At the beginning of the year, Travis County finally began offering a guaranteed lawyer to individuals who are arrested and can’t afford legal representation – a constitutional right known as counsel at first appearance, or CAFA. It took an ACLU lawsuit to urge the county to rectify its failure to offer CAFA to indigent constituents, […]
Ann Howard
The Travis County Commissioner for District 3, Howard was first elected in 2020 as a Democrat.
Posted inTravis County
In 2025, Travis County Commissioner Ann Howard eyes building more supportive housing and strengthening climate resilience
Coming from her background in affordable housing at the Ending Community Homelessness Coalition, Travis County Commissioner Ann Howard has always prioritized the same throughout her tenure at the county. 2024 saw two big wins on that front, she says: “There’s some things that we’ve been working on for a long time that I think are […]
Posted inTravis County
Howard proudly ruffling feathers her third year in office
For Travis County Commissioner Ann Howard, this year was all about employing the institutional knowledge she gained over her first two years in office. “You know, I found the bathrooms and the light switches, and I’m sort of recognizing the themes and the issues, knowing who to call and understanding where my colleagues are coming […]
Posted inTravis County
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 […]
Posted inTravis County
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 […]
Posted inTravis County
Ann Howard: Creating a place of answers
Ann Howard is looking forward to using her voice to help others make good things happen. Howard, who was elected in November to represent Precinct 3 on the Travis County Commissioners Court, will soon start her term, amid a pandemic and after almost two years of campaigning. “You get elected in November, and you’ve got […]