Travis County will have to face “some honest and possibly difficult conversations” during the upcoming budget process if it wants to avoid a repeat of the alleged crimes that have rocked the Tax Office, according to Tax Assessor-Collector Bruce Elfant. Elfant delivered that assessment during his briefing of the Commissioners Court Tuesday morning about how […]
Travis County
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Elfant to address Tax Office fraud investigation
Travis County Tax Assessor-Collector Bruce Elfant will brief the Commissioners Court on Tuesday morning about the fraud investigation that landed seven people in jail on Friday, four of them Tax Office employees. “There I will be able to provide details on the contingency plans that we have put in place and what the next steps […]
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Contractor apologizes for racist remark at county meeting
The contractor who used a racial slur against Latino immigrants during a Travis County-sponsored meeting last week is apologizing. Aaron Cabaza, president of Aaron Concrete, sent an email to county staff on Tuesday afternoon expressing regret for his remarks at a stakeholders discussion focused on recommendations that would augment protections for workers on county projects. […]
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Contractor drops racial slur at county meeting, participants say
A Travis County-led stakeholder discussion between construction contractors and labor interests reached a boiling point last week when one of the participants used a racial slur, according to people at the meeting. Multiple sources confirmed to the Austin Monitor on Monday that, when discussing wages and other work site conditions, Aaron Cabaza of Aaron Concrete […]
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TipSheet: Travis County, 5.15.18
The Travis County Commissioners Court meets at 9 a.m. Tuesday. In the interest of space, we’ve decided not to post the entire agenda here. The County Clerk’s Office hosts a copy at its website. 7. Consider and take appropriate action on amending the form and structure of the Travis County Code. (Commissioner Gómez) Monitor’s Take: […]
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Lingering senior staff vacancy vexes Commissioners Court
Not only can Travis County not find someone to fill its open county executive of operations management position, it can’t even find a recruiting firm to help with the search. That was how Tracey Calloway, director of the county’s Human Resources Management Department, began a briefing she gave to the Commissioners Court on Tuesday. Calloway […]
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Commissioners Court delays action on worker safety recommendations
The Travis County Commissioners Court will put off for several weeks a decision on a package of proposals aimed at strengthening protections for construction workers on county projects. Last Tuesday, the court discussed 10 recommendations set forth by Purchasing Office staff in collaboration with the Workers Defense Project. The proposals would gird the county’s Better […]
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Office development on unincorporated land draws neighborhood opposition
Anxieties over traffic, safety, environmental degradation and more pushed the Travis County Commissioners Court last week to postpone action on an item that would clear the way for the construction of two new office buildings on a rural but rapidly growing stretch of Hamilton Pool Road. Joe Mansour, founder of Accord Interests, told the court […]
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Travis County takes brand-new tack in courthouse search
Travis County’s search for a new site on which to build a new civil courthouse has taken an unprecedented turn after the Commissioners Court on Tuesday voted to solicit proposals from potential private partners interested in both putting up land for the project and building the facility. The decision adds a new wrinkle to the […]
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In State of the County address, Eckhardt looks forward to future term
With no credible threat to her re-election in November, Travis County Judge Sarah Eckhardt delivered a State of the County address on Thursday night that had the luxury of looking a full five years into the future. Clocking in at just under 30 minutes, her tightly packed address raked across the broader yard of county […]
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In picking a new CTRMA rep, Travis County goes with a familiar face
The Travis County Commissioners Court on Tuesday chose an old hand to be its newest representative on the Central Texas Regional Mobility Authority’s board of directors. In a unanimous vote, the court awarded the seat to attorney John Langmore, a former vice chair of the Capital Metropolitan Transportation Authority’s board. Langmore most recently served the […]
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Sobering Center one step closer
The Travis County Commissioners Court unanimously approved a contract on Tuesday awarding Tegrity Contractors the right to construct the Austin Sobering Center. Austin/Travis County Sobriety Center will remain the name of the local government corporation that operates the facility. The contract worth $770,777 clears the way for Tegrity to convert the old Medical Examiner’s Office building […]