomplished for finding a space. Chief Davis to give an update on APD’s relationship to ICE and the African American Austinites crime rate. Full presentation from Mama Sana Vibrant Woman Presentation from Community Powered ATX to speak on immigration and ICE. The motion to adjourn the meeting at 7:22 p.m. was approved on Vice Chair Eugene’s motion, Commissioner Smith’s second without objection. 2
Social Services Framework African American Resource Advisory Commission – April 7, 2026 Kerri Lang - Director, Austin Budget & Organizational Excellence Agenda Context and Drivers Approach Input and Feedback Next Steps and Timelines Q&A and Discussion 2 Context & Drivers Background Drivers: The FY27 planned budget included $16.8M reductions across social services contract portfolio to balance Rather than making across-the-board cuts, ABOE is taking a data-driven approach to understand what we fund, how it aligns with community needs, and where efficiencies may exist What We’re Asking of the JIC: Help us understand which service areas are most critical to the communities you represent Inform the City’s prioritization process within the social services portfolio Provide feedback on our engagement strategy 4 Definitions • Social Services: Social services are coordinated programs and supports that help individuals and families meet essential needs and navigate social and economic challenges. These can include services related to education, healthcare access, workforce development, housing assistance, and income supports, and are intended to reduce disparities and promote stability and quality of life. A social service grant provides services to City residents or clients, rather than services to the City organization itself. • Social Services Contract: Pays someone to do something on behalf of the City that we would otherwise have to do; contracts are more rigorous and subject to procurement policy / contract law (Example: funding to a vendor to operate a City-owned homeless shelter) • Social Services Grant: Value-add with nonprofits, but not mandatory or obligated. Shorter terms, less formal authorization (Example: funding to a not-for-profit to provide workforce development programs directly to the community) 5 City of Austin’s Social Services Landscape Contracts and Grants Service Category Lead Department FY26 Budget Service Description Homelessness Services Homeless Strategy and Ops $34.9M Child & Youth Public Health / Econ Dev. $9.2M Basic Needs Public Health Crisis Response and Rehab Community Court and Public Health Behavioral Health Public Health Health Equity Public Health Workforce Development Economic Development Violence Prevention Public Health HIV Services Public Health Community Planning Public Health $5.8M $10.5M $4.3M $3.5M $2.7M $2.4M $580K $359K TOTAL $74.2M Emergency Shelter Ops, Marshaling Yard, Rapid Rehousing After-school (Prime Time), Early Childhood, Youth Development Food Access, Utility & Rent Assistance, Survivor Support Community Court Diversion, Homeless Case Management Mental Health and Substance Misuse Support Services prioritizing marginalized communities to …
Travis County Clerk’s Office countyclerk.traviscountytx.gov County Clerk Dyana Limon-Mercado County Clerk Stats 10 divisions 180 employees 4 offices ~800k Ballots Cast ~300k Documents Recorded ~35k Court Cases What Does the County Clerk’s Office Do? Clerk & Custodian of Records for Commissioners Court Clerk of the Civil, Probate, & Misdemeanor Courts Recorder & Custodian of Public Records Administers Elections Responsible for keeping thecourt minutes and recordsManages documents used in thecounty’s Civil, Probate, andMisdemeanor court proceedingsReal Property, DBAs, cattlebrands, marriage licensesResponsible for every part ofconducting elections in the county,except for voter registration Travis County Population Overview (2024) Population Citizen Voting Population (CVAP) Voter Registration All Travis County Black/AfAm Alone demographics-austin.hub.arcgis.com All Travis CountyBlack/ AfAm Alone0200,000400,000600,000800,0001,000,0001,200,0001,400,000CVAP70.4%Non CVAP29.6%CVAP73.6%Non CVAP26.4%RegisteredNot Registered0%20%40%60%80%100%All Travis CountyBlack/AfAm Voter Turnout (2024) Black/AfAm Alone All Travis County Voter Turnout63.4%Registered, Not Voted36.6%Voter Turnout85%Registered, Not Voted15% Voter Turnout (2022) All Travis County Black/AfAm Alone Voter Turnout52.3%Registered, Not Voted47.7%Voter Turnout65.3%Registered, Not Voted34.7% Understanding Voter Participation Data No Race-Based Voting Data Available No registration by race No turnout by race Approach Use proxy data and modeling https://voter-registration-maps-traviscountytx.hub.arcgis.com/pages/gis-maps-and-downloads Black/ AfAm Citizens Voting Age Population (CVAP) Census Tracts https://austin.maps.arcgis.com/apps/mapvi ewer/index.htmlwebmap=b709d0432ca444 e0a7ce2e1c01b15721 Black/ AfAm Citizens Voting Age Population (CVAP) Geographic Concentration Voting Precincts Connecting Geography to Voting Key Takeaways & Recommendations Invest in targeted research Pilot exit polling in high-CVAP locations Prioritize outreach in East, Northeast, and Southeast Travis County Develop partnerships with academic and community organizations Use geographic data to guide resource allocation Sources Data Sources U.S. Census Bureau, Current Population Survey (CPS), Voting and Registration Supplement Pew Research Center analysis of U.S. Census voting and turnout data 2024 Voting and Registration Data (Census Bureau) 2022 Midterm Voting and Registration Report Pew: Voter Turnout 2020 vs 2024 Analysis Pew: Key Facts About Black Eligible Voters (2024) Pew: Voting Patterns in the 2024 Election Local & Demographic Data City of Austin Demographics Portal Black or African American Population (Census Tracts Map) Black or African American Citizen Voting Age Population (CVAP) Map
AFRICAN AMERICAN RESOURCE ADVISORY COMMISSION REGULAR MEETING MINUTES TUESDAY, APRIL 7, 2026 The African American Resource Advisory Commission convened in a regular meeting on Tuesday, April 7, 2026, at the Permitting and Development Center Room 1401. Chair Horton called the African American Resource Advisory Commission Meeting to order at 5:37 p.m. Commissioners in Attendance: Daryl Horton, Chair Dr. Chiquita Eugene, Vice Chair Alexandria Anderson Roger Davis Sophia Dozier Nelson Linder Justin Parsons Commissioners in Attendance Remotely: Kyron Hayes Mueni Rudd Greg Smith Commissioners Absent: Joi Harden Antony Jackson Kenneth Loyde Antonio Ross Emmy Goss-Weisberg PUBLIC COMMUNICATION: GENERAL None. 1 APPROVAL OF MINUTES 1. Approve the minutes of the African American Resource Advisory Commission regular meeting on February 3, 2026. The minutes from the meeting of February 3, 2026, were approved on Commissioner Parsons’ motion, Commissioner Davis’ second on a 9-0 vote. Commissioner Smith was off dais. Commissioners Harden, Jackson, Loyde, Ross and Weisberg were absent. STAFF BRIEFING 2. Staff Briefing on Social Service Contract funding to inform the Commission’s prioritization efforts. Briefing by Kerri Lang, Director, and Daniel Culotta, Assistant Director, Office of Budget & Organizational Excellence. Presentation given by Kerri Lang, Director, Office of Budget and Organizational Excellence. DISCUSSION ITEMS 3. 4. 5. 6. Presentation from the Office of the County Clerk regarding election demographics information for primary elections in Austin. Presentation by Dyana Limon-Mercado, Travis County Clerk, Office of the County Clerk. Presentation given by Dyana Limon-Mercado, Travis County Clerk, Office of the City Clerk and John Lawler, Chief Deputy of Elections, Office of the County Clerk, and Victoria Hinojosa, Director of Electoral Affairs, Office of the County Clerk. Discussion regarding FY 26/27 recommendations. Discussed. Board roles and responsibilities. Discussed. Discussion regarding possible bylaws changes. Discussed. DISCUSSION AND ACTION ITEMS 7. 8. Approve the election of Chair. The motion to approve Commissioner Anderson as Chair of the African American Resource Advisory Commission was approved on Commissioner Parsons’ motion, Vice Chair Eugene’s second on an 8-0 vote. Commissioners Rudd and Smith were off dais. Commissioners Harden, Jackson, Loyde, Ross and Weisberg were absent. Approve the election of Vice Chair. The motion to approve Commissioner Parsons as Vice Chair of the African American Resource Advisory Commission was approved on Commissioner Anderson’s motion, Vice Chair Eugene’s second on an 8-0 vote. Commissioners Rudd and Smith were off dais. Commissioners Harden, Jackson, Loyde, Ross and Weisberg were absent. 2 FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS …
