Central Health, Travis County’s health care district, will bring its proposed Fiscal Year 2015 budget of $270.8 million to Commissioners Court today. The district will also present its proposed 12.64-cent tax rate, which is lower than last year’s 12.9- cent rate. Central Health’s Board of Managers is in charge of adopting a budget each year, but […]
Beth Cortez-Neavel
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.
Posted inPublic Safety, Resources
Increasing child abuse/neglect cases strain courts
Representatives of Travis County children and parents involved in legal abuse and neglect cases have only 10-minute judicial hearings to present evidence of their safety and living situations, according to county civil court judges. County attorneys for indigent children and parents say their caseloads are to the point that they must hire private attorneys to help […]
Posted inTransportation
County postpones parking decision again
Travis County Commissioners once again postponed a decision on the new county employee parking plan, to the chagrin of the employee parking committee Tuesday. In March, commissioners approved the expansion of free zoned county employee parking in all county-approved parking facilities and an optional commuter benefits program. The parking committee, made up of four county employees, […]
Posted inWhispers
Commissioners don’t act on ICE jail holds
Travis County Commissioners met with county attorneys in a morning executive session Tuesday to discuss County Sheriff Greg Hamilton’s approval of and participation in the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Secure Communities Program. The program asks local officials to detain immigrants who entered the country illegally and have completed their jail term for ICE. There […]
Posted inLocal Government
Health Services tells county it needs more staff
The Travis County’s Health and Human Services Department asked for an additional $313,000 for six full-time employees to its Fiscal Year 2015 budget Friday, the last day of budget hearings. Travis County Commissioners spent last week discussing requests for additional program and staffing funds that the Planning and Budget Office did not include in next […]
Posted inWhispers
County burn ban in effect
Commissioners approved a burn ban for unincorporated areas of Travis County on Tuesday. The last burn ban was lifted May 13. Fire Marshal Hershel Lee said the fire danger runs from “moderate” for the eastern half of the county to “high” and “very high” for the western portions. “The extreme heat and lack of significant rainfall increases […]
Posted inLocal Politics, Resources, Uncategorized
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 they will get a pay increase until budget markup in early September, when the Commissioners […]
Posted inWhispers
Chief Medical Examiner resigns, interim appointed
Travis County Medical Examiner Dr. David Dolinak is resigning his position, effective Aug. 18, and Travis County Commissioners have appointed Dr. Satish Chundru to step in for the interim until a new chief is hired. Dr. Dolinak was the chief for eight years. The Medical Examiner‘s office has until November to hire a permanent replacement.
Posted inLocal Government
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 funding to hire new staff. The Court will also hear from the Travis Central Appraisal […]
Posted inLocal Government
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. Atchley & Associates also had this contract last year and received $276,955. The current contract […]
Posted inWhispers
Travis County to vote on Charles Schwab incentive agreement
Charles Schwab, a San Francisco-based brokerage and banking corporation, wants an $8.5 million economic incentive agreement from Travis County to expand its offices in Austin. If the Travis County Commissioners Court approves the motion at Tuesday’s meeting, the corporation will also get $4.5 million from the state. The Greater Austin Chamber of Commerce and the […]
Posted inWhispers
TCAD asks for $2.9 million budget increase
The Travis Central Appraisal District’s request to increase its Fiscal Year 2015 is on the schedule for the county’s annual budget hearings. TCAD will get the last slot of the hearings on Aug. 11, when Travis County Commissioners will discuss amendments to the Planning and Budget Office’s preliminary FY 2015 budget. Chief Appraiser Marya Crigler […]