The Travis County Commissioners Court has revised the list of properties in their hunt for a new civil courthouse site, and one parcel that remains in the running is the one that voters rejected last November. Based on recommendations from both county staff and a citizens committee guiding the process, the court voted Tuesday to […]
Travis County
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Sobriety center advances, but location still up in the air
Everything is falling into place for an innovative facility designed to battle addiction and substance abuse, except for one key detail: where to put it. The Travis County Commissioners Court on Tuesday heard from members of the working group tasked with ironing out a plan to create the so-called sobriety center, a project backed by […]
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County moves to add new courthouse to its collection
In its quest to relieve overcrowding at the 85-year-old Heman Marion Sweatt Travis County Courthouse, Travis County is turning its eyes to a younger building: the 81-year-old U.S. Courthouse at 200 W. Eighth St. On Tuesday, the Commissioners Court voted 4-0 to move forward in the process to try to take the building off the […]
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Eckhardt teases slight tax hike
Travis County Judge Sarah Eckhardt warned on Monday that this year’s budget planning effort could result in a slightly higher tax rate. Eckhardt made the revelation during a special press conference in downtown Austin. The quarterly update on county business was the second of its kind this year. “We anticipate that there will be some […]
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State law stymies county courthouse plans
Travis County’s renewed search for a suitable site for a new civil courthouse is facing stiff headwinds from a state law aimed at stifling development in downtown Austin. Last Wednesday, the Civil and Family Courthouse Community Advisory Committee showed little interest in taking on the Texas Legislature and the Capitol View Corridors that the body […]
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Commissioners Court appoints not-new housing agency board members
The reorganization of two local affordable housing agencies took another step forward at the Travis County Commissioners Court on Tuesday. The court voted to appoint four people to the identical boards of directors that will govern both the Housing Authority of Travis County and the Strategic Housing Finance Corporation. All four had served on the […]
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PID problems aired at Commissioners Court
Two Travis County commissioners are each keeping a wary eye on the slow creation of the county’s first-ever public improvement district, or PID. Commissioners Brigid Shea and Gerald Daugherty took time during the Commissioners Court’s weekly voting session on Tuesday to air concerns about the specific PID before them, as well as PIDs in general. […]
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County raises worker standards on North Campus project
The Travis County Commissioners Court handed the Workers Defense Project another victory on Tuesday in the organization’s quest to ensure better treatment for local construction workers. In a 4-1 vote, the court approved a measure that will require the eventual developer of the county’s North Campus redevelopment project to adopt the WDP’s Better Builder standards. […]
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Commissioners Court renovates housing agencies
The story of two struggling affordable housing agencies in Travis County has turned into a stirring tale of redemption. After years of teetering on the brink – pushed there by leadership vacuums, a dire assessment by the Office of the City County Auditor and controversy over board member travel expenditures – the Housing Authority of […]
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TipSheet: Travis County, 4.12.16
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. 3. Consider and take appropriate action regarding the issuance of a Mass Gathering Permit for Levitation to be held April 29 […]
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Proposed DMV fee hikes called a “double whammy” for Travis County
The Travis County Tax Office is sounding the alarm over potential changes at the state level that could cost the county and vehicle owners an extra $1 million in registration and titling fees. Tax-Assessor Collector Bruce Elfant showed up in downtown Austin on Tuesday to explain to the Travis County Commissioners Court how the Texas […]
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County ponders partnership with city on one-stop justice shop
With a pair of aging courthouses between them, Travis County and the city of Austin could find a solution to their problems through mutual cooperation. That idea was part of the focus of a Thursday afternoon work session at Travis County Commissioners Court during which county staff discussed the notion of freeing up land in […]