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Travis County
Commissioners get $294 million courthouse budget
Travis County Commissioners heard a report Tuesday that the budget to construct the proposed new Civil and Family Courthouse comes in at $294 million. After asking their consultants some pointed questions about how they arrived at that amount, they passed…
Bonds & Propositions • By Mark Richardson • Nov 19, 2014
Commissioners to hear budget for new courthouse
Travis County Commissioners are set to hear a report today on the planned Civil and Family Courthouse project, but there have been protests about the project’s proposed $294 million budget even though the report has yet to be made public.…
Bonds & Propositions • By Mark Richardson • Nov 18, 2014
Reporters Notebook: Last dance with Austin Energy
Current Council to get one more shot at Austin Energy . . . For those of you worried that the days of the current Council Committee on Austin Energy had ended: Fear not. The committee plans to have another meeting…
Elections • By Austin Monitor • Nov 17, 2014
Judge-elect Eckhardt takes aim at jail video system
Incoming Travis County Judge Sarah Eckhardt says one of the many items on her “to-do” list when she takes office in January is to take on the county jail’s policy of limiting almost all family visits with inmates to a…
Local Government • By Mark Richardson • Nov 14, 2014
Austin Monitor Radio, Show 24: Judge-elect Sarah Eckhardt
Travis County Judge-elect Sarah Eckhardt joins Monitor publisher Mike Kanin for a look ahead to her tenure on Commissioners Court. Topics include Secure Communities, SH45, video-conferenced jail visits and much more. Program is below.
Local Government • By Michael Kanin • Nov 12, 2014
CAMPO weakens bicycle, pedestrian funding
Despite repeated objections from Austin City Council Member Chris Riley, the Capital Area Metropolitan Planning Organization Transportation Policy Board voted Monday to soften a policy that directs federal funds toward bicycle and pedestrian projects under a proposed long-range plan. The…
Austin • By Gene Davis • Nov 12, 2014
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Council tries for changes in Secure Communities
City Council members Thursday instructed city staff to make a series of changes to a proposed interlocal agreement the City of Austin holds with Travis County for prisoner booking services. If county officials agree to the changes, the cumulative effect…
Local Government • By Michael Kanin • Nov 7, 2014
Reporters Notebook: Campaign cash still flowing
Adler raises $100K the first day after the election … The election judges hadn’t even caught up on their sleep yet Thursday when mayoral candidate Steve Adler began indulging in a little financial chest-thumping. Adler’s campaign announced that he raised…
Development • By Austin Monitor • Nov 7, 2014
County seeks study to verify office complex budget
Travis County Commissioners are asking for a second opinion on whether the budget to construct a planned office complex at 416 West 11th St. is realistic, or whether they should put the project back out for bids. The initial budget…
Local Government • By Mark Richardson • Nov 6, 2014
Eckhardt, Shea, Gomez win Travis County seats
There were no surprises Tuesday in the elections for the Travis County Commissioners Court. Sarah Eckhardt handily defeated Republican Mike McNamara for County Judge by about a 2-1 margin. In Precinct 2, Brigid Shea defeated Republican Raymond Frank, also by…
Elections • By Michael Kanin • Nov 5, 2014
Report: County jail needs better medical facilities
Travis County’s correctional facilities have an adequate number of beds to handle its jail’s projected population for the next two decades, but current facilities for inmates with medical and mental health needs are acutely inadequate. That was among the key…
