Stories by Jack Craver
Zyle Road residents still have doubts about development
Residents of rural southwest Travis County have succeeded in getting a neighboring landowner to significantly reduce a proposed development they feared would cause safety issues in their isolated community. However, they continue to worry that a major development with inadequate…
Planning • By Jack Craver • Oct 11, 2019
Commissioners debate future of Palm School property
Four months after voting to put in place restrictions on the Palm School property that would prevent the main building from being redeveloped, members of the Travis County Commissioners Court continue to display differences of opinion about the property’s future.…
Travis County • By Jack Craver • Oct 9, 2019
Commissioners approve landfill changes over TDS objections
On Tuesday the Travis County Commissioners Court opted to readopt changes to a county ordinance regulating landfills despite pushback from an influential local waste management company. Representatives of Texas Disposal Systems told commissioners that ordinance changes the commissioners approved last…
Travis County • By Jack Craver • Oct 3, 2019
County commissioners approve Central Health budget
Shortly after approving the county budget, the Travis County Commissioners Court OK’ed the $291 million fiscal year budget for Central Health, the county’s public hospital district. Central Health is a public authority funded by local property taxes that is charged…
Budget • By Jack Craver • Sep 26, 2019
Travis County Commissioners Court approves $1.2 billion budget
The Travis County Commissioners Court voted unanimously Tuesday to approve a $1.2 billion budget for Fiscal Year 2019-20 and a corresponding tax increase. The average Travis County homeowner will pay $126 more in county taxes this year as a result…
Budget • By Jack Craver • Sep 25, 2019
Commissioners Court dismisses pay pleas from disgruntled employees
On Tuesday, members of the Travis County Commissioners Court responded to claims from two groups of public safety workers who feel unappreciated due to the amount of pay they receive. In both cases, commissioners made it clear that they didn’t…
Budget • By Jack Craver • Sep 18, 2019
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Commissioners Court OKs small pay hikes for law enforcement
After approving raises for the county’s civilian workforce, the Travis County Commissioners Court wants to boost pay for the region’s 1,300 sheriff’s deputies, park rangers, jail guards and constable officers. However, members of the court are opting for a more…
Budget • By Jack Craver • Sep 9, 2019
Commissioners must find replacement to head family violence court
It’s probably not a position most voters spend time thinking about, but members of the Travis County Commissioners Court stressed the importance of County Court #4 as they discussed appointing somebody to fill the vacancy created by departing incumbent Judge…
Courts • By Jack Craver • Sep 4, 2019
Despite high arrest rate, county leaders give high marks to jail diversion program
A majority of criminal defendants who participated in a county pilot program aimed at getting people with mental illness out of jail and into treatment were rearrested within a year of their release. Yet, many involved in the criminal justice…
Travis County • By Jack Craver • Aug 29, 2019
Travis County agrees to take Hays County prisoners
Hays County has a prisoner problem, and it’s looking to its neighbor to the north, Travis County, for help. Hays is in the process of expanding its jail to house more inmates. In the meantime, it’s asked to send some…
Public Safety • By Jack Craver • Aug 28, 2019
Travis County considers nonpartisan redistricting
In contrast to most elected officials around the country, members of the Travis County Commissioners Court say they don’t want to be in charge of picking their voters. At their Aug. 20 meeting, the commissioners discussed setting up a nonpartisan…
Local Politics • By Jack Craver • Aug 27, 2019
County to advocates: Don't just tell us where to spend, but where to cut
With revenue caps on the horizon, members of the Travis County Commissioners Court have the unenviable task of telling groups calling for increased funding of critical services, from social programs to law enforcement, that there simply may not be the…
