Travis County partnering with City of Austin to create public health commission

AUSTIN (KXAN) -- Travis County commissioners voted Tuesday to move forward with the creation of a public health commission that would oversee and inform public health operations in the City of Austin and Travis County collaboratively.

The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted public health gaps, commissioner Jeff Travillion said. This commission will help inform leaders, make sure the county and city are on the same page, "and that we are talking about public health 52 weeks a year," he said.

The commission will be tasked with doing the following:

• Monitor public health issues in Austin-Travis County
• Find areas that need improvement and provide recommendations
• Keep leaders informed
• Provide an annual report on ways the city and county can improve its public health programs and measures
• Have an eye towards public health disparities
• Keep the community involved and gather input
• Report to the appropriate city and county subcommittees

The motion passed with commissioner Margaret Gómez abstaining. Gómez shared concerns about the overlap of the commission with Central Health, another Travis County-funded program aimed at helping with the overarching healthcare needs of Travis County and Austin residents.

"They're not living up to the mission," she said. "What is Central Health doing?"

KXAN reached out to Central Health for a response to those comments.

"We drafted this in a way that it was comprehensive," Travillion said, saying Central Health would be one of the programs looked at by the commission. "It will be the whole quilt, all of the different projects and programs."

Austin City Council already pushed the resolution through on their end. Staff will bring next steps, such as cost and staff needs, back to commissioners by no later than April 15.