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Travis County
TravCo bond talk takes explosive turn
Travis County is quietly but quickly approaching a major deadline in its runup to a potential 2017 bond referendum and if Tuesday’s Commissioners Court meeting was any indication, members of both the court and a citizens advisory council are deeply…
Bonds & Propositions • By Caleb Pritchard • May 17, 2017
Key justice programs survive fight between county, governor
Crucial county programs that lost funding over a row with Gov. Greg Abbott will be able to stay online through at least October thanks to some deep budgetary scouring. On Tuesday, the Travis County Commissioners Court approved a proposed package…
Travis County • By Caleb Pritchard • May 10, 2017
County undaunted in North Campus planning
True to the word of staff and elected officials, Travis County is moving ahead with plans for a mixed-use development that unexpectedly came up short in a competition for state funding. Last Tuesday, April 18, Economic & Strategic Planning Director…
Travis County • By Caleb Pritchard • Apr 27, 2017
Commissioners Court approves 20-year vision for juvenile justice complex
The Travis County Commissioners Court voted Tuesday on a plan that could expand the Gardner-Betts Juvenile Justice Center at an estimated initial cost of $73.3 million. The court unanimously approved the Juvenile Probation Master Plan, a lengthy document that maps…
Travis County • By Caleb Pritchard • Apr 19, 2017
Travis County DA announces not all police shootings will go before grand jury
The Travis County District Attorney’s Office will no longer bring all police shooting cases before a grand jury. Flanked by representatives of the local NAACP, police union and the Austin Police Department, District Attorney Margaret Moore announced the changes –…
Travis County • By Audrey McGlinchy, KUT • Apr 13, 2017
Travis County leaders hope to spread social service dollars across region
As rising housing prices force low-income people to flee the urban core in search of cheaper living, Travis County leaders worry about the county’s ability to provide services to the area’s neediest residents in an era of steep federal and…
Travis County • By Jack Craver • Apr 13, 2017
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County commissioners unhappy with vacation policy proposal
The Travis County Commissioners Court isn’t making nearly the progress it hoped on reforming vacation policy for county employees. Currently, county law enforcement personnel are allowed to accrue unlimited vacation, while civilian employees are allowed to accrue only up to…
Travis County • By Jack Craver • Apr 5, 2017
Travis County: No place for bondsmen
It’s much better to be arrested in Travis County than most other places in Texas. Nearly 70 percent of defendants in the Travis County criminal justice system are released on “personal recognizance bonds,” meaning they don’t have to come up…
Travis County • By Jack Craver • Mar 30, 2017
Travis County backs lawsuit over Trump sanctuary city order
Travis County has joined nearly three dozen other cities and counties across the country, including the city of Austin, in the legal battle against President Donald Trump’s crackdown on sanctuary cities. After a brief discussion of the lawsuit during a…
Travis County • By Jack Craver • Mar 29, 2017
Compensatory contract for retired employee finds little purchase with Eckhardt
The Travis County Commissioners Court found itself deeply divided on Tuesday over a proposal to award the county’s recently retired purchasing agent with $30,000 she hasn’t earned. On Feb. 28, Cyd Grimes quietly stepped down from the post she had…
Travis County • By Caleb Pritchard • Mar 22, 2017
Dukes dunks county's North Campus plans
State Rep. Dawnna Dukes’ surprise support for a competing project hobbled Travis County’s quest for tax credits for an innovative mixed-use development on Airport Boulevard. “We’re not thrilled,” Economic & Strategic Planning Director Mark Gilbert told the Austin Monitor on…
Travis County • By Caleb Pritchard • Mar 7, 2017
State of the County speech features state drama, innovative bonding and a surprise setback
In the early months of her third year in office, County Judge Sarah Eckhardt is still bullish on the state of Travis County. On Wednesday evening, she told a large crowd gathered inside the Commissioners Court chambers that the county…
