In light of Donald Trump’s recent effort to freeze federal spending authorized by Congress – swiftly blocked by two federal judges – the question on every local policymaker’s mind is: What’s going to happen to all the local projects that rely on federal funding? There are concerns about the future of Austin’s proposed light rail […]
Lina Fisher
Posted inTransportation
Future of Georgian Acres Mobility Hub still up in the air, with final updates to come this spring
Georgian Acres, a neighborhood in far Northeast Austin, is what is known as a “transit desert.” First coined in 2013 as an extension of the concept of a food desert – an area where there is a dearth of grocery stores and healthy food options – a transit desert refers to the exact conditions Georgian […]
Posted inPlanning
City and county to invest in historically underserved Northeast Austin area
At its Tuesday meeting, the Travis County Commissioners Court heard an update on what Commissioner Jeff Travillion called a “Marshall Plan” for the rapidly developing Northeast Austin area, referring to the 1948 plan for the U.S. to help in Western Europe’s economic recovery after World War II. The Northeast Austin District Plan began in 2023 […]
Posted inTravis County
Travis County Commissioner Brigid Shea urges local climate resilience initiatives to combat coming federal turn
Travis County Commissioner Brigid Shea has been a mainstay of the Austin environmental movement for decades. Though she’s seen many gains in that area since her political career began, the relentless changing climate of our region has kept up the challenges as well. “Nothing else will dictate the fate of the region more than the […]
Posted inTravis County
In 2025, Travis County Commissioner Ann Howard eyes building more supportive housing and strengthening climate resilience
Coming from her background in affordable housing at the Ending Community Homelessness Coalition, Travis County Commissioner Ann Howard has always prioritized the same throughout her tenure at the county. 2024 saw two big wins on that front, she says: “There’s some things that we’ve been working on for a long time that I think are […]
Posted inTravis County
Travis County Judge Andy Brown pledges continued focus on health care, passenger rail in 2025
For the past two years, Travis County Judge Andy Brown has told the Austin Monitor he wants to double down on overdose prevention, mental health care and passenger rail. Looking ahead to 2025, those priorities have not changed – but significant gains have been made in those areas. After a yearslong ideation process, the county’s […]
Posted inPublic Health
Travis County awarded $1.6 million federal grant to combat overdose crisis
On Monday, Travis County Judge Andy Brown announced a new resource for combating the opioid overdose crisis in the county – and reported new numbers that suggest current public health strategies are working. The county was awarded a $1.6 million federal grant from the Bureau of Justice Assistance through the Comprehensive Opioid, Stimulant, and Substance […]
Posted inPublic Health
County renews opioid overdose crisis declaration, funds more harm reduction
On Tuesday, the Travis County Commissioners Court voted unanimously to extend its opioid overdose crisis declaration to October 2026 and to authorize $100,000 worth of naloxone, a lifesaving overdose reversal drug, as well as $100,000 – and possibly another $300,000 soon – toward new harm reduction services. However, they also learned that the opioid settlement […]
Posted inBonds & Propositions
Travis County passes plan to invest in affordable child care
By the time early votes rolled in on election night, Travis County’s sweeping investment in child care services had already garnered 60 percent of the vote, holding on to that margin through the night. Proposition A will generate $75 million in its first year, to go toward making child care affordable in the most expensive […]
Posted inPublic Health
Doggett urges Texans to get health coverage before Jan. 15 and to watch out for flex cards
Two things remain true every November: the unfortunate fact that Texas is the most uninsured state in the nation – almost 20 percent – and U.S. Rep. Lloyd Doggett’s long-running campaign to change that. On Wednesday, at Foundation Communities’ Prosper South location, Doggett made his annual pitch for Texans to get covered by Jan. 15 […]
Posted inPublic Safety
Austin and Travis County fund diversion program for indigent youth facing low-level DWIs
Travis County continued its commitment to diverting people charged with low-level offenses from the criminal justice system at its meeting Tuesday, extending its DWI court diversion programs to September 2025. Those programs, which include treatment and pre-trial diversion for minor DWI cases, are largely funded through an interlocal agreement with Austin Public Health that started […]
Posted inPublic Health
With backing from a Parkland survivor, Travis County begins hospital-based gun violence prevention program
Back in 2022, the Travis County Commissioners Court passed the Safer Travis County resolution, aimed at reducing gun violence, at the time – and still – the leading cause of non-accidental death in the county. The resolution included two pilot programs, each costing $500,000 and funded by Local Fiscal Recovery Plan dollars through the American […]