Welcome to my website. While Election Day is November 2, 2010, I have an on-going campaign to:
- Listen to you;
- Incubate ideas for action; and
- Report back to you on action that has been taken.
I hope you will visit often.
- SE
The Commisioner is IN!
COFFEE JOLT morning and CHAT & CHEW lunchtime events monthly on the third Wednesday (unless otherwise specified). Come on out and share ideas about local policy and politics!
September event info coming soon!
I fully support the press questioning the value taxpayers receive for the salaries county commissioners are paid. As you report in your editorial of August 2, the Commissioners Court voted a 2.5% increase to the ceiling of salaries available to the elected officials of Travis County (excluding district judges who are paid by the State). This 2.5% increase results in a $92,362 salary ceiling for county commissioners. Any of the 48 elected officials in Travis County may make their own salary determinations within the salary ceiling provided. For instance, I have taken less salary than was budgeted all four years I have been in office and I have reduced my office expenses in FY 10 and expect to keep them at the reduced level for FY 11. More Info»
Great summary on Statesman.com of the basic facts about property tax calculations:
Great summary on Statesman.com of the basic facts about property tax calculations: “How your home is taxed”.
The Associated Press reports that the drug war is a failure
The Associated Press reports that the drug war is a failure, suggesting that the effort be reframed as a health care issue. From a local perspective, this view is particularly timely in light of Travis County’s efforts to divert the nonviolent drug offender population into meaningful treatment. Click here to read the article on Statesman.com.
July 4th was a doggone good time. See photos on my Flickr page.
Want to fine tune your advocacy skills? Learn new techniques for civic engagement? Be a grass roots hero? Click here for more information about a FREE training opportunity in the model of “Civic Action Building Blocks” developed by the Harwood Institute for Public Innovation.
Excellent New York Times article on the positive experience with jail diversion programs in New York City.
Excellent New York Times article on the positive experience with jail diversion programs in New York City: “As Crime Rate Drops, New York’s Jail Population Falls to Lowest Level in 24 Years”
While I have been and remain a persistent critic of the toll road regime in Texas, the MoPac Managed Lane is a vastly superior model for a toll road trend that I cannot stop. More Info»
Ribbon-Cutting Marks Completion of Gattis School Road Improvements
Elected officials and neighborhood leaders celebrated the renovation of Gattis School Road at a ribbon-cutting ceremony today. Improvements to a 1.6 mile stretch of the road included widening the roadway and adding more lanes, creating turn lanes at major intersections, and adding sidewalks and bicycle paths. The improvements cost about $6.3 million and were completed over a two-year period. Read More »
Travis County closes on purchase of Downtown Austin Office Tower, Garage
Austin, TX – Travis County has completed its purchase of a 15-story office tower and adjacent parking garage in downtown Austin, a building intended to serve as the government’s new county seat. Closing documents were signed today. The Commissioners Court unanimously voted in January to pursue the purchase of 700 Lavaca, to address the long-standing and well-documented space shortage needs of its downtown government campus. Read More »
