After weeks of negotiations, Hays County leaders Sept. 3 gave their final green light to a contract allowing the outsourcing of prisoners to Travis County. The move, accomplished by a 5-0 Hays County Commissioners vote, is expected to transfer 50 prisoners currently held at the Hays County Jail in S...

By Anita Miller Hays County Commissioners stopped short of naming an “all-inclusive” Community Elections Commission on Tuesday, opting instead for County Judge Ruben Becerra and Pct. 4 Commissioner Walt Smith to develop parameters intended to insure diversity among the group’s membership. An actual ...

While major county elections are still more than a year away, two incumbents are planning to toss their hats into the ring. Hays County Pct. 1 Commissioner Debbie Ingalsbe and Hays County Sheriff Gary Cutler both announced recently they plan to seek reelection to their positions. So far, the duo are...

In line with efforts to reform the criminal justice system in Hays County, County Commissioners July 30 approved submitting a $342,720 grant application for a pilot program for noncitizens. The grant application will fund a consultation project that will bring assistance to defense attorneys in Hays...

Submitted report A longtime Hays County Emergency Management (EM) official will soon take her talents to the state level. On July 23, Hays County Commissioners accepted the resignation of Kharley Bagley Smith, current Emergency Services Director, who recently accepted a role with the newly created S...

A $600,000 donation approved by Hays County Commissioners July 16 provides funding for the Hays-Caldwell Women’s Center (HCWC) over the next two fiscal years. The donation, approved by a 4-0 County Commissioner vote, will increase the HCWC’s operations budget to more than $3 million. County Judge Ru...

A second round of litigation against a proposed 42-inch, 430-mile underground natural gas pipeline could be forthcoming. On Tuesday, Hays County Commissioners voted 4-0 to file a notice of intent to sue Kinder Morgan, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service relating t...

Finding ways to improve Hays County’s criminal justice woes could be forthcoming. Later this month, members of Hays County Criminal Justice Coordinating Committee (CJCC) expect to unveil their solutions as part of a criminal justice overhaul plan. Hays County Criminal Justice Coordinating Committee ...

Hybrid voting machines with a paper trail might be on the horizon in Hays County, pending approval from commissioners.     But before a decision is made to purchase the machines, the court will need to choose between two certified vendors. Hart Intercivic and ES&S both presented their respective hyb...

by Lon Shell, Hays County Commissioner, Pct. 3 Public safety and the criminal justice system account for the majority of your tax dollars spent by Hays County. These responsibilities require the collaboration of multiple stakeholders, jurisdictions, county functions and elected offices, in order to ...