Stories by Jack Craver
Thursday, October 17, 2019 by Jack Craver
Bonds & Propositions
Expo center supporters hope voters don’t confuse the two different Prop A’s
Ballot propositions can often be confusing – especially when there are multiple propositions with the same name.This is exactly what concerns those campaigning for Travis County Proposition A. The measure they support would authorize the county to levy a 2…
Friday, October 11, 2019 by Jack Craver
Planning
Zyle Road residents still have doubts about development
Residents of rural southwest Travis County have succeeded in getting a neighboring landowner to significantly reduce a proposed development they feared would cause safety issues in their isolated community. However, they continue to worry that a major development with inadequate…
Wednesday, October 9, 2019 by Jack Craver
Travis County
Commissioners debate future of Palm School property
Four months after voting to put in place restrictions on the Palm School property that would prevent the main building from being redeveloped, members of the Travis County Commissioners Court continue to display differences of opinion about the property’s future.On…
Thursday, October 3, 2019 by Jack Craver
Travis County
Commissioners approve landfill changes over TDS objections
On Tuesday the Travis County Commissioners Court opted to readopt changes to a county ordinance regulating landfills despite pushback from an influential local waste management company.Representatives of Texas Disposal Systems told commissioners that ordinance changes the commissioners approved last month…
Thursday, September 26, 2019 by Jack Craver
Budget
County commissioners approve Central Health budget
Shortly after approving the county budget, the Travis County Commissioners Court OK’ed the $291 million fiscal year budget for Central Health, the county’s public hospital district.Central Health is a public authority funded by local property taxes that is charged with…
Wednesday, September 25, 2019 by Jack Craver
Budget
Travis County Commissioners Court approves $1.2 billion budget
The Travis County Commissioners Court voted unanimously Tuesday to approve a $1.2 billion budget for Fiscal Year 2019-20 and a corresponding tax increase.The average Travis County homeowner will pay $126 more in county taxes this year as a result of…
Wednesday, September 18, 2019 by Jack Craver
Budget
Commissioners Court dismisses pay pleas from disgruntled employees
On Tuesday, members of the Travis County Commissioners Court responded to claims from two groups of public safety workers who feel unappreciated due to the amount of pay they receive. In both cases, commissioners made it clear that they didn’t…
Monday, September 9, 2019 by Jack Craver
Budget
Commissioners Court OKs small pay hikes for law enforcement
After approving raises for the county’s civilian workforce, the Travis County Commissioners Court wants to boost pay for the region’s 1,300 sheriff’s deputies, park rangers, jail guards and constable officers. However, members of the court are opting for a more…
Wednesday, September 4, 2019 by Jack Craver
Courts
Commissioners must find replacement to head family violence court
It’s probably not a position most voters spend time thinking about, but members of the Travis County Commissioners Court stressed the importance of County Court #4 as they discussed appointing somebody to fill the vacancy created by departing incumbent Judge…
Thursday, August 29, 2019 by Jack Craver
Travis County
Despite high arrest rate, county leaders give high marks to jail diversion program
A majority of criminal defendants who participated in a county pilot program aimed at getting people with mental illness out of jail and into treatment were rearrested within a year of their release. Yet, many involved in the criminal justice…
Wednesday, August 28, 2019 by Jack Craver
Public Safety
Travis County agrees to take Hays County prisoners
Hays County has a prisoner problem, and it’s looking to its neighbor to the north, Travis County, for help.Hays is in the process of expanding its jail to house more inmates. In the meantime, it’s asked to send some of…
Tuesday, August 27, 2019 by Jack Craver
Politics
Travis County considers nonpartisan redistricting
In contrast to most elected officials around the country, members of the Travis County Commissioners Court say they don’t want to be in charge of picking their voters. At their Aug. 20 meeting, the commissioners discussed setting up a nonpartisan…
Wednesday, August 21, 2019 by Jack Craver
Budget
County to advocates: Don’t just tell us where to spend, but where to cut
With revenue caps on the horizon, members of the Travis County Commissioners Court have the unenviable task of telling groups calling for increased funding of critical services, from social programs to law enforcement, that there simply may not be the…
Tuesday, August 20, 2019 by Jack Craver
Elections
Travis County asks voters to approve future hotel tax for expo center
Travis County isn’t giving up on getting a taste of the hotel tax.On Tuesday, the Commissioners Court voted to put a measure on the November ballot that, if approved, would authorize the county to levy a 2 percent tax on…
Friday, August 16, 2019 by Jack Craver
Travis County
Travis County increases support for child care
Funding authorized Tuesday by the Travis County Commissioners Court will provide day care for 92 low-income children.The $285,000 funding was recommended by county staff to address a growing number of children on the waiting list for federal child care subsidies…
Wednesday, August 14, 2019 by Jack Craver
Health & Human Services
Despite sparse data, county court moves forward on mental health jail diversion program
The Travis County Commissioners Court voted Tuesday to enter into an agreement with Integral Care, the local mental health authority, aimed at getting criminal defendants with serious mental health problems out of jail and into treatment. The agreement will expand…
Monday, August 12, 2019 by Jack Craver
Travis County
City, county look to private investors to help on homelessness
Travis County commissioners are cautiously optimistic about the county’s participation in a multi-jurisdictional program aimed at helping some of the county’s most destitute residents.The program, Pay for Success, is a collaboration between the county, the city and a number of…
Wednesday, August 7, 2019 by Jack Craver
Budget
Facing revenue caps, Travis County ponders how to raise employee pay
With lean years ahead due to state limits on property tax revenue, the Travis County Commissioners Court is grappling with how to effectively and responsibly boost pay for county employees.On Tuesday, the commissioners discussed what they would like to do…
Monday, August 5, 2019 by Jack Craver
Austin
Travis County, city of Austin ramp up census efforts
Travis County and the city of Austin are mounting an aggressive effort to make sure the 2020 U.S. census count is as complete and accurate as possible.The county and city are collaborating by jointly funding a temporary position “to energize…
Friday, August 2, 2019 by Jack Craver
Travis County
Commissioners approve ‘pause’ on economic incentives
Looking ahead to years of belt-tightening due to property tax limits put in place by the state, Travis County leaders say the county may not be able to afford offering tax incentives to companies to create jobs locally.The Commissioners Court…
