Travis County Commissioners Court, from left: Margaret Gómez, Precinct 4; Gerald Daugherty, Precinct 3; Judge Sarah Eckhardt; Brigid Shea, Precinct 2; Ron Davis, Precinct 1[/caption]
Meetings
The court meets Tuesdays at 9 a.m. at the Travis County Administrative Building, 700 Lavaca St., Austin. 512-854-9020 www.traviscountytx.gov
Court members serve four-year terms. The judge’s pay for fiscal year 2015-16 is $118,373, Davis and Gomez are paid $101,417, Shea is paid $98,463 and Daugherty is paid $93,000.
Video coverage
Meetings are televised live on Time Warner Cable Channel 17, Grande Communications Channel 17 and AT&T U-verse Channel 99. Meetings are also posted online.
Big decisions made in 2015
Budget decisions
The court voted Sept. 29 to reinstate in-person visits and reasonably priced phone calls for county jail inmates and their families. The court also reduced property taxes for the average homeowner, including those older than 65 and the disabled.
Parks and recreation
The county added more than 3,000 acres of park and conservation land in 2015 as well as 50 miles of bikeways and sidewalks.
Courthouse bond fails
On Aug. 18 the Commissioners Court called for an order to place a $287.3 million bond election on the Nov. 3 ballot. Voters rejected the bond, which would have spent funds on a new civil and family courts complex in downtown Austin.
Top issues for 2016
Transportation
The county plans to establish better transportation connections for eastern Travis County, Judge Sarah Eckhardt said.
Flood response
One focus area will be reclaiming flood-prone areas of southeastern Travis County to create flood-resilient communities with green spaces, safe and affordable housing, and industries committed to employing the community for generations to come.
Courts
The court plans to reimagine the way it works to deliver civil and criminal justice, Eckhardt said.
County income
Trying to try to keep property taxes low by exploring other appropriate revenue sources to pay for needed infrastructure and services will be among the court’s goals in 2016.
