2023 ANNUAL COMMUNITY GUIDE
County to seek bond in 2023
OTHER STORIES TO FOLLOW IN 2023
VOTER APPROVED FUNDS Travis County will ask voters for funds for capital and road projects in November. While the amount and scope of the bond has not yet been nalized, here is how past bonds in the county have fared.
Cold weather shelter audit forwards system improvements Austin’s emergency shelter operations are understa ed, operating on unclear plans and without enough supervision from city executives, an internal city audit released Dec. 13 found. Leaders in Austin’s emergency response o ce said changes are underway following the review. Emergency shelters for heating or cooling can be located within city facilities, such as libraries and o ce buildings. The shelters are most frequently used by people experiencing homelessness. The new audit report found that, despite Austin having plans in place to operate the shelters, the city does not always follow those guidelines. It also found shelters sta may not be properly trained; residents in need may have su ered when the city failed to act; and funding for the shelters has not been clearly tracked. Council and community members criticized the city’s response to a December freeze for a slow rollout of shelter information and resources. To help support internal city operations, a $1.23 million solicitation for shelter services was issued in 2022, and a contract with the Austin Area Urban League was signed in December. SHELTER PLAN AUDIT An audit released Dec. 13 found Austin emergency weather shelters for those facing homelessness have several aws, including: Not following guidelines for operations;
Vote
Purpose
Bond cost
BY KATY MCAFEE
in January and serve for about eight months. Committee members are required to be Travis County residents without delinquent taxes and not employed or associated with a business that will pro t from bond projects. All committee meetings will be open to the public. Acquired parkland, built new facilities and protected park resources Built new roadways, widened existing roadways and added lanes to roadways Would have been used to build a new Travis County Civil and Family Courthouse Acquired parkland, built new facilities and protected park resources Built new roadways, widened existing roadways and added lanes to roadways
$82.11M
TRAVIS COUNTY In 2023, voters in Travis County can expect a Novem- ber bond election that would go toward improving roads, parks and other facilities. The speci c projects and cost estimates for the bond will be deter- mined by a 15-member court-ap- pointed bond advisory committee, which will meet weekly to determine the county’s most critical needs. “Travis County’s Citizen Bond Advi- sory Committee is a way for the public to let us know what they would like to prioritize in the next bond package,” Travis County Precinct 3 Commis- sioner Ann Howard said. “Whether it is transportation, the environment, facility planning, nance or health care, community involvement will
$132.84M
$287.28M
$91.5M
$93.45M
SOURCE: TRAVIS COUNTY COMMUNITY IMPACT
shape Travis County’s future.” Each Travis County commissioner appointed three members to the bond advisory committee on Jan. 10. Travis County Judge Andy Brown appointed the committee chair, John Langmore, who also served as chair for Travis County’s 2017 bond committee. Those members will begin meeting
Austin, Travis County keep focus on sta ng
STAFFING UP
AUSTIN In 2022, Austin and Travis County targeted job vacancies by increasing their minimum wage from $15 to $20. City Manager Spencer Cronk highlighted the sta ng shortages as the priority for the scal year 2022-23 budget, after the vacancy rate reached nearly 16% of Austin’s budgeted positions in May. The city said applications for open positions jumped 43.67% when the new wage went into e ect. Still, the BY KATY MCAFEE & BEN THOMPSON
overall vacancy rate remained above 16% as of early December. Hector Nieto, Travis County public information o cer, said the vacancy rate improved following the mini- mum wage hike and was at 3% as of January. As of Jan. 1, the Travis County Sheri ’s O ce’s vacancy rate ranged from 18%-32% by department. Kris- ten Dark, PIO for the Travis County Sheri ’s O ce, said more than 100 applicants are going through the hiring process in January.
The city and county have seen mixed results after raising their minimum wage from $15 to $20 an hour to address vacancies. City job applications increased 43.67% after higher wages took e ect. The city vacancy rate was at 16% as of early December. The county vacancy rate was at 3% as of early January.
Not having dedicated sta or a way to track related expenses; and Not formally updating the guidelines in years.
SOURCES: CITY OF AUSTIN, TRAVIS COUNTY COMMUNITY IMPACT
SOURCE: CITY OF AUSTIN COMMUNITY IMPACT
Buy 2 get 1 FREE! Scratch-made broths. Top quality local ingredients.
Bring in this ad to redeem offer through 3/15/23.
One time use only. May not be combined with other offers.
23
NORTH CENTRAL AUSTIN EDITION • JANUARY 2023
Powered by FlippingBook