Although he did not make a decision to run for Travis County Judge until Sunday, the day before the filing deadline, Republican candidate Michael Lovins says he is ready to fight. Lovins acknowledges that he will have an uphill battle against Andy Brown, the newly minted Democratic nominee for the seat. Because Travis County is […]
Local Government
Posted inBudget
Travis County budget makes concessions and cuts to achieve balance
After months of rework triggered by the financial ramifications of the pandemic, the Commissioners Court held its first public hearing associated with the 2021 Travis County budget on Aug. 18. As they went through the 120-page, $1.28 billion budget proposal, Planning and Budget Office staff outlined the cuts to programs and increases in emergency funding that will […]
Posted inEducation
Commissioners Court considers allocating additional funding for high-risk youth program
As public education moves from classrooms to screens in students’ homes, families’ need for support from educational institutions has increased. Students from vulnerable populations, in particular, benefit from personalized contact with someone in the Austin Independent School District, according to Allen Weeks, the executive director of Austin Voices for Education and Youth. “We’re really in […]
Posted inTravis County
Commissioners approve allocations for remainder of Covid-19 relief funding
Nearly three months to the day since Travis County received Covid-19 relief funding from the federal government under the CARES Act, Travis County commissioners approved an outline for the allocation of the $33.8 million in aid that remained unspent. County staff outlined a proposal at the July 28 meeting of the Commissioners Court to allocate […]
Posted inTravis County
County to identify funding source for implementing permanent teleworking
Following a successful emergency rollout of teleworking capabilities in response to Covid-19 this spring, the Travis County Commissioners Court voted in May to make the digital work environment permanent for 75 percent of eligible county employees. On Tuesday, commissioners took the next step in this transition process and directed staff to identify a funding source […]
Posted inTravis County
Travis County approves Tesla incentive deal
On Tuesday, the Travis County Commissioners Court approved a $13.9 million tax rebate deal to coax Tesla to build its “Gigafactory” in southeastern Travis County. The tax rebate is based on a $1.1 billion investment from Tesla and will be paid out over the course of 10 years. The agreement has a 20-year term that will […]
Posted inTravis County
Discussion about Tesla tax break drags into second day of discussion
The debate surrounding the proposed incentive package designed to coax Tesla to make its new home in Travis County will continue at the Commissioners Court on Wednesday. After taking public testimony for the item on July 7, the commissioners unanimously recessed until 1 p.m. on Wednesday when they will reconvene the discussion. This is the […]
Posted inTravis County
Travis County continues moving forward with its phased reopening plan
Unlike the city of Austin, Travis County will not need to revise its return-to-work strategy. The county approached its return-to-work plan with an eye toward flexibility and no date certain for reopening. As a result, county facilities are plowing ahead with the original plan to reopen incrementally, with a focus on essential positions and considerations for […]
Posted inTravis County
County development incentive for Tesla sees more support
This Tuesday, the Travis County Commissioners Court once again opened the floor to public testimony regarding the development incentive package for Tesla’s proposed “Gigafactory” in southeastern Travis County. The court took no action on the matter. Over a dozen speakers expressed their opinions via the phone on the county’s plan to offer an 80 percent […]
Posted inTravis County
Travis County considers 80% tax break to coax Tesla
Electric vehicle company Tesla is considering moving to southeastern Travis County to build its “Gigafactory” where it will construct its much-hyped Cybertruck. To entice the California company to make its home in Texas, Travis County is proposing giving the company an 80 percent rebate on its property taxes for the first 10 years of its […]
Posted inCourts
Kinder Morgan sued over drilling fluid spill in Blanco County
The pipeline company Kinder Morgan violated the Safe Drinking Water Act when it spilled tens of thousands of gallons of drilling fluid into Blanco County groundwater, according to a new lawsuit from local landowners and groundwater conservation groups. In late March, Teresa Albright turned on the faucet in her Blanco home and saw the water […]
Posted inTravis County
Travis County’s small business grant program sees $2.5M in requests in three days
In April, Travis County approved $10 million in grant funding to aid small businesses affected by the economic crisis caused by Covid-19. However, it was only last week that Travis County businesses outside of Austin had their first chance to determine whether they qualified for the relief grants. “We’ve seen over $2.5 million in requests […]