The Travis County Commissioners Court unanimously voted to grant a 45-day extension to a forthcoming report about the Travis County adult correctional system. The report is being prepared by a collaborative group including Justice Planning, Health and Human Services, and the Sheriff’s Office. Commissioners passed a resolution on June 15 directing the report, in response […]
Travis County
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The ‘elephant in the room’: How will commissioners set their own pay?
At the June 29 meeting of the Commissioners Court, Todd Osburn, county compensation manager, presented elected officials’ salaries to commissioners. The item will be brought before the court again in late July, at which point commissioners will decide between three options: either match elected officials’ pay raise percentages to those of classified employees; match elected […]
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County presses pause on Palm School, pending community input
On Tuesday, the Travis County Commissioners Court discussed what to do about the Palm School. On June 15, commissioners rejected the city’s 2020 offer to buy the Palm School building. The news disappointed many in the Latino community who had hoped a transfer of ownership would take place so that the building would remain a […]
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County deliberates joining city to end homelessness
On Tuesday, the Commissioners Court discussed the cardinal question of how to allocate a considerable amount of money coming to the county from the American Rescue Plan Act. Much of the discussion centered on homelessness, and whether the county would join the city in its commitment to dedicate a meaningful portion of its ARPA funding […]
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Report depicts the state of poverty in Travis County
On Tuesday, the Commissioners Court fielded discussion from Health and Human Services on the state of poverty in Travis County. Rochelle Olivares, April Klein and Lawrence Lyman, the core informing team of the HHS Research and Planning Division, presented a report using data obtained from the 2019 American Community Survey five-year estimates. “The data is […]
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Like Batman, county commissioners waive ethics for greater good
Last Tuesday, the Commissioners Court discussed the prospect of waiving a section of the county ethics policy for the purpose of granting Ascension Seton a contract for the right to aid Travis County in its vaccine distribution efforts. The county code in question, Chapter 33, Section 19, involves discretionary contracts – and specifically denies the […]
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Community development grant administrators gear up for 2021 projects
Travis County has received Community Development Block Grant funding since 2006 for the purpose of improving affordability, community facilities and revitalizing county neighborhoods. Last Tuesday, the Commissioners Court reviewed the CDBG funding annual action plan. “This public hearing is to receive feedback from the public as well as the Commissioners Court to inform the planning […]
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County wants permanent supportive housing – but first, where’s the money?
The Commissioners Court fielded statements from county executives Tuesday regarding a negotiation to fund hundreds of units of permanent supportive housing. Justice and Public Safety Executive Roger Jefferies spoke, as well as Health and Human Services Executive Sherri Fleming. The proposal, Jefferies explained, was nothing new. In 2016, the Commissioners Court OK’d a similar collaboration between […]
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County rose to weather crisis challenge – but it’s not over yet
As the weather warmed and the snow and ice began to thaw, Austin Water and other utilities in Travis County began to discover breaks in water mains. On top of rolling blackouts, the depressurization of water lines created the need for a boil-water notice and a subsequent demand for clean drinking water throughout the state. […]
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County issues anti-price gouging order
Last Thursday, in partnership with the Office of the Travis County Judge, the Travis County Attorney’s Office drafted an order prohibiting price-gouging for the duration of the Texas energy crisis. At an emergency session of the Commissioners Court, County Attorney Delia Garza briefed the commissioners on the disaster order, possible penalties, enforcement policy, and public […]
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TipSheet: Travis County, 2.23.21
The Travis County Commissioners Court meets every Tuesday at 9 a.m. To help our readers stay informed, each week we offer a selection of interesting items from the voting session agenda. The entire agenda is available at the Travis County website. The meeting will be streamed live on the Travis County website and the archived footage will be available after the […]
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Former Commissioner Ron Davis dies at 75
Former Travis County Commissioner Ron Davis, who is remembered for his staunch advocacy on environmental issues, died Tuesday at age 75. Davis served on the Commissioners Court from to 1998 to 2016 representing Precinct 1 in eastern Travis County. His son, Ron Davis Jr., confirmed that his father died of a heart attack. Nelson Linder, […]