Georgetown Edition | September 2022

CITY & COUNTY

News from Georgetown & Williamson County

QUOTE OF NOTE

Council gives rst approval to rezone former school site

Georgetown City Council meets Sept. 13 and 27 at 6 p.m. at 510 W. Ninth St., Georgetown. 512-930-3652. www.georgetown.org Williamson County Commissioners Court meets Sept. 13, 20, 27 and Oct. 4 at 9:30 a.m. at 710 S. Main St., Georgetown. 512-943-1100. www.wilco.org MEETINGS WE COVER HIGHLIGHTS GEORGETOWN As of Aug. 29, the Georgetown Animal Shelter is no longer accepting walk-ins. A shelter employee explained the change is due to high sta turnover and an increase in animal capacity. WILLIAMSON COUNTY Will Ward was appointed to serve as judge of Williamson County’s newest court, County Court at Law No. 5, on Aug. 30. He will take the bench Oct. 1 and serve until a new judge is elected during the Nov. 8 general election. WILLIAMSON COUNTY Due to recent rainfall, Judge Bill Gravell lifted the burn ban for unincorporated areas of the county Aug. 24. However, Gravell said if the weather returns to hot and dry conditions, the burn ban could be reinstated. “WHEN I READ THIS PROPOSAL, I WAS VERY ENTHUSED WITH WHAT THE DEVELOPERS WEREDOING. I DON’T KNOW WHAT YOU COULD PUT IN THERE THAT WOULD BE BETTER, AND CERTAINLY THIS SITE SHOULD BE DEVELOPED BECAUSE IT’S A GATEWAY SITE.” GEORGETOWN CITY COUNCIL MEMBER MIKE TRIGGS ON REDEVELOPING THE MCCOY SITE

BY CLAIRE SHOOP

GEORGETOWN City Council gave preliminary approval to rezone the site of the former McCoy Elementary School during its Aug. 23 meeting after hearing developers’ plans to bring a mixed-use destination to the area. The site—about 15 acres of land located at the intersec- tions of Williams Drive, Rivery Boulevard and Park Lane— is seen as a “catalyst” by City Council as it hopes to realize redevelopment plans for Williams. The ordinance rezones the site from single-family res- idential to a planned unit development with commercial and multifamily zonings. Partners Capital purchased the site in December. Demo- lition of the old McCoy building was approved in 2019, after the new McCoy campus and the Hammerlun Center for Leadership and Learning were built. Partners Capital is proposing a mixed-use development

The development proposed at the former McCoy Elementary School site will include commercial and multifamily uses.

RENDERING COURTESY CITY OF GEORGETOWNPARTNERS CAPITAL

with commercial, residential, retail and oce uses. The rezoning ordinance will come back before council for second and nal approval Sept. 13.

City OKs budget, tax rate on rst reading GEORGETOWN In a series of votes, City Council approved the city’s scal year 2022-23 budget and tax rate at its Aug. 23 meeting on rst reading. A second and nal reading of BY CLAIRE SHOOP & HUNTER TERRELL 79.5 new full-time positions, including 21 new water utility employees and nine police sta Georgetown’s budget includes the following: BUDGET HIGHLIGHTS

FY 202223 budget, tax rate adopted

BY SUMAIYA MALIK

WILLIAMSON COUNTY Com- missioners court voted Aug. 30 to adopt a $505.4 million budget for scal year 2022-23. Commissioners also set the tax rate of $0.375608 per $100 valua- tion, $0.065 less than the county’s current tax rate. COUNTY FUNDS Williamson County's $505.4 million budget has three components. General fund: $282.5M Debt service fund: $165M Road and bridge fund: $58M

the budget and tax rate will take place Sept. 13, after press time. In a presentation, Finance Director Leigh Wallace said budget expenses total $722 million. Expenses outpace revenue, which is projected at $698 million. Wallace said the city’s fund bal- ance will be used to cover capital projects and one-time expenses that exceed revenue. The budget is supported by a proposed tax rate of $0.374 per $100 valuation, which is $0.027

a one-time 5% pay increase to employees meeting expectations increase in homestead exemption from $3,000 to $5,000, approved by council earlier this year

SOURCE: CITY OF GEORGETOWN COMMUNITY IMPACT NEWSPAPER

lower than the FY 2021-22 rate of $0.401. It will still bring in more reve- nue due to property values increasing and new developments, Wallace said.

NOTE: NUMBERS MAY NOT EQUAL TOTAL DUE TO ROUNDING.

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GEORGETOWN EDITION • SEPTEMBER 2022