More than $17 million in new child care funding, a 1,300-acre park and a museum district are headed to Travis County.
Travis County Judge Andy Brown shared updates on several major county initiatives at the State of the County Address at Austin PBS April 30. The county has seen a 60% decrease in fentanyl-related deaths along with investments in supportive housing, mental health intervention and legal representation at first court appearance, Brown said.
"These investments in our downtown, in our parks and in our people are how we build real economic resilience," Brown said. "They help small businesses grow. They create jobs that cannot be outsourced, and they make Travis County a place where families can afford not just to live, but to truly thrive."
The update
The Travis County Commissioners Court is preparing to vote on $13 million in new contracts with 11 community organizations for after-school care and summer programs for more than 5,000 children and families May 5, Brown said.
Additionally, the court will vote on a $4.1 million agreement with United Way For Greater Austin and the Andy Roddick Foundation to assist small businesses in expanding child care capacity, opening new centers and investing in their workforce, according to county information. The funding will cover business coaching for 180 child care providers and professional development for 70 home-based providers, Brown said.
In November 2024, voters approved a tax rate increase to generate $75 million in funding for expanding access to affordable child care. As of April, the county has awarded more than $28 million through the Raising Travis County initiative for child care scholarships as well as supporting child care providers and local school districts.
The Raising Travis County initiative has funded child care for 1,000 children, served families who were waitlisted since 2023 and expanded after-school and summer care services to reach 3,000 children, according to county information.
"Together, we can raise the bar for what Travis County people can expect," Brown said. "Because we all know that when children, families and local businesses thrive, all of Travis County rises."
What else?
Travis County and The Nature Conservancy will open the largest addition to the county’s park system east of I-35 with a 1,300-acre park on Wilbarger Creek, Brown said. The new park will help the county preserve the Wilbarger Creek greenway from Pflugerville to the county line, Brown said.
To revitalize underused space in downtown Austin, the county will create a museum district centered around the historic Heman Marion Sweatt Courthouse, he said. The new museum district will come from a partnership between the University of Texas School of Architecture and Travis County Commissioner Jeff Travillion.
The impact
Following years of intervention and naloxone distribution from county, Central Health and local nonprofits, overdose deaths in Travis County are at their lowest level since 2020, Brown said. In 2022, the county declared a public health crisis as drug-toxicity deaths surpassed vehicle collisions as the leading cause of accidental deaths, according to the 2022 Travis County Medical Examiner’s Report.
From 2023 to 2025, the number of accidental overdose deaths dropped from 501 to 320, the 2025 Travis County Medical Examiner’s Report shows, Brown said. Fentanyl-related deaths, which peaked at 279 deaths in 2023, decreased by 60% to 111 in 2025, he said.
"While we still have a long way to go, this drop in overdose deaths shows us that the strategies that we have all implemented are not only working, but they're saving lives," Brown said.
Several new diversion pilot programs are aimed at providing an alternative to jail for people who commit nonviolent crimes and suffer from mental illness or substance abuse disorder, Brown said. Over 1,200 people have received care from a 24/7 psychiatric emergency service center for lower acuity mental health needs, he said.
"Too many of the people inside there are not there because they are a true threat to public safety," Brown said about the Travis County Jail. "They are there because they are struggling with mental health challenges, substance use disorders and housing instability."
More than 200 people have received care from a therapeutic diversion pilot program for more serious mental health concerns, Brown said. The program has received over 600 referrals despite having 25 available beds, he said.
Through the Supportive Housing Initiative Pipeline, the county has invested $120 million into building over 3,000 affordable and supportive housing units. The initiative is intended to help people experiencing homelessness, or those at risk of homelessness, find stability and return to the workforce.
Nearly a year after starting the Counsel at First Appearance program, all individuals now have access to legal representation during their initial court appearance after arrest, Brown said.
Stay tuned
The county is continuing conversations with the Texas Department of Transportation about building a passenger rail trail from Austin to San Antonio, Brown said. Last year, the county approved a $125,000 feasibility study to explore commuter rail options between the two metropolitan cities, according to previous Community Impact reporting.
"Too many people are still wondering if this place that they love still has a place for them, and that's real" Brown said. "But here's what's also real. We are not powerless in the face of it, because together we can decide what future we will build."
