Austin city workers urge pause on ATS personnel consolidation, warn of service and job risks

Speakers representing AFSCME told the Audit and Finance Committee on April 15 that a proposed personnel consolidation moving many IT employees into Austin Technology Services (ATS) risks disrupting city operations and losing specialized, department‑specific expertise.

"If the city manager wants to sell ATS as a savings measure, he should be able to show us the money," said David Cruz, a District 7 resident and city employee, describing a petition of more than 700 city workers opposing immediate transfers and criticizing outsourcing and consulting spending that has not been justified to workers.

Frank Hereford, an IT professional and AFSCME member, said short consultant interviews cannot capture the nuanced responsibilities of embedded IT staff. "No 30 minute consultant interview can produce anything but a fragmented picture of how these teams actually work," he said, urging a pause to personnel consolidation and an in‑house audit of software spend.

Ramsey Bissick, a senior software engineer at Austin Fire and the petition team chair, recommended a hybrid federated model in which ATS supports decentralized, embedded departmental IT staff. "The strongest path forward right now is a hybrid federated model," Bissick said, warning that full centralization could slow response times and lead to loss of domain knowledge. Christina Tremmel, a transportation and public works technology worker, questioned the city's definition of "operational technology" (OT) and urged council to reject a consolidation that has not yet proved safe, necessary or cost effective.

Committee members heard the concerns during public comment; no formal action was taken during the meeting. Staff and ATS directors are scheduled to present related materials elsewhere on the agenda and in upcoming work sessions.