Austin voters are one step closer to deciding whether to approve nearly $295 million in bond funding for parks and libraries. The Austin City Council on Tuesday approved the first of two votes to place the bond package on the November ballot. The proposed package would fund improvements to Austin parks, trails, recreation facilities and public libraries. Council members approved moving forward despite recommendations from city financial staff to delay a bond election until 2028 because of affordability concerns. If approved by voters in November, the bond package would help pay for capital improvement projects across the city without funding day-to-day operations.