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Travis County
April 21, 2009
Travis County burn ban lifted
After the weekend rain event, Travis County commissioners voted this morning to lift the burn ban in the county’s unincorporated areas.
Officials said the county is still in a drought — a long-term event that represents a deficit of rain over a period of time.
The lift of the burn ban “doesn’t mean it’s a free for all,” said Travis County emergency management coordinator Pete Baldwin. Burners still need to follow state regulations for safety and use caution, he said.
“Please don’t leave fires unattended,” said Commissioner Sarah Eckhardt. “Make sure it’s out.”
Commissioners approved the lifting the burn ban with a 4-to-0 vote. County Judge Sam Biscoe, on vacation, was absent.
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April 14, 2009
Travis County keeps burn ban
Travis County commissioners voted unanimously this morning to keep the county’s burn ban in place in unincorporated areas and to extend the drought disaster declaration they approved previously.
The county got rain over the weekend. But sun and dry wind followed, which didn’t allow the moisture to be absorbed, Travis County emergency management coordinator Pete Baldwin told commissioners.
As Travis County commissioners voted to do last week, a number of other Central Texas counties have submitted disaster-declaration letters to the governor, including Williamson, Bastrop, Caldwell, Fayette and Comal.
If the federal government declares disasters in Travis along with other Central Texas counties, the county could receive financial assistance in the form of loans, Baldwin has said.
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February 12, 2009
Stimulus could benefit county human services
Health and human service programs in Travis County could be among the main beneficiaries of the county’s share of the federal stimulus package approved by Congress this week.
Deece Eckstein, coordinator of governmental relations for the county, told County Commissioners on Thursday that firmer figures on how much the county could get from the $789 billion stimulus program will emerge as details of the package are promulgated to local governments.
“So far, we don’t know exactly how much is coming to Texas,” Eckstein said.
County staff members said programs such as weatherization of homes, after school care for children, and health and wellness services could be prime recipients of stimulus funding because they already have formulas for swiftly allocating money to clients.
“It is clear that the federal government wants this money spent as quickly as possible,” to invigorate the economy and produce jobs, Eckstein said.
Commissioner Sarah Eckhardt said the county should help channel some of the money to nonprofit groups already serving human needs.
County Judge Sam Biscoe said he would like to see the stimulus pay for local construction projects using “green building” methods that produce buildings that save energy and are environmentally sensitive.
County road projects are unlikely to warrant stimulus funding, Steve Manilla, public works director, told commissioners. He said road projects using federal money have to undergo rigorous review to make sure they follow federal laws on environmental protection.
“The reviews it takes to meet those standards can take months,” Manilla said. “Also, road projects can get the stimulus money only if they are not already funded. In Travis County, we usually don’t start a road project until it is funded. I’d say we have no more than four to six projects that could possibly qualify for the stimulus.”
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Travis County starts budget process with caution
Travis County financial officers told commissioners at a Thursday work session that they are preparing for tough economic times by asking department chiefs to trim spending by 5 percent for the 2009-10 fiscal year.
The new budget goes into effect in October and will not be approved until September, after numerous study sessions and a public hearing on a new tax rate and spending proposal.
The county staff emphasized that the search for 5 percent cuts in departmental expenses is a precautionary measure and that the upcoming budget will be fashioned with the intention of avoiding layoffs.
“This has been a year unlike any other year,” County Auditor Susan Spataro said, referring to the national economic decline. “I don’t want to create a crisis, but we’d be foolish to ignore trends we are seeing in other parts of the country.”
Currently, the county has an operating budget of more than $450.8 million. The tax rate is 41 cents per $100 in assessed property value. For most Austin homeowners, county property taxes account for about a fifth of the property tax bill.
The county’s main responsibilities are managing the criminal justice system, running the jails, paving and upkeep of roads, and maintaining the county’s parks system.
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