The financial figures representing the economic repercussions of self-isolation and shuttered businesses are beginning to surface in Travis County. Diana Ramirez, the director of Travis County’s Economic Development & Strategic Investments, told the Commissioners Court on April 7 that although local numbers are still not available, state and federal numbers offer a good indication of […]
Travis County
Posted inTravis County
Rodeo Austin, Luck Reunion are the latest events called off in Austin over coronavirus concerns
Rodeo Austin and Willie Nelson’s Luck Reunion will not be held this spring. Organizers received word from Travis County officials Thursday that the public health risk was too great. There will also be no fans at Austin sporting events for the near term amid concerns over the coronavirus. As of Thursday evening, there were no […]
Posted inTravis County
Travis County Commissioners Court extends emergency disaster declaration
Following the local disaster declaration last Friday, the Travis County Commissioners Court unanimously extended the county’s disaster declaration in light of ongoing concerns about public health risks associated with COVID-19. This state of emergency will continue indefinitely or until the Commissioners Court rescinds it. The declaration announced March 6 is valid only for a week. […]
Posted inTravis County
Travis County seeks a ‘Marshall Plan’ for east side
Travis County Commissioner Jeff Travillion and Joe Straub, president of Rodeo Austin, started a conversation with members of the City Council Audit & Finance Committee Wednesday. “Let me just say for the record, I did not come to pick a fight,” Travillion said. Instead, he hoped that Travis County and the city of Austin could […]
Posted inTravis County
Eckhardt talks revenue caps, Palm School negotiation in State of the County address
At several turns during her State of the County address Thursday, Travis County Judge Sarah Eckhardt reminded listeners that in many respects, the county operates as an extension of Texas’ state government. The pluses and minuses of that framework, she said, are numerous. Among the challenges are finding ways to manage land use in fast-growing […]
Posted inTravis County
Activists push to protect Palm School, eyeing property’s role in proposed cultural district
With Travis County moving ahead with action that could lead to development of the historic Palm School site downtown, local activists are hoping the city can find a way to preserve the property and make it a major part of a long-planned cultural and heritage district for the Mexican American community. In December the city […]
Posted inTravis County
County leaders champion no-cash bail
Amidst an aggressive push from activists to reduce arrests and incarceration, Travis County leaders highlighted two important initiatives Tuesday as evidence that the county is a leader in progressive criminal justice policy. First, the Travis County Commissioners Court quickly approved a request from Sheriff Sally Hernandez to close down four buildings at the Travis County […]
Posted inTravis County
Babies, immigrants fueling Travis County growth
Contrary to public perception, Travis County’s population would be booming even without newcomers from California. That was one of the main takeaways from a presentation to the Travis County Commissioners Court on the most recent population data from the American Community Survey. In 2018, the most recent year for which figures are available, the population […]
Posted inTravis County
Travis County hires law professor as its first-ever public defender
Travis County has hired University of Virginia law professor Adeola Ogunkeyede as the first person to lead its public defender office. Until last year, the county was the largest jurisdiction in the United States without an office to handle cases for poor adults accused of crimes. Travis County commissioners voted unanimously Tuesday to hire Ogunkeyede, […]
Posted inTravis County
New nonprofit seeks to boost census participation
With six weeks until the 2020 census kicks off, the local effort to boost participation hopes to raise additional money for outreach efforts. Census Program Manager John Lawler, who is overseeing the Austin/Travis County Complete Count Committee, which both the city and county chipped in $200,000 to fund, told the Travis County Commissioners Court on […]
Posted inWater
Travis County takes action to eliminate ‘water colonias’
While it’s accurately referred to as an urban county, roughly half of Travis County does not fall within the limits of any municipality. The population in these rural, unincorporated areas is growing rapidly, driven in part by a lack of affordable housing in urban areas, particularly within the city of Austin. In some cases, groups […]
Posted inTravis County
County Judge Sarah Eckhardt sees a future of tough decisions and tax referendums for Travis County
Travis County Judge Sarah Eckhardt has plenty of good news to report as she looks back on 2019. Her greatest achievement is the county’s new public defender’s office, for which she was the lead champion on the Commissioners Court. While her background in criminal law was as a prosecutor, Eckhardt was a passionate voice for […]