Stories by Caleb Pritchard
Travis County picks up the PACE
Travis County is the first jurisdiction in Texas to participate in a program that seems to hit the sweet spot between the business community and environmentalists. The Texas Legislature voted in 2013 to allow cities and counties to enact their…
Travis County • By Caleb Pritchard • Jun 30, 2015
Eagerness for tax relief hits a ceiling
Austin officials are considering tax relief for the elderly and disabled as one way to combat the rising cost of living in Central Texas, but some are not entirely happy with the idea. Both the Travis County Commissioners Court and the Austin…
Austin • By Caleb Pritchard • Jun 25, 2015
Travis County shops for tools to blunt courthouse bonds
Travis County will host a forum for developers to explore options for a second, privately built tower on the block that would also be home to the proposed $292 million Civil & Family Courts Complex. The Commissioners Court voted on…
Travis County • By Caleb Pritchard • Jun 24, 2015
Legislature clouds future of jailhouse video-visitation policy
Before the end of their 2015 session, the 84th Texas Legislature passed a bill that could add a new wrinkle to the standoff between the Travis County Commissioners Court and the Sheriff’s Office over the jailhouse video-visitation program. HB 549…
Travis County • By Caleb Pritchard • Jun 12, 2015
Report: Housing authority going broke
Two agencies that help provide affordable housing for Travis County’s most vulnerable residents are in dire financial straits, according to a study conducted by the County Auditor’s Office. The report notes that the situation at the Housing Authority of Travis…
Travis County • By Caleb Pritchard • Jun 10, 2015
After heavy storms, Travis County's good fortune has small cost
Travis County may have fared better than its neighbors during last week’s deadly storms, but that silver lining could have its downside for many property owners. County Judge Sarah Eckhardt predicted on Tuesday that the relative lack of mayhem would…
Travis County • By Caleb Pritchard • Jun 3, 2015
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Travis County takes no action on appraisals
Travis County Commissioners voted on Friday to do nothing. That was the decision in a rare special voting session called to address the city of Austin’s decision to challenge commercial property tax appraisals. The commissioners had before them three options:…
Travis County • By Caleb Pritchard • Jun 1, 2015
Commissioners kick off overhaul of special events permitting
Travis County Commissioners Court took a big step Tuesday toward reforming the mass-gathering permitting process for large special events. The commissioners voted unanimously to open the issue to public comment for the required 30 days before making any final changes.…
Travis County • By Caleb Pritchard • May 27, 2015
Website hack shines light on Project Connect
Project Connect, the grand vision for high-capacity transit in Central Texas, has spent a good chunk of 2015 completely out of sight. However, a top Capital Metropolitan Transit Authority official assured the Austin Monitor on Thursday that it’s just temporarily lying fallow…
Roads • By Caleb Pritchard • May 15, 2015
Expanded health insurance may cost too much
A memorandum prepared by City of Austin staff reveals that a potential plan to expand health insurance coverage to temporary and contract employees could cost close to $13 million. Human Resources and Civil Service Director Mark Washington sent the memo…
Budget • By Caleb Pritchard • May 14, 2015
Travis Commissioners ponder drunk-tank proposal
The Travis County Commissioners Court took another tentative step toward establishing a sobriety center in partnership with the City of Austin at its regular voting session. Perhaps better known colloquially as a drunk tank, the proposed sobriety center would serve as…
Travis County • By Caleb Pritchard • May 6, 2015
Body cameras roll through Public Safety Committee
The long march to add body cameras to Austin Police Department’s official toolkit took a symbolic step forward Monday night when members of the City Council’s Public Safety Committee heard unanimous support from a diverse group of stakeholders. It was…
