Completely ignoring the point of the story, I’d be asking why it costs $700 million to maintain and repair parks. Are they putting in data centers instead of soccer fields? Or, are they, like so many other US governments, being forced to use contractors whose costs balloon to ridiculous amounts over time and everyone just treats it as normal?
Between decades of deferred maintenance on structures and the fact that they (Austin) have bundled Historic Preservation into their parks department, are likely reasons.
Sauce: https://www.austintexas.gov/parks/programs/historic-preservation-and-tourism
Cleaning up and maintaining already built structures isn’t sexy, and doesn’t get the attention of the upper class. Why would they support anything unless they can get their name on it.