Tag Archives: Travis County Commissioners Court
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…
Friday, August 9, 2019 by Jo Clifton
Austin
Council approves hotel tax increase
Despite requests from Travis County Judge Sarah Eckhardt and commissioners Margaret Gómez, Brigid Shea and Jeff Travillion, Austin City Council voted early Friday to approve a 2 percent increase in the city’s Hotel Occupancy Tax, which will allow the city…
Wednesday, August 7, 2019 by Chad Swiatecki
Austin
Showdown over hotel tax increases could put city and county at odds
A week after the Travis County Commissioners Court voted to explore tapping a 2 percent increase in the local Hotel Occupancy Tax for its own uses, Austin City Council appears set to claim the same tax increase to fund an…
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…
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…
Thursday, August 1, 2019 by Jack Craver
Travis County
Travis County commissioners give themselves pay raise
The Travis County Commissioners Court moved to significantly increase salaries for itself and other top elected officials over the vociferous objections of one of its members.On Tuesday, the court voted 4-1 to approve setting aside money in the upcoming budget…
Wednesday, July 31, 2019 by Jack Craver
Travis County
Travis County approves final application for public defender’s office
On Tuesday, the Travis County Commissioners Court gave final approval to an application for state funding to set up a public defender’s office.While there are a couple of details that the court hopes to nail down in the coming days,…
Friday, July 26, 2019 by Jack Craver
Travis County
Travis County eyes hotel tax to renovate expo center
The Travis County Commissioners Court made a move Tuesday that could put it in direct competition with the city of Austin for millions of dollars of future revenue from hotel stays.The three commissioners present voted unanimously to ask county staff…
Wednesday, July 24, 2019 by Jo Clifton
Elections
Democrat Howard touts cash for Precinct 3 run
Although he hasn’t made an official announcement, a number of Democrats have made it clear that they plan to run for Travis County Precinct 3 Commissioner Gerald Daugherty’s seat. Daugherty said Tuesday he would announce his plans by mid-August, possibly…
Wednesday, July 24, 2019 by Jack Craver
Budget
County unveils $1.19 billion preliminary budget
Travis County budget staff unveiled the preliminary draft of the county’s 2019-20 budget Tuesday. This year’s budget is particularly important since it’s the last one the Commissioners Court will approve before tough new restrictions on property tax revenue kick in…
Thursday, July 18, 2019 by Jack Craver
Transportation
Travis County approves long-range transportation plan
At long last, Travis County has a long-range transportation plan. The Commissioners Court voted unanimously Tuesday to adopt the Travis County Transportation Blueprint, which lays out a vision for infrastructure in unincorporated parts of Travis County over the next quarter-century.Today…
Wednesday, July 17, 2019 by Jack Craver
Travis County
Despite property tax limits, Travis County remains committed to public defender’s office
The Travis County Commissioners Court took another step Tuesday toward creating the county’s first public defender’s office. The court voted 4-1 to provide additional information to a state agency that is considering providing a multimillion-dollar grant to the county to…
Friday, July 12, 2019 by Jack Craver
Planning
County approves new Steiner Ranch evacuation route over neighborhood opposition
The Travis County Commissioners Court voted unanimously Tuesday to approve a new emergency route to help residents of Steiner Ranch escape the community in the event of wildfires.The 600-foot road, known as Route B, will connect Flat Top Ranch Road…
Wednesday, July 10, 2019 by Jack Craver
Austin
Eckhardt proposes land swap with city for Palm School
Travis County Judge Sarah Eckhardt is willing to give the city of Austin the historic Palm School building. But she wants a lot in return.In a July 3 letter addressed to Mayor Steve Adler and City Council, Eckhardt proposed a…
Wednesday, June 26, 2019 by Ryan Thornton
Development
County could save time and money by hiring drainage consultant
The Travis County Public Works Division has devised a way to save from $25,000 to $35,000 on construction projects that are not expected to have an impact on the existing flood plain elevations.Per the county’s regulations, projects must be reviewed…
Monday, June 24, 2019 by Jack Craver
Budget
Despite revenue caps, Travis County moves ahead with pay hikes
Travis County government spending has not increased much in recent years. Expenditures over the past two years, when the Commissioners Court voted to increase property tax revenue by 6 percent and 5 percent, have been unusually high. The court has…
Wednesday, June 19, 2019 by Jack Craver
Public Safety
Travis County changes course on electronic monitoring
The electronic monitoring business just got a little bit more competitive in Travis County. The Commissioners Court voted unanimously Tuesday to abandon its practice of allowing only a single company to provide tracking devices to those accused or convicted of…
Monday, June 10, 2019 by Jack Craver
Public Safety
Why does one company get all of Travis County’s electronic monitoring business?
In recent years, Travis County has seen an increase in the number of people released from jail on bail on condition that they wear some type of monitoring device, whether it tracks their location or detects the presence of alcohol.This…
