Mayor· 2024-04-01–2028-04-01; month-level start: April 2024 per the city's Mayor's Office page ('elected as the 41st Mayor of the City of Menasha in April 2024'; terms begin the third Tuesday in April); end sourced from the city statement that mayors are elected in presidential-year spring elections (next in the following cycle); month-level end: April 2028
Austin Hammond
Menasha
No biography on file yet.
Voice
- Meetings spoken in
- 17
- Total speaking time
- 2:26:54
- Avg per meeting
- 8:38
- Segments
- 2727
Want every word Hammond has said?
The OpenCity MCP for Claude.ai answers questions like “what has Hammond said about housing this year” with one prompt — full speaking history, with YouTube timestamps.
Top issues during term (15)(Taxes Budget)
Employee Bonus Program Proposal
Suggested bonuses of at least $2,500 per eligible employee; total cost unspecified.
City Attorney Appointment — David Rashid
Sets the city's legal staffing for the interim period; compensation terms were not stated on the agenda.
2027 employee health insurance change
Expected to hold the city's health premium increase to about 2% for 2027.
2027 budget review timeline pushed back
No direct cost — it changes the review calendar for the 2027 spending plan.
Neenah-Menasha Fire Rescue Levy Limit Exceedance for 2027
Could raise the property tax levy beyond the state limit to fund fire rescue operations in 2027.
$5 Million Tornado Financing (R-33-26)
No interest cost on the interim loan, but the city faces roughly $5 million in tornado expenses pending federal reimbursement.
Local 275 labor agreement
Terms of the tentative agreement could affect labor costs once finalized.
2026 Budget Amendment for Emergency Software
Costs the city up to $9,000.
Police union MOA amendments and overtime savings
Overtime savings are covering the restored incentive payments, so the perk comes back at little or no net cost.
Declining general fund balance
The fund balance fell due to carryovers, municipal court debt, and a revenue shortfall — with a 10% minimum reserve required by city code.
Clean 2025 audit with one recurring finding
Management believes fixing the recurring reporting finding would cost more in staff time and training than it's worth.
Lodging license fee increases
Fees rise for most lodging types — for example, a 1-unit tourist rooming house goes from $175 to $210, and the largest hotel category drops from $620 to $580.
Village of Harrison Fire Protection Fee Settlement
A one-time $72,749.30 payment, funded through the R-5-26 budget adjustment.
Fleet replacement strategy amid cost increases and supply chain delays
About $52,800 gets carried forward, but the 2027 Equipment Replacement Fund needs a $15,000 bump to cover $7,500-per-unit cost overruns.
City litigation: Cordell Howze v. Derrick Rotta, et al. (24CV01661)
Any settlement or judgment in the lawsuit could end up costing the city money, but no figures were discussed publicly.
Decisions during term (0)
Recorded while Hammond was in office — not necessarily decisions they moved, spoke to, or voted on.
No decisions found matching Taxes Budget.