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Travis County
County to add paid parental leave for employees, but will it be enough?
Tomorrow, the Travis County Commissioners Court will take action on a paid parental leave policy for all county workers, but with multiple policies still to choose from, the magnitude and impact of how they decide remains uncertain. While county staff…
Travis County • By Seth Smalley • May 2, 2022
Travis County launched a program to provide lawyers at the county jail. It lasted nine days.
A pilot program to provide legal representation to people in custody at the Travis County Jail had to be put on hold after just nine days because of staffing shortages. The grant-funded program was part of a Texas A&M study to…
Travis County • By Andrew Weber, KUT • Apr 27, 2022
Introducing the Del Valle Resource Guide
As part of the Austin Monitor‘s ongoing mission to serve our community, we have helped create a new guide to the resources available for Del Valle residents. From setting up utilities to voting jurisdictions, we’re hoping the new guide makes figuring out…
Travis County • By Austin Monitor • Apr 11, 2022
New perk just dropped for all county employees: Paid family leave
The Travis County Commissioners Court unanimously approved a resolution Tuesday that marks the first steps toward bringing paid family leave to every county employee. While the policy won’t immediately go into effect, a subcommittee will return to the court in…
Travis County • By Seth Smalley • Feb 10, 2022
As Bastrop wildfire forces evacuations, Travis County issues burn ban
On Tuesday, the Travis County Commissioners Court unanimously approved a burn ban, beginning Thursday, Jan. 20, at the behest of the fire marshal. The ban comes after a few fires broke out in Travis County over the weekend, and a…
Travis County • By Seth Smalley • Jan 19, 2022
As ERAP well dries, county turns to other sources to meet renters’ needs
Travis County Health and Human Services broke the bad news to commissioners Tuesday that the U.S. Treasury will not be granting the county’s request for an additional $7.8 million in Emergency Rental Assistance funds. This means hundreds of people counting…
Travis County • By Seth Smalley • Jan 7, 2022
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End of an era: DeBeauvoir ready for new challenges
Travis County Clerk Dana DeBeauvoir, who has served as the county’s chief elections officer as well as the overseer of numerous county records, including deeds and marriage licenses, announced in November that she would not seek reelection. After nearly 36…
Travis County • By Jo Clifton • Jan 5, 2022
County Attorney Garza's first priority is public safety
Delia Garza’s life as Travis County Attorney is a lot different than when she sat on Austin’s City Council. But the one thing that has stayed consistent, she said, is that no two days look alike. Since Garza took on…
Travis County • By Willow Higgins • Jan 5, 2022
Brown: The stakes are high for the county judge
Unlike the city of Austin, Travis County doesn’t have a behind-the-scenes manager directing operations, overseeing staff and preparing budgets. But it does have Andy Brown, the county judge, head of the Commissioners Court and a former senior adviser to Beto…
Travis County • By Seth Smalley • Jan 3, 2022
Ann Howard reflects on a turbulent first year in office
From the winter storm last February to the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic, Travis County Commissioner Ann Howard has seen a lot this past year. The Austin Monitor sat down with Howard to reflect on 2021 and the highs and lows that came…
Travis County • By Anna Kate Browne • Dec 29, 2021
Shea: A career spent combating the climate crisis
In the summer of 1988, Brigid Shea unfolded a copy of The New York Times and read a front-page story that changed the trajectory of her life, about a NASA scientist who had testified to Congress about the life-threatening consequences…
Travis County • By Molly Walsh • Dec 29, 2021
Gómez: Longest-serving commissioner finding new ways of doing business
With new members on the court this past year, Travis County Commissioner Margaret Gómez has been rethinking the court’s longtime processes. (Ann Howard, who represents Precinct 3, assumed office at the start of 2021, while County Judge Andy Brown assumed…
