Austin, TX
Colorado-based TTEC lays off 650 Austin-area employees after TxTag transitions
Hundreds of Austin-area workers are being laid off as the Texas Department of Transportation moves its TxTag toll billing and customer service operations to the Harris County Toll Road Authority.
TTEC Government Solutions, a tech services and call center based in Colorado, announced in a recent notice to the Texas Workforce Commission that it will be laying off 650 workers from two of its Austin offices in February. TTEC confirmed to the Statesman Tuesday evening that the layoffs are a direct result of TxDOT’s decision to transfer operations to the Harris County Toll Road Authority.
TxTag was overseen by the transportation department, while the billing and customer service operations were managed by TTEC Government Solutions. TxDOT initially contracted with Faneuil in 2019; the company was later acquired by TTEC, which then assumed the contract. Since 2019, TxDOT has paid these companies over $230 million, according to a report by KXAN Austin in October.
In October, the Texas Transportation Commission approved an agreement to transfer all TxTag processing, billing, and customer service to the Harris County Toll Road Authority. According to commission presentation materials from October, this move is expected to make operations more cost-effective, reducing the cost to process a toll transaction from 30 cents to 15 or 16 cents.
According to the Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification (WARN) letter, affected employees will receive either 60 days of wages and benefits in lieu of notice, 60 days’ notice, or a combination of both.
“Today, I regret to inform you that in response to their changing business needs, the TxDOT client program you support has made the decision to sunset their operations with TTEC. …,” TTEC wrote in an email to affected employees. “Our goal is to transition our affected employees to one of our existing and growing programs wherever possible. The payrate and hours for these positions may differ from your current role. We’re committed to communicating with you openly and honestly during this transition period and will continue to keep you informed with additional details about available opportunities so you can make educated and informed decisions about your career and your future.”
According to the company’s third quarter financial results, TTEC reported a loss of $21.1 million in its third quarter and a loss of 44 cents per share, falling short of Wall Street expectations. In the report, the company said it expected full-year earnings to be between 64 cents to 83 cents per share and a revenue range of $2.21 billion to $2.26 billion. TTEC laid off 170 workers in its Colorado offices in 2019.
“We have been working diligently to find other employment opportunities for them within the company and with TxDOT’s new tolling partner, where possible,” TTEC wrote in a statement to the Statesman on Tuesday. “When the project eventually ends in February, we hope to be able to have new assignments for many, if not all employees. We value our employees’ contributions and are committed to offering support during this time.”
AUSTIN (KXAN) — Texas’ highway system dropped two spots since 2025, and now ranks at No. 27 in the country for its cost-effectiveness and overall conditions, according to the Reason Foundation’s 2026 Highway Report.
The report assessed pavement conditions, fatalities, deficient bridges, infrastructure costs and congestion levels across the United States. Texas earned the following rankings:
- 33rd in urban interstate pavement conditions
- 21st in rural interstate pavement conditions
- 39th in urban arterial pavement conditions
- 12th in rural arterial pavement conditions
- 3rd in structurally deficient bridges
- 26th in urban fatality rate
- 42nd in rural fatality rate
- 41st in traffic congestion
“More than 42,000 of the nation’s 618,923 highway bridges, nearly 7%, are still structurally deficient. Arizona, Nevada, and Texas reported the lowest percentages of deficient bridges,” the report said.
The full report can be found online.
AUSTIN (KXAN) — Small hail peppered the Austin area as strong thunderstorms moved through Saturday.
A few of the storms dropped rain and up to pea-sized hail in San Marcos, Dripping Springs and the Austin metro area.
A Severe Thunderstorm Warning was issued for Williamson County around 8:15 p.m., and then canceled shortly after. However, it was enough for the Two Step Inn music festival in Georgetown to cancel shows for the rest of the evening. Event organizers say the festival will run as planned Sunday.
KXAN’s First Warning Weather team is monitoring the storms. We will update this post as the evening continues.
AUSTIN (KXAN) — Governor Greg Abbott and the Texas Society Sons of the American Revolution unveiled a new monument at the Texas State Cemetery on Saturday, dedicated to Texas Revolutionary War soldiers.
“We must educate every generation about why it is that America grew from a tenuous 13 colonies into the most powerful country in the history of the world,” said Governor Abbott. “This monument here is an enduring testament to the heroes who fought for the freedom that is unique to America.”
The monument was dedicated to 69 soldiers who fought in the American Revolutionary War and later settled in Texas, according to a press release.
Among those that were honored, Abbott recognized:
- José Santiago Seguín, grandfather of Texas Revolutionary hero Juan Seguín.
- Peter Sides, who fought in the 2nd Battalion of the North Carolina Regiment of the Colonial Army, and was later killed in the 1813 Battle of Medina, fighting for Mexican independence against Spain.
- Antonio Gil Y’Barbo, the founder of Nacogdoches.
- William Sparks, who fought as a mounted rifleman in the American Revolution and later settled in Texas. He had two sons and two grandsons who fought in the Texas Revolution.
“This year marks the 250th anniversary of the American Revolution, which not only gave freedom to the British colonies of North America, but inspired movements for freedom and liberty all over the world,” said TSSAR President Mel Oller. “Texans played a role in the war too, and it’s important to recognize them, and the sacrifices they made for our freedom.”
At the monument unveiling, Abbott was also inducted into the Sons of the American Revolution and received its Silver Good Citizenship Medal.
-
Detroit, MI2 hours agoGame 21: Tigers at Red Sox, Garrett Crochet battles both Detroit and the weather
-
San Francisco, CA2 hours agoWhy do gray whales keep dying in San Francisco’s waters?
-
Dallas, TX2 hours agoDallas Mavericks Owners Might Be Making Big Mistake in Search for New GM
-
Miami, FL2 hours agoDefense dominates, Mensah flashes in Miami’s spring game – The Miami Hurricane
-
Boston, MA2 hours ago
A crowd scientist is helping the Boston Marathon manage a growing field of 30,000-plus runners
-
Denver, CO3 hours agoDenver Nuggets Altitude broadcasts now being offered in Spanish for first time ever
-
Seattle, WA3 hours agoNeed to shred? Free drive-up/ride-up shredding Wednesday at Village Green West Seattle
-
San Diego, CA3 hours agoGame 21: San Diego Padres at Los Angeles Angels
