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 600-plus-acre wildfire (which officials say was started by a prescribed burn) continued to blaze in […]
Travis County
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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 on the money might not get it, at least not from the Treasury. “We have […]
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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 years in the post, DeBeauvoir said it’s time to do something else. The Austin Monitor […]
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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 the role of county attorney earlier this year, she has been able to dive deep […]
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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 O’Rourke during his 2018 campaign for U.S. Senate. Over the last year or so, Brown […]
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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 with it. “My first year here in office is this intense year of pandemic and […]
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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 of releasing greenhouse gases into the atmosphere. The article helped fuel a three-decade career dedicated […]
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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 office in late 2020.) Gómez, who was elected in 1994 and is the longest-serving commissioner […]
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Where some see problems, Travillion sees opportunities
Travis County Precinct 1 Commissioner Jeff Travillion acknowledges that 2021 was a “challenging year.” But where others saw problems, Travillion saw opportunities. In areas lacking basic amenities like hospitals, clinics and pharmacies, Travillion made use of public schools and community centers for Covid-19 testing and vaccine roll-out. “My proudest moment was working with community organizations […]
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Diversion programs can reduce mass incarceration in Travis County
At Thursday’s work session, the Travis County Commissioners Court fielded discussion about the benefits of, and recent updates to, several jail diversion programs underway in Travis County. Such programs included pretrial and pre-charge diversion programs, as well as a DWI diversion program. Roughly 500 people have been accepted to the programs so far, according to […]
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County irons out details in disaster preparedness plan
The Commissioners Court convened for a work session Thursday to hear a presentation on county preparations for disasters, particularly those in the vein of last February’s Winter Storm Uri. The briefing was a response to a resolution commissioners approved on Nov. 16, directing county executives to flesh out the details of a disaster relief plan. […]
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County looks to expand its HUB program
Over the past four years, Stephen Blake, a partner at North Park Consulting, has served as a Travis County contractor, helping county agencies to function more efficiently. His work with the county began through the Travis County Historically Underutilized Business, or HUB, program. As the co-owner of a certified women- and African-American-owned business, a particular […]