About the Author
Beth Cortez-Neavel is a contributing reporter covering Travis County for the Austin Monitor. Beth works in words, data, photography and radio. She's a long-time Austinite living in the District 1 area.
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Stories by Beth Cortez-Neavel
Pay raise for Travis County employees in limbo
Travis County elected officials will not get a pay raise next year, following a recommendation by the Planning and Budget Office that the Commissioners Court unanimously approved Tuesday. Other county employees, with few exceptions, will have to wait to find out whether…
Local Politics • By Beth Cortez-Neavel • Aug 13, 2014
Travis County employees wonder whether they will get a raise
Travis County Commissioners will spend their week discussing funding requests that the Planning and Budget Office did not include in its estimated $901 million Fiscal Year 2015 preliminary budget. Out of 16 total budget hearings, the majority will focus on…
Local Government • By Beth Cortez-Neavel • Aug 11, 2014
Travis County fiscal picture for Aug. 5, 2014
Here’s a look at Travis County’s spending habits, approved by the County Commissioners Court on Aug. 5. Expenditures out of the Fiscal Year 2014 budget, totaling $1,943,041.39: $243,080 to Atchley & Associates for financial audit services for Fiscal Year 2014.…
Local Government • By Beth Cortez-Neavel • Aug 8, 2014
Structural review calls Travis County dysfunctional, recommends changes
The Travis County governmental structure is dysfunctional and needs to reorganize under one main administrator, according to a report by an independent consultant group hired to assess the county’s internal administrative system. However, some county officials, while not surprised by…
Local Government • By Beth Cortez-Neavel • Aug 7, 2014
Travis Commissioners OK incentive deal for Charles Schwab
Travis County approved the $8.5 million economic incentive agreement with Charles Schwab Tuesday morning, ensuring an Austin expansion of their offices and an estimated 823 new jobs for Austin within the next ten years. Charles Schwab will also get $4.5…
Local Government • By Beth Cortez-Neavel • Aug 6, 2014
Travis County spending for July 29
Here’s the Monitor’s weekly detailed rundown of Travis County’s spending and unbudgeted revenue, for the week of July 29, 2014 Tuesday, the County Commissioners approved $1,018,612.24 in expenditures: $710,444.24 for reimbursement to United Health Care for claims paid for participants in the…
Local Government • By Beth Cortez-Neavel • Aug 4, 2014
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Travis County investigating appraisal inequities
Travis County is assembling work groups to investigate alleged inequities in the state property tax appraisal system. Intergovernmental Relations Coordinator Deece Eckstein has plans to fulfill the mandate from the court to create the working groups. They include getting an…
Local Government • By Beth Cortez-Neavel • Jul 31, 2014
Charles Schwab wants $3.6 million tax rebate for Austin expansion
The Austin Chamber of Commerce urged Travis County Commissioners to enter an $8.5 million economic incentive agreement with Charles Schwab Corp., the San Francisco-based banking and brokerage corporation, at Tuesday’s regular session. The company is seeking $3.6 million in tax…
Local Government • By Beth Cortez-Neavel • Jul 30, 2014
Proposed Travis County budget would hike average tax bill by $46
Next year’s tax bills would be $46 higher for the average homeowner, an increase of about $3.83 per month, according to the preliminary Fiscal Year 2015 Travis County budget posted Monday afternoon. Overall Travis County spending is set to increase…
Local Government • By Beth Cortez-Neavel • Jul 29, 2014
Travis County Commissioners scold Capital Metro for lack of services
The Capital Metropolitan Transportation Authority is seeking $160,000 annually in Travis County money to establish a flex bus route in East Austin, Vice President Todd Hemingson told Travis County Commissioners Tuesday. However, County Commissioners did not receive the news, or…
Local Government • By Beth Cortez-Neavel • Jul 24, 2014
Here's the County's fiscal picture for the week of July 22
The Travis County Commissioner’s Court approved $2,498,147.12 in expenditures July 22, 2014. Here is the breakdown of the expenses: $369,369 to QA Construction Services, Inc. for the El Rey Sidewalk Improvements Project. The project will install one sidewalk on El Rey…
Local Politics • By Beth Cortez-Neavel • Jul 24, 2014
Austin Interfaith petitions county to aid unaccompanied migrant minors
Austin Interfaith seeks Travis County aid for migrant minors By Beth Cortez-Neavel Members of Austin Interfaith called on Travis County Commissioners Tuesday to provide social and legal services to the thousands of unaccompanied minors crossing the U.S. border from Central…
