Employee vacancy rates in key areas of Travis County are declining as a result of measures taken by county commissioners last year, such as increasing the minimum county wage from $15 per hour to $20 per hour, as well as increasing shift differentials, according to the county’s Compensation Office. The news comes in the wake […]
Travis County
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Travis County commissioners, Doggett celebrate “unprecedented” investment in social safety net
The Travis County Commissioners Court and U.S. Rep. Lloyd Doggett celebrated federal dollars allocated to address community needs and assist local nonprofit organizations at a Monday press conference. Several speakers credited Doggett for securing the $51 million from the Local Fiscal Recovery Funds program, which was authorized by the American Rescue Plan Act. The Commissioners […]
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County to create new legal division, but advocates call for more autonomy
The Travis County Commissioners Court approved a proposal on Tuesday to create a new community legal division along with a county executive position to oversee certain elements of it. Under the plan, the chief public defender would report to a county executive for issues regarding staffing, budget and data collection. The move, which drew criticism […]
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End times near (for brush drop-off), says Travis County
Following a substantial decrease in demand, Travis County has announced that March 26 will be the last day Mansfield Dam Park will serve as a drop-off location for storm debris. Winter Storm Mara created an outsize need for debris disposal at the beginning of February, after it snapped tree limbs and downed power lines throughout […]
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Google Fiber to expand presence in Travis County
Travis County is proceeding with an ongoing plan to use the public right of way to install Google Fiber in the western and southern portions of the county, as representatives from Google Fiber and county staff explained in updates Tuesday to the Commissioners Court, which ultimately approved a license agreement for its installation and maintenance. […]
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County ramps up debris cleanup efforts following Mara
The Travis County Commissioners Court on Tuesday mulled the county’s ongoing response to Winter Storm Mara, which rattled Central Texas with sleet, ice and rain four weeks ago, snapping power cables and tearing down tree branches. Discussion centered on county efforts to remove storm debris and fallen branches, which accumulated in considerable quantity after Mara […]
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In wake of ice storm, county adds debris drop-off sites
The recent ice storm caused over $29 million in damages, felling trees, snapping power lines and sparking a declaration of disaster from county officials. On Tuesday, the county announced another debris drop-off point at Mansfield Dam, in addition to the site at Hornsby Bend Biosolids Management Plant. The new drop-off site is open daily from […]
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County partners with local nonprofit to build 200 shelter units
On Tuesday, the Travis County Commissioners Court approved a whopping $3 million agreement with the Other Ones Foundation, a nonprofit that provides housing aid and case management for unhoused individuals. This is the second of 11 housing projects that the county pledged to fund as part of a gargantuan federal sum designated for supportive housing. […]
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Travillion: Charting the path to job opportunity for county residents
After nearly three years of Covid-19 pandemic response, plus unprecedented challenges like Winter Storm Uri and rapidly rising housing costs across the Austin metro, Travis County Precinct 1 Commissioner Jeff Travillion said his high point of 2022 was workforce development. Travillion, now in his second term, believes residents should have not just their basic needs met, […]
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Two years in, Ann Howard is playing for the county’s team
Travis County Commissioner Ann Howard compares the first two years in her four-year term representing Precinct 3 to speed dating. “When you have something like Winter Storm Uri and a pandemic, you cram a lot of meet-and-greets into the early months,” Howard told the Austin Monitor. “Because there are so many conversations, and so many […]
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Margaret Gómez has learned to take the long view
For Margaret Gómez, Travis County’s longest-serving county commissioner, listening to community members’ concerns is the first and most important step toward guiding initiatives for the 1.3 million-plus residents of Travis County. In a recent interview with the Austin Monitor, Gómez – who earlier this year won a tight reelection race for Precinct 4 commissioner – shares how that strategy […]
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Andy Brown intends to double down on overdose prevention efforts in 2023
Coming off a landslide reelection victory in the November election, Travis County Judge Andy Brown is proud of how the Commissioners Court responded to challenges in 2022, from staffing shortages and new state laws threatening civil rights to housing affordability and the recent Arctic freeze. The county also laid the groundwork to launch a mental […]