The Central Austin Democrats and the University Democrats endorsed Austin realtor and former member of Gov. Ann Richards’ administration Celia Israel for the  State Representative House District 50 seat.   Rep. Mark Strama resigned from the seat in June to…

The City of Austin and Travis County are planning to shift some of the funding they’ve traditionally contributed to the Clean Air Force of Central Texas to a different air quality organization in the upcoming year.   The move appears…

Travis County’s Planning and Budget Office is working with a fresh target cost – a few tens of millions of dollars less than the original projection – for getting the new downtown Civil and Family Courthouse built. On Tuesday, Commissioners…

The advisory board for the Emma S. Barrientos Mexican American Cultural Center received a slight verbal lashing from two community activists at its meeting Wednesday night, a result of rising frustration over the fate of a prime parcel of city-owned…

There were a couple of surprises among the routine motions Wednesday as Travis County Commissioners Court began the tedious three-day process of going through and approving each line of the county’s Fiscal Year 2014 preliminary budget. But County Judge Sam…

Travis County Commissioners failed Tuesday to approve an extension of the county’s contract with the Central Texas Clean Air Force. In addition, it appears that the organization’s 2014 funding in limbo. Pct. 1 Commissioner Ron Davis led the charge against…

In preparing for the Fiscal Year 2014 budget mark-up process, the Planning and Budget Office Tuesday presented Travis County Commissioners Court with ways to offset the cost of funding the state’s Public Integrity Unit. District Attorney Rosemary Lehmberg oversees the…

Austin City Council members unanimously agreed last week that a proposal to force developers of new downtown high-rise residential structures to laminate windows would do too little to mitigate noise problems and end up costing too much to install. At…

Travis County Commissioner Pct. 4 Margaret Gómez says her proposal to expand roads in southeast Travis County is about safety, business development, and job creation, but some of her critics charge that she is pandering to the Circuit of the…

Progress in Austin again reaches a standoff with neighbors in one Southwest Travis County community holding steadfast to their positions in a battle over development.   At issue is a new high-end community called Overlook Estates, owned by the Roy…

After two hours of passionate debate Tuesday, a unanimous Travis County Commissioners Court gave social outreach ministry Mobile Loaves & Fishes the go-ahead to build a recreational vehicle park for the homeless in eastern Travis County. At least two commissioners…

With little to no turbulence whatsoever, Austin City Council members Thursday authorized more than $62 million for expanding the Barbara Jordan Terminal at Austin-Bergstrom International Airport. Passengers will foot some of that bill, but will likely benefit from shorter wait…

Travis County must do more to ensure the safety of and fair compensation for its construction workers. Those are unquestionably the biggest issues facing construction workers today according to the Economic Development Task Force the county formed to study this…

Travis County taxpayers will help breathe life into the state’s nearly defunct Public Integrity Unit after Commissioners Court Tuesday voted 4-1 to dedicate nearly $1.8 million in funding to the department. Pct. 3 Commissioner Gerald Daugherty – the only Republican…