The Travis County Commissioners Court meets at 9 a.m. Tuesday. In the interest of space, we’ve decided not to post the entire agenda here. The County Clerk’s office hosts a copy at its website. 4. Approve interview questions for final candidates for the position of County Executive of Emergency Services. (Judge Eckhardt) 36. Conduct interviews […]
Travis County Commissioners Court
The legislative body for Travis County. It includes representatives from the four Travis County Precincts, as well as the County Judge. The County Judge serves as the chair of the Court.
Posted inElections
Record turnout expected as early voting begins
The end is near. Early voting in Austin kicks off on Monday, heralding the imminent conclusion of 2016’s drawn-out election cycle, and Travis County Clerk Dana DeBeauvoir says her team is bracing for record turnout. Last Tuesday, DeBeauvoir told the Travis County Commissioners Court that she expects 488,000 voters to make their voices heard on […]
Posted inTravis County
County criminal courts ask for more judges
The Travis County Criminal Courts system is in need of expanding, according to top officials. Presiding Judge Brenda Kennedy and several of her colleagues officially made the request before County Judge Sarah Eckhardt and the Commissioners Court on Tuesday. All told, Kennedy asked for three new district courts to supplement her current stable of nine. […]
Posted inTravis County
County and Central Health eye reforms
The Travis County Commissioners Court could soon expand its oversight of Central Health in what would be the first significant revisions to the governing financial policy since 2008. According to a draft the court approved on Tuesday, the hospital district’s nonprofit spinoffs would have to conduct annual audits and provide the results to county officials. […]
Posted inTravis County
County could seek to cram new courts in crowded courthouse
The Travis County Commissioners Court on Tuesday agonized over a proposal to add two more district courts to the already stuffed Heman Marion Sweatt Courthouse. Led by local administrative Judge Lora Livingston, a delegation from the county’s civil and family courts mounted its case based on evidence that the county’s current stable of 15 district […]
Posted inPremium Types
TipSheet: Travis County, 10.11.16
The Travis County Commissioners Court meets at 9 a.m. Tuesday. In the interest of space, we’ve decided not to post the entire agenda here. The County Clerk’s office hosts a copy at its website. 3. Consider request from the Civil and Family Courts for two additional District Courts in FY18. (Judge Eckhardt) Monitor’s Take: The […]
Posted inTravis County
Travis County’s courthouse plan B hinges on homeless support group’s failure
A nonprofit that supports homeless residents in Austin could dash Travis County’s short-term plans to accommodate its bulging civil courts needs. Members of the citizens advisory committee that is guiding the search for new court capacity learned on Wednesday night that Front Steps had submitted an application to the U.S. Department of Health and Human […]
Posted inTravis County
County compromise puts surf park opening in the pipeline
As impossible as it sounds, surf’s up in Central Texas. On Tuesday, the Travis County Commissioners Court and the owners of NLand Surf Park formally struck a bargain to allow the massive wave pool east of Austin-Bergstrom International Airport to open this Friday. “Austin is now one of the world’s best surfing destinations and will […]
Posted inPremium Types
TipSheet: Travis County, 10.04.16
The Travis County Commissioners Court meets at 9 a.m. Tuesday. In the interest of space, we’ve decided not to post the entire agenda here. The County Clerk’s office hosts a copy at its website. 9. Consider and take appropriate action on contribution agreement with Turner’s Crossing Public Improvement District Developer. (Commissioner Gómez) Monitor’s Take: Now […]
Posted inReporters' Notebook
Reporter’s Notebook: Butterflies but not rainbows
Hersh the homeowner… Pay enough attention to local politics, and you’ll eventually notice a collection of commonly repeated phrases and cliches: “There are many tools in the toolbox,” “We can’t let the perfect be the enemy of the good,” “That passes on a 10-1 vote, Council Member Zimmerman opposed” and so forth. Last week, however, […]
Posted inPolice
Austin and Travis County officials talk sobriety center plans
People picked up in Austin for public intoxication downtown might no longer be headed straight to jail or the emergency room. Austin and Travis County leaders are moving forward with plans to open a sobriety center. The downtown facility would serve as a safe space for people to sober up. After years of discussion, both […]
Posted inTravis County
Central Health critic stirs more trouble
One of the activists who led the charge against Central Health during the recent tussle involving budget transparency has come out swinging against a proposed deal between Travis County and the hospital district. Attorney Fred Lewis called Central Health’s offer to provide the Travis County Commissioners Court with an audit of its $35 million financial […]