Tag Archives: Travis County Commissioners Court
Wednesday, September 20, 2017 by Caleb Pritchard
Budget
First progress and then postponement as Central Health returns to Commissioners Court
The Travis County Commissioners Court on Tuesday signed off on Central Health’s proposed $238 million budget for Fiscal Year 2017-18, but came up short on reaching an accord between the hospital district and activists who demand more transparency from it.State…
Wednesday, September 13, 2017 by Caleb Pritchard
Travis County
Prostitution court falling short of county expectations
Travis County Judge Sarah Eckhardt on Tuesday revealed that a justice program aimed at helping residents charged with prostitution is falling short of expectations.“Relying on the criminal and civil justice system to boot-strap these individuals who are in such serious…
Wednesday, August 30, 2017 by Caleb Pritchard
Travis County
Central Health concerns continue to stymie Commissioners Court
On Tuesday the Travis County Commissioners Court once again failed to reach a compromise that could satisfy all parties involved in the seemingly interminable controversy over transparency at Central Health.Before the court was a review of the new financial policies…
Thursday, August 24, 2017 by Caleb Pritchard
Budget
Central Health discussion once again dominates Commissioners Court meeting
Central Health’s annual budget presentation to the Travis County Commissioners Court on Tuesday brought with it a fresh round of familiar complaints from activists about the level of transparency displayed by the hospital district.Freshly installed President and CEO Mike Geeslin…
Wednesday, August 16, 2017 by Caleb Pritchard
Travis County
Court settles May-November dilemma on bond election
After a short week of suspense, it turns out that Travis County voters will get to decide on a $185 million bond package sooner rather than later.On Tuesday, the Commissioners Court voted 4-0, with Commissioner Gerald Daugherty absent, to send…
Wednesday, August 9, 2017 by Caleb Pritchard
Bonds & Propositions
Crucial uncertainty remains after Commissioners Court chooses bond projects
After a morning and afternoon marked by high pique and dudgeon, the Travis County Commissioners Court on Tuesday approved a $280 million slate of transportation, parks and drainage projects to be funded by taxpayer-backed bonds.The list is split between projects…
Tuesday, August 8, 2017 by Caleb Pritchard
Bonds & Propositions
Daugherty set to ruffle feathers with Reimers-Peacock push
Tuesday could be a bumpy ride for Reimers-Peacock Road.The long-planned connector between Hamilton Pool Road and State Highway 71 is set to play a featured role in the Travis County Commissioners Court’s expected final discussion of project recommendations for a…
Friday, July 28, 2017 by Caleb Pritchard
Austin
County still wants a piece of the ‘downtown puzzle’
Travis County got cut out of Mayor Steve Adler’s so-called “downtown puzzle” plan, and County Judge Sarah Eckhardt has let it be known that she eventually wants back in.On Wednesday, Eckhardt sent a letter to Adler and City Council conceding…
Wednesday, July 26, 2017 by Caleb Pritchard
Bonds & Propositions
Travis County bond proposal continues to evolve
A roiling public hearing at Travis County Commissioners Court on Tuesday muddied the waters on an already complex bond package, part of which voters could decide on this November.More than two dozen speakers signed up to air their thoughts on…
Monday, July 24, 2017 by Austin Monitor
Reporters' Notebook
Reporter’s Notebook: Use your judgment
Judge judging the judge… It seems not everyone is a fan of County Judge Sarah Eckhardt’s iron-fisted management of Travis County Commissioners Court meetings. Her refusal last week to allow Commissioner Jeff Travillion to interject a question in the middle…
Thursday, July 20, 2017 by Caleb Pritchard
Travis County
DNA lab concerns test Travillion’s patience
Travis County Commissioner Jeff Travillion put his passion on display Tuesday when he stormed off the dais during a discussion of the Austin Police Department’s shuttered DNA lab.Travillion had attempted to ask a question early on in the briefing but…
Wednesday, July 19, 2017 by Caleb Pritchard
Travis County
Commissioners Court closes in on bond proposition
Travis County voters could weigh in on a pair of bond propositions worth a combined $144 million this November.The Citizens Bond Advisory Committee formally floated that recommendation to the Commissioners Court on Tuesday after months spent trimming down a billion-dollar…
Friday, July 14, 2017 by Caleb Pritchard
Travis County
County’s clean air programs in question after Abbott’s vetoes
A pair of Gov. Greg Abbott’s line-item vetoes has Travis County once again scrambling to clean up the aftermath, this time involving two air quality programs.On June 23 12, Abbott blasted out of the state budget bill all future appropriations…
Wednesday, July 12, 2017 by Caleb Pritchard
Preservation
Another Montopolis Negro School clash at Travis County
Opponents of a plan to redevelop a chunk of land in Southeast Austin upon which sits a former segregation-era school for African-Americans were handed a pair of setbacks on Tuesday.After a heated discussion, the Travis County Commissioners Court declined to…
Wednesday, July 12, 2017 by Caleb Pritchard
Development
Praise pours in for county’s downtown deal
Late Tuesday afternoon, the county formally announced its deal with Lincoln Property Company and Phoenix Property Company to ink a 99-year ground lease at 308 Guadalupe St., the empty block that was once eyed as the site for a brand…
Tuesday, July 11, 2017 by Caleb Pritchard
Development
County prepares to strike lucrative deal for failed courthouse site
Instead of a new civil courthouse, how about a massive, privately financed mixed-use development that will pour millions of dollars into public coffers?That’s the direction Travis County is close to clinching for its hyper-valuable piece of downtown property at 308…
Friday, July 7, 2017 by Caleb Pritchard
Police
District attorney isn’t making a mountain out of some mold here
Travis County District Attorney Margaret Moore is downplaying concerns over the hundreds of Austin Police Department rape kits stored inside boxes that were recently found to be covered in apparent mold. Along with representatives from the Austin city manager’s office,…
Wednesday, June 28, 2017 by Caleb Pritchard
Development
Commissioners Court considers controversial variance request
A platoon of concerned residents showed up to Travis County Commissioners Court on Tuesday to try to put the brakes on a proposed development near their homes.Live Oak Springs would deliver 85 new homes near FM 1826 and Zyle Road…
Monday, June 26, 2017 by Austin Monitor
Radio
Austin Monitor Radio: County Commissioner Jeff Travillion
Travis County Precinct 1 Commissioner Jeff Travillion sits down with Austin Monitor reporter Caleb Pritchard to talk about affordability, transportation and other pressing issues facing the county’s northeastern quadrant. Audio embedded below:
