[{"_1":2,"_99":-5,"_100":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6276326,"mediaKeyId","2660769-2605a3602890fcfd388b09096538d52c","parentId",2660769,"title","Commissioners approve FY2026 budget guidelines amid concerns about slower property-tax growth and federal funding uncertainty","audioSeconds",2630,"startMs",6180000,"endMs",8810000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2660769-2605a3602890fcfd388b09096538d52c&start=6180&end=8810","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2660769-2605a3602890fcfd388b09096538d52c/thumbnail_6180000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6276326/Travis-County/Texas/Commissioners-approve-FY2026-budget-guidelines-amid-concerns-about-slower-property-tax-growth-and-federal-funding-uncertainty","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6276326-46876af09ed837f548634a927373413e/orig.mp4?Expires=1774665288&Signature=kOmticV87f-mZXGYwzDZ7HXRCSPKsQmeDgAPanyT9nFbvklrSxZbTWhtGzsF2L2FoJFJ-GxJlMqQJ6cFMytzLLe7d9N~4tqhzd4OGkgnyD6CIXTKs2Z4azSlZOm9BRzjIeKIRNxAjYdDdyDTaohflwcBAhNQcUZf991XfCPLZYeec7Wl5SZ4yVZWyMTfkg6g~Bu7yWmuXCcrXfEvOMHCTm47TFllj-dpyxLKTsIVa98j5jcx2VxqU6-6PocHJ02WeUM-9nM~9ZjsyvUw~C-v12ReP0gq-cJFCqIbk18ZQGD8oyzo3MZF1MjXniNBz-HDA-PQUvKB3Qa9qvSLk9x4iQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Travis County, TX","date","2025-02-25T00:00:00Z","article","Travis County Commissioners on Feb. 25 received the Planning and Budget Office's (PBO) FY2026 budget guidelines and unanimously approved them, while discussing slower projected property-tax growth, the voter-approval tax-rate cap and broader federal funding uncertainty.

Jessica Rio, county executive for Planning and Budget, presented guidance with input from budget director Travis Gatlin, assistant director Alex Braden and capital analyst Michelle Circa. The PBO asked departments to prepare budgets that prioritize contractual obligations and core services, to submit budget requests by April 23, and said the preliminary budget would be published in July with the adopted budget expected by Sept. 30.

Key takeaways from the presentation:

- Forecast and tax base: PBO said the county's taxable value grew to about $325 billion for tax year 2025 after strong multi-year growth but that early appraisal-district estimates point to a likely near-term decrease (PBO modeled a 6% decline for planning) followed by more normal growth in later years; the office highlighted that the large new-construction value of $9.9 billion in 2025 is not expected to repeat in the near term and that lower new-construction values would reduce new revenue available for county priorities.

- Revenue rule and SB2 context: The office said the preliminary budget will assume the voter-approval rate (3.5% above the no-new-revenue maintenance and operations rate) as the working assumption, but noted that legislative action at the state or federal level could change local options and materially affect available resources.

- Cost drivers: PBO identified approximately $40.1 million in primary budget drivers for FY2026 (compensation and benefits, retirement contributions, IT/capital transitions such as SAP cloud migration, justice system and pretrial costs, and contractual increases for interlocal agreements). PBO noted modest projected health‑insurance cost increases (under 4% per actuary estimates) and set aside resources for anticipated retirement contributions pending actuarial notices.

- Program and process guidance: Departments were advised to prioritize contractual and mandated services, review vacancies older than 120 days, prepare three- to five-year budget plans for key requests, and limit new ongoing program requests given likely constrained resources. PBO reaffirmed the county's full-cost-recovery review for interlocal agreements and recommended continuing the established 15% cap on year-over-year increases where full-cost catch-up is in progress.

Commissioners acknowledged uncertainty from federal actions and state legislative proposals; several members asked PBO to coordinate with urban-county budget offices and share what other jurisdictions are seeing. Commissioner comments emphasized (1) the importance of reserves and targeted flexibility in an uncertain environment, (2) the need to protect investments in basic services for vulnerable residents if federal cuts materialize, and (3) continuing transparency on overtime and vacancy management (the court asked for an update on the overtime incentive cost and vacancy progress for corrections).

The court recorded a unanimous vote to approve the budget guidelines (motion by Commissioner Shea; second by Commissioner Gomez). PBO will return with a June update and publish a more detailed calendar at that time; the office also scheduled a staff-only budget workshop for March 7 and an employee public hearing for June 3.

Why this matters: The guidelines frame department requests, prioritize limited new funding for FY2026 and set the schedule for decisions that shape county services next fiscal year. The PBO emphasized that under slower property-tax growth and continuing external fiscal uncertainty the county will have to be choosy about new ongoing commitments.

Ending: PBO said it will bring another update in June and provide targeted briefings (for example on correctional staffing/overtime) before mid‑year decisions; staff also offered to brief the court earlier if circumstances change.

","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Travis County Clerk Commissioners Court Voting Session - February 25, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","Travis County planning staff presented FY2026 budget guidance showing constrained revenue growth tied to lower projected property-tax base increases and federal/state uncertainty; the court unanimously approved the guidelines and set calendar dates for submissions and hearings.","taxTitle","Travis County, Texas","taxId",2721,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6276329,"Commissioners approve mass-gathering permit for Luck Reunion at Bee Creek site",177,1273000,1450000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2660769-2605a3602890fcfd388b09096538d52c&start=1273&end=1450","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2660769-2605a3602890fcfd388b09096538d52c/thumbnail_1273000.jpg","/articles/6276329/Travis-County/Texas/Commissioners-approve-mass-gathering-permit-for-Luck-Reunion-at-Bee-Creek-site","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6276329-157a8e6d3f8fe4116d0b644552e5f0dd/orig.mp4?Expires=1774665288&Signature=IXBxAm4AXt2OAb~0emWZNM4lnrSkyFhC-qmJrdsAQppCUPo6QBd-iy9T-ZADwjQDJ9~SrMLQDS9YPoUQBzpcNHwByJYIM-OERK~lgHSNOPVkr7H50ermsHBypDPysiW11cEDZXv1ByhO01qmY34oFm767Anu4F9p~EDyGsgHGEXOIDyNDxpTl-ozcY2wNRiO~Pu1aA-RQS-YTS9jGkWVK8tzsnJepcwV15ve7xNzWWd1wtMchjZPykxpxZR3vQqa9z1EpQgf3Ya9nWGpp5y-m1ulPo6RqSK-AoTQeiGHVoWeaq4j53ES4AyJY5e1dy9Sgvq4CPJDlCwBZY-YZFLkOg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Travis County Commissioners on Feb. 25 unanimously approved a mass‑gathering permit for the Luck Reunion music event scheduled for March at 1100 Bee Creek Road in Spicewood.

The court opened a public hearing, heard a safety briefing from Travis County Fire Marshal Gary Howe and special‑events staff, and then voted to approve the permit. Judge Brown moved approval; Commissioner Shea seconded the action and the court recorded a unanimous vote.

Gary Howe, Travis County Fire Marshal, told the court that county permitting staff and partner agencies had completed standard reviews and returned approvals for the event's public-safety plans. \"We had a really good process this time with our stakeholders as far as getting letters back to us with approval from TCSO, the Sheriff's Department, the health [department], TNR and our office,\" Howe said, noting that the fire marshal's office had coordinated the traffic and safety plan with deputies, health officials and the permit liaison.

Danny Timmons, the county special-events liaison, described traffic and schedule details: Luck Reunion will run Thursday, March 13 (10 a.m. start, about 11:30 p.m. end with a requested 30-minute sound variance) and Friday (2 p.m. to 11:30 p.m.). Promoter Scott Marsh told the court organizers expect about 3,800 attendees on Thursday and about 2,500 on Friday and said they had revised the traffic plan repeatedly over the years to expedite site egress onto U.S. 71.

Why this matters: Mass‑gathering permits require interagency review to ensure traffic control, emergency response, health and law-enforcement coordination. County staff told the court that all typical stakeholder approvals had been returned and an in‑person inspection would also be performed prior to the event.

Ending: The court recorded the permit approval as unanimous. Staff said event inspection and a DocuSign packet documenting permit conditions would follow before the event date.

","The court opened a public hearing and unanimously approved a mass-gathering permit for the Luck Reunion event scheduled in March at Bee Creek Road, with county stakeholders reporting approvals for public-safety plans and anticipated attendance.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6276334,"Travis County details opioid abatement spending, grants and new harm-reduction contracts plan",2604,1555000,4159000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2660769-2605a3602890fcfd388b09096538d52c&start=1555&end=4159","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2660769-2605a3602890fcfd388b09096538d52c/thumbnail_1555000.jpg","/articles/6276334/Travis-County/Texas/Travis-County-details-opioid-abatement-spending-grants-and-new-harm-reduction-contracts-plan","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6276334-c733030705800d075c4f219768f52aa2/orig.mp4?Expires=1774665288&Signature=CUfjOhfhrKgol0~wWK-~MXkNpkxmeVPMN3r-bJqc74ZyNWqnEW33p-d-Eg-tFm1SW6iTUAJdx3nf18XNW1-QdBuEHVv1-fswas0yZXj2FnXLEltsLLx1KTAzjTfC2KwRrzTF-U1a-LSWZ2r4~7YA~Euz7nb4FqupgFZ99NrmjSMCGGWXhLY1ZDBqtmehxGGq3CHBRXFIMwo9MyV6Xey4bFWzdnLDhQgKvDWunV6NpQfbGofRBJO2OtFHWam6Ja3H-5OHHh35q4~RUmQ7aVk5mwcn8k4R7GotOcj0azozvXvZLP0FZXJmpDdmR5YcKUTtltoRDvFT2HqmQMu9GdPUfA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Travis County Health and Human Services (HHS) told the Commissioners Court on Feb. 25 that the county has accepted two federal grants and is expanding local harm-reduction services using opioid settlement funds while continuing existing contracts for methadone and peer recovery support.

