HIGHLIGHTS WEST LAKE HILLS City Council incumbent Beth South was re- elected to the Place 3 position May 6. South received 83.12% of the vote, or 453 votes, while her opponent Gary Zygmont received 16.88% of the vote, or 92 votes. “We have so many exciting things happening, and I’m excited to be a part of that,” South said.
County moves forward on nearly $1M audit to assess Central Health
ASSESSING CENTRAL HEALTH Travis County commissioners voted to conduct an independent audit on Central Health. The audit will assess:
Financial accountability
BY KATY MCAFEE
Record keeping
TRAVIS COUNTY Commissioners unanimously voted to hire a firm to conduct an independent performance audit on Central Health—the county’s hospital district for low-income residents—at an April 4 meeting. The audit will cost $845,200, according to county docu- ments. The chosen firm, Mazars USA, proposed to kick off the audit in May, compile a draft report by November and present the final report in January. The overview The audit will assess Central Health’s: • Effectiveness in meeting the needs of the county’s poor population • Financial accountability • Public transparency • Record keeping • Compliance with city, state and federal laws. Central Health CEO Mike Geeslin voiced concern regard- ing the $845,200 price tag at the April 4 meeting and said the district only budgeted $300,000-$350,000 for the audit. It is unclear whether the audit will affect property owners within the Central Health taxing district as the 2024 budget and tax rate will not be approved until September, said Ted Burton, Central Health vice president of communications.
Public transparency
Compliance with city, state and federal laws
MEETINGS WE COVER
Effectiveness meeting the needs of the county’s poor population
Bee Cave City Council will meet June 13 and 27 at
SOURCE: TRAVIS COUNTY/COMMUNITY IMPACT
6 p.m. 512-767-6600. www.beecavetexas.gov Lakeway City Council will meet June 5 and 20 at 6:30 p.m. 512-314-7500. www.lakeway-tx.gov
The context The Central Health audit was spurred when local activists; attorneys; and community groups Austin Taxpayers Union, the NAACP and the League of United Latin American Citizens alleged Central Health lacked financial transparency. In a report released in March 2022, the human rights groups outlined concerns with Central Health’s growing contingency reserves—money set aside for potential financial deficits. The report also said Central Health gave more than $280 million to The University of Texas Dell Medical School with no public record of how those funds were used to provide health care to low-income residents. Central Health undergoes a financial audit annually, and it has come out clean every year since 2005, Burton said.
Rollingwood City Council will meet June 21 at 7 p.m. 512-327-1838. www.cityofrollingwood.com
Travis County Commissioners Court will meet May 30 and June 6, 13, 20 and 27 at 9 a.m. 512-854-4722. www.traviscountytx.gov West Lake Hills City Council
will meet June 14 and 28 at 7 p.m. 512-327-3628. www.westlakehills.org
BEE CAVE 13015 Shops Pkwy (512) 263-9981
BRODIE LANE 4970 Hwy 290 W (512) 366-8260
NORTH 620 10601 N FM 620 (512) 506-8316
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