The Austin Monitor thanks its sponsors. Become one.
Travis County
End times near (for brush drop-off), says Travis County
Following a substantial decrease in demand, Travis County has announced that March 26 will be the last day Mansfield Dam Park will serve as a drop-off location for storm debris. Winter Storm Mara created an outsize need for debris disposal…
Travis County • By Seth Smalley • Mar 16, 2023
Google Fiber to expand presence in Travis County
Travis County is proceeding with an ongoing plan to use the public right of way to install Google Fiber in the western and southern portions of the county, as representatives from Google Fiber and county staff explained in updates Tuesday…
Travis County • By Seth Smalley • Mar 10, 2023
County ramps up debris cleanup efforts following Mara
The Travis County Commissioners Court on Tuesday mulled the county’s ongoing response to Winter Storm Mara, which rattled Central Texas with sleet, ice and rain four weeks ago, snapping power cables and tearing down tree branches. Discussion centered on county…
Travis County • By Seth Smalley • Mar 2, 2023
In wake of ice storm, county adds debris drop-off sites
The recent ice storm caused over $29 million in damages, felling trees, snapping power lines and sparking a declaration of disaster from county officials. On Tuesday, the county announced another debris drop-off point at Mansfield Dam, in addition to the…
Travis County • By Seth Smalley • Feb 15, 2023
County partners with local nonprofit to build 200 shelter units
On Tuesday, the Travis County Commissioners Court approved a whopping $3 million agreement with the Other Ones Foundation, a nonprofit that provides housing aid and case management for unhoused individuals. This is the second of 11 housing projects that the…
Travis County • By Seth Smalley • Feb 9, 2023
Travillion: Charting the path to job opportunity for county residents
After nearly three years of Covid-19 pandemic response, plus unprecedented challenges like Winter Storm Uri and rapidly rising housing costs across the Austin metro, Travis County Precinct 1 Commissioner Jeff Travillion said his high point of 2022 was workforce development. Travillion,…
Travis County • By Emma Freer • Jan 5, 2023
Subscribe to our newsletter
Two years in, Ann Howard is playing for the county's team
Travis County Commissioner Ann Howard compares the first two years in her four-year term representing Precinct 3 to speed dating. “When you have something like Winter Storm Uri and a pandemic, you cram a lot of meet-and-greets into the early…
Travis County • By Nina Hernandez • Jan 5, 2023
Margaret Gómez has learned to take the long view
For Margaret Gómez, Travis County’s longest-serving county commissioner, listening to community members’ concerns is the first and most important step toward guiding initiatives for the 1.3 million-plus residents of Travis County. In a recent interview with the Austin Monitor, Gómez – who earlier…
Travis County • By Andrea Guzman • Jan 5, 2023
Andy Brown intends to double down on overdose prevention efforts in 2023
Coming off a landslide reelection victory in the November election, Travis County Judge Andy Brown is proud of how the Commissioners Court responded to challenges in 2022, from staffing shortages and new state laws threatening civil rights to housing affordability…
Travis County • By Emma Freer • Jan 4, 2023
Brigid Shea: Seeking local solutions for global problems
If you’d asked Brigid Shea 30 years ago where she’d be in 2022, the Travis County Commissioners Court likely wouldn’t have topped her list. Nevertheless, the outspoken environmentalist and former City Council member, who broke into the political scene co-founding…
Travis County • By Kali Bramble • Jan 4, 2023
County reviews community survey results ahead of investment decisions
A Travis County community survey was conducted early this year to assist the county in its decision-making on economic developments, strategic planning and where to invest local fiscal recovery funds. On Tuesday, county commissioners received the second briefing on survey…
Travis County • By Seth Smalley • Dec 16, 2022
County gears up for severe winter weather, just in case
Though extreme winter weather appears to be unlikely in the Texas forecast, Travis County is covering all its bases. The plans are, in part, a response to the snowstorm crisis Central Texas faced in early 2021, in which a lack of…