Courtney Bissnet Lucas, interim strategic advisor for Travis County HHS, told the court that \"in calendar year 2024, there were 1,102 EMS calls and 878 emergency-department visits for overdoses,\" and said the county is tracking additional overdose and death data via Austin Public Health and the Travis County Medical Examiner, whose 2024 fatal-overdose report is expected in mid-to-late April.

The update answered a court directive from Nov. 12, 2024, that required biannual reports under the county's public-health-crisis declaration on overdose prevention. HHS reported three major funding and program items:

- Grants: Travis County has accepted two federal grants: a $932,000 Office of Justice Programs (OJP) Burn grant to support sobering‑center collaborations and wound care and peer services, and a Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) COSIP grant of $1.6 million over three years to provide evidence‑based SUD treatment, medication-assisted treatment and reentry supports for people leaving the county jail. HHS said both grants are active and the county can now seek reimbursement for eligible expenditures.

- Local investments and contracts: County-funded contracts include two 2-year gap‑funding agreements for methadone services (providers not specified in the court backup text) that began in FY2024 and are scheduled to expire at the end of FY2025, plus a peer recovery support contract with Communities for Recovery serving unhoused populations at on-site community locations. HHS reported the county's current funding fills coverage gaps for people who do not qualify for Medicaid Assistance Programs or whose insurance is inadequate.

- New harm‑reduction contracting plan: At the court's earlier direction, HHS proposed using $400,000 in opioid-abatement settlement funds for harm‑reduction services. HHS said it will directly negotiate up to three FY25 contracts of $150,000 each (one per target population): transition‑age youth (roughly ages 16'26), people who use drugs at high overdose risk, and people receiving treatment for co-occurring HIV/STI and substance use. HHS said it will require vendors to follow SAMHSA guidance as allowable in Texas and to provide community-based outreach and low‑barrier services. Staff plans to return to court with contract documents for approval.

HHS also briefed the court on operational elements already in place or rolling out:

- Naloxone distribution: County staff reported 20,180 doses of naloxone distributed to date through MOUs with community providers and county partners. HHS said the court-authorized line item of up to $100,000 for naloxone purchase (approved Nov. 12) has not yet been spent because the county has been receiving supply via the state's settlement-supported program (referred to in materials as the \"Be Well\" program).

- Overdose training and low‑barrier access: HHS said 424 people have been trained in overdose recognition and naloxone administration through certified staff; the county is piloting low‑barrier naloxone access in some county buildings (initially airport office and the CFCF courthouse), placing naloxone plus guidance cards in public restrooms.

- Sharps-collection kiosks: Four kiosks were procured and delivered to community partners; three are installed (Texas Harm Reduction Alliance, Vivint Health, Urban Alchemy) and the fourth at the Sobering Center is pending installation. HHS said site staff will collect and ship sharps for safe disposal and the kiosks provide an online dashboard to monitor utilization.

- Santa Maria House: HHS reported closing on a contract for a multi‑building turnkey site (former private residential treatment facility) that will focus on women, including pregnant women and parents seeking reunification. HHS described initial capacity estimates of about 30'35 people at opening, expanding toward roughly 100 residents depending on funding and licensing; licensing and HHSC provider approvals were described as in process and HHS projected a fall 2025 opening.

Court discussion focused on continuity of care, documentation and performance measurement. Commissioner concerns included documenting use of funds to withstand potential federal scrutiny and demonstrating program performance in case of future funding changes; HHS said it is working with IGR, DASHEL and partners on performance metrics and asset mapping.

HHS also described two active federal grant projects in more detail: the OJP-funded sobering-center subaward for on-site harm-reduction and follow-up recovery coaching, and the COSIP-funded reentry support model embedding a case manager in the Travis County Sheriff's Office to link people to medication-assisted treatment and peer supports upon release; the COSIP grant will also pilot injectable medications as an option in the jail under a limited pilot.

HHS said it will return with updates tied to the Medical Examiner's 2024 report (expected in April) and with the formal contract documents for the three proposed harm‑reduction awards. The next statutorily required court update is scheduled for August, but staff offered to present earlier if the court prefers.

Why this matters: The briefing lays out how county staff are spending settlement and federal funds on immediate harm‑reduction (naloxone, sharps disposal, peer outreach) and on continuity of care strategies that bridge jail, hospital and community settings. Commissioners emphasized the need for rigorous performance documentation so the county can show the results of these investments if state or federal funding priorities shift.

Ending: HHS asked the court to note the planned next steps: finalizing the three FY25 harm‑reduction contracts, continuing to draw down federal grant reimbursements, and providing data to the court after the Medical Examiner's April report. HHS said it will continue cross‑jurisdiction coordination with Austin Public Health and Central Health on investments and avoid duplicative services.

","Travis County Health and Human Services briefed the commissioners on opioid-related data, existing and accepted grants, distribution of naloxone and sharps-kiosk rollout, and a plan to award three short-term harm‑reduction contracts funded from opioid settlement dollars.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Commissioners approve FY2026 budget guidelines amid concerns about slower property-tax growth and federal funding uncertainty

Commissioners approve mass-gathering permit for Luck Reunion at Bee Creek site

Travis County details opioid abatement spending, grants and new harm-reduction contracts plan