Stories by Caleb Pritchard
County reboots civil courthouse project
Less than three months after voters rejected a nine-figure bond to build a new civil courthouse, the Travis County Commissioners Court voted on Tuesday to effectively reboot the process that had been more than 15 years in the making. The…
Travis County • By Caleb Pritchard • Jan 27, 2016
Cap Metro board greenlights central corridor study
Project Connect is returning to Central Austin. The Capital Metropolitan Transportation Authority board of directors unanimously approved on Monday a contract with the engineering firm AECOM to guide a new study of transportation in the urban core dubbed the Central…
Transit • By Caleb Pritchard • Jan 26, 2016
Cap Metro CEO: Austin "not ready" for light rail
The head of the Capital Metropolitan Transportation Authority on Tuesday put a wet sponge on the feverish hopes that light rail transit in Austin could become a reality sooner rather than later. “I probably echo what I’ve read (Mayor Steve…
Transit • By Caleb Pritchard • Jan 20, 2016
County takes aim at CTRMA leadership
Travis County Judge Sarah Eckhardt, who kicked off the new year in part by calling for a change of priorities at the Central Texas Regional Mobility Authority, will soon get a shot at shaking up the leadership at the agency.…
Transportation • By Caleb Pritchard • Jan 19, 2016
Commissioners Court discusses PID policy
The Travis County Commissioners Court waded deep into the weeds of a policy marsh on Tuesday and emerged on the other side a little closer to an agreement that could have significant rewards for construction workers and the affordable housing…
Planning • By Caleb Pritchard • Jan 14, 2016
Commissioners Court retains firearms ban for employees
A political shootout at Travis County Commissioners Court ended with victory for proponents of tougher gun restrictions on Tuesday. The court voted 4-1 to update Travis County Code to include language that forbids employees of departments that report to the…
Travis County • By Caleb Pritchard • Jan 13, 2016
Subscribe to our newsletter
Eckhardt issues public challenge on transit, affordability, justice reform
Travis County Judge Sarah Eckhardt on Monday challenged the public to get involved and help achieve a broad set of policy goals in 2016. In her first press conference of the year, Eckhardt stood before a line of cameras and…
Travis County • By Caleb Pritchard • Jan 12, 2016
Commissioners Court adjusts its aim on gun policy
Travis County Commissioners Court will resume a debate over guns at its regular Tuesday voting session, but it won’t exactly be picking up where it left off late last year. In the three weeks since County Judge Sarah Eckhardt postponed…
Travis County • By Caleb Pritchard • Jan 11, 2016
One year in, Eckhardt looks forward to new challenges
As 2015 came to a close, the first woman elected to wield the gavel at Travis County Commissioners Court surveyed her historic first year on the job with confident satisfaction. “It was really good, I think. I think we achieved…
Local Government • By Caleb Pritchard • Jan 5, 2016
Renteria sizes up new Council's first year
The inaugural year of Austin’s brand-new single-member district City Council is getting high marks from at least one man on the inside. “I would give it an A-minus,” Council Member Pio Renteria, who represents District 3, told the Austin Monitor…
City Council • By Caleb Pritchard • Dec 29, 2015
Commissioners Court holds fire on gun policy update
Travis County Commissioners Court will get off to a quick start in 2016. On Tuesday, County Judge Sarah Eckhardt reset until Jan. 12 an item that contained a controversial revision to the county’s firearms policy. The proposal would bring the…
Travis County • By Caleb Pritchard • Dec 23, 2015
Travis County lends support to Planned Parenthood
A vote on an item that has little effect on Travis County policy managed to pack in several elements of high drama at Commissioners Court on Tuesday. County Judge Sarah Eckhardt and Commissioner Brigid Shea co-sponsored a resolution proclaiming the…
