The Travis County Commissioners Court approved a new contract Tuesday with nonprofit El Buen Samaritano to help more Travis County families stay in their homes. The contract is one part of the county’s response to rising eviction rates. In addition to supporting El Buen Samaritano – also known as El Buen – the county offers […]
Ken Chambers
Posted inPublic Safety
Better Builder Program provides oversight for construction sites in Travis County
County construction site monitors have uncovered a range of safety violations – including a child operating heavy machinery, the Travis County Commissioners Court learned Tuesday. While most issues found by monitors in the Travis County Better Builder Program are not immediately dangerous, director of Contract Compliance and Better Builder programs Tenley Aldredge told commissioners, some […]
Posted inAustin
East Austin factory would feature world’s largest rooftop solar array
Tesla’s factory in East Austin would be the largest rooftop solar installation in the world when complete, company officials say. “We finished phase 1, so we can pull roughly 10 megawatts. When it’s all said and done, it will be 30 megawatts, which will be the largest rooftop solar I think in the world,” Logan […]
Posted inTravis County
Commissioners voice support for Tesla factory, community investment plan
The Travis County Commissioners Court defended tax breaks for Tesla’s factory in East Austin and approved the company’s plan to donate $750,000 as part of the tax incentive deal. This is more than double the amount – $298,000 – the electric vehicle manufacturer is required to spend based on the $2.9 million in tax breaks […]
Posted inWhispers
Dance festival permit moves closer to approval
The Seismic Dance Event planned in November has a few minor issues to resolve before the county can issue the necessary mass gathering permit, Fire Marshal Tony Callaway told the Travis County Commissioners Court on Tuesday. Described as a “boutique music festival” for house, techno and underground music enthusiasts, Seismic Dance Event is scheduled Nov. […]
Posted inEnvironment
County inventories show sizable decline in greenhouse gas emissions
The first inventories of greenhouse gases in Travis County show declining emissions in all sectors except one. The inventories completed in 2019 and 2021 list the total emissions of greenhouse gases created in the county. They show an overall drop of 20.3 percent from 2019 to 2021. Of the seven sectors inventoried, only water/wastewater increased. […]
Posted inHousing
County adds more “deeply affordable” housing units
Travis County has built about 12,000 affordable housing units and has more on the way, Travis County Corporations Managing Director Andrea Shields told the Commissioners Court last Tuesday. “That number will need to be updated with what you may approve today, but I would say it’s around 12,000 units,” Shields said. In a meeting of […]
Posted inPublic Safety
Domestic violence task force reports milestones
Gathered to kick off its awareness month, the Austin/Travis County Domestic Violence Task Force reported important progress since the difficult days of 2020. After a record number of requests for protective orders during the pandemic – and a record number of cases pending – the court now has the fewest cases pending in recent history, […]
Posted inRoads
TxDOT ignored I-35 expansion health concerns, county says
The Travis County Commissioners Court says the Texas Department of Transportation has ignored their concerns about the impact of Interstate 35 expansion on the health of Austin residents. “We specifically asked TxDOT to do a number of important studies – environmental and air-quality studies – affecting public health. And they didn’t. They ignored them, basically,” […]
Posted inBudget
Commissioners pass health district tax increase but plan increased scrutiny
On their second attempt, the Travis County Commissioners Court voted 4-1 to approve a tax increase and 3-1 to approve the 2024 budget for the county health care district. The votes increase the tax rate to 10.07 cents per $100 valuation. With rising home values, this will add about $56 to an average home’s yearly […]
Posted inWhispers
Travis County approves slightly lower tax rate
A lower tax rate combined with higher home values will mean a larger tax bill for Travis County residents in the next fiscal year. The Travis County Commissioners Court on Tuesday unanimously approved the new tax rate of 30.4655 cents per $100 valuation – about 1.4 cents less than than the current tax rate. The […]
Posted inBudget
Commissioners question health care district contingency fund, postpone budget vote
The Travis County Commissioners Court took no action on the county health care district’s proposed budget and tax increase Tuesday after repeatedly questioning the wisdom of the district’s $379 million contingency fund. The controversial fund grew rapidly in recent years as the health care district, which serves low-income residents and is known as Central Health, […]