CITY & COUNTY WilCo opens economic development oce in Korea
Georgetown City Council will meet Aug. 22 and Sept. 12 at 6 p.m. at 510 W. Ninth St., Georgetown. 512-930-3652. www.georgetown.org Williamson County Commissioners Court will meet Aug. 22 and 29, and Sept. 12 at 9:30 a.m. at 710 S. Main St., Georgetown. 512-943-1100. www.wilcotx.gov MEETINGS WE COVER exploring a possible partnership as ocials continue to weigh a potential November bond. The YMCA already plans to use around $13.5 million to build a facility on Williams Drive, ranging from 35,000-40,000 square feet. However, the scope of that facility could expand to 50,000-60,000 square feet with a contribution from Georgetown. The estimated cost for the city’s portion of the project would be $9 million-$10 million. The YMCA would cover 100% of operating costs. HIGHLIGHTS GEORGETOWN The city is projecting general fund revenues of $97.6 million for scal year 2023-24, which would be a 10.2% decrease from FY 2022-23. Meanwhile, planning sta is expected to propose $101.3 million in general fund expenditures for FY 2023-24. The decrease in revenue is largely due to the fact that solid waste will no longer be accounted for in the general fund. City Council reviewed the city manager’s proposed budget during an Aug. 8 meeting and set a maximum tax rate of $0.374698 per $100 valuation. WILLIAMSON COUNTY River Ranch County Park opened to the public July 22, after several years of planning, preparation and construction. Located at 194 Reveille Way, Liberty Hill, the park spans about 1,354 acres and oers amenities including camp sites, an equestrian area, an interpretive center, hiking trails and restrooms. GEORGETOWN The city and YMCA of Central Texas are
BY ZACHARIA WASHINGTON
WHAT THEY’RE SAYING “We have placed a sign in the sky that says, ‘Williamson County is open for business.’ This oce gives us boots on the ground locally so that when companies come to [the Korea Trade-Investment Promotion Agency] wanting to do business in the U.S., they
WILLIAMSON COUNTY O cials with the Williamson County Economic Development Partnership announced the opening of its o ce in Seoul, South Korea, on July 1. In a nutshell: The main purpose of the WilCo EDP’s new o ce in South Korea is to pinpoint South Korean companies looking to expand in the United States, and help and encourage them to locate in Williamson County. With construction on the new Samsung semiconductor manufactur- ing facility underway in Taylor, there is a demand for suppliers to locate in Central Texas, WilCo EDP Executive Director Dave Porter said at the July 25 Commissioners Court meeting. The new o ce will target industry sectors, such as research, life sciences, automotive and software, in addition to semiconductor suppliers. Some Georgetown water customers under Stage 3 limits
can walk them down the hall to our oces.” BILL GRAVELL, WILLIAMSON COUNTY JUDGE
A closer look: The new o ce in South Korea is colocated with the headquar- ters of the Korea Trade-Investment Promotion Agency, or KOTRA, which is a South Korean state-funded trade and investment promotion organiza- tion, according to the news release. Through a partnership with Global Business Partners for sta ng, the South Korean o ce has already produced two leads for the WilCo EDP in the short time it’s been open. One of the WilCo EDP’s South
Korean o ce’s rst projects includes hosting a half-day seminar Sept. 12 focusing on how to conduct business in Williamson County. Economic development leaders, city man- agers and others from Williamson County will be in attendance, and they are anticipating meeting with 100-150 companies. Movement on this project began in April when the county began visiting South Korea and approved its partner- ship with KOTRA.
$884M road, parks bond heads to voters
AFFECTED AREAS The west portion of Georgetown’s water service area, which remains under Stage 3 restrictions, includes: • the Parkside neighborhood • the Santa Rita Ranch neighborhood • the Parmer Ranch neighborhood • the Water Oak neighborhood • the Liberty Hill extraterritorial jurisdiction Under Stage 3, residents cannot: • use irrigation systems or hose-end sprinklers • wash their vehicles at home • install turf or grass • ll outdoor spas and hot tubs
BY CHLOE YOUNG
WILLIAMSON COUNTY Commissioners Court voted to put an $884 million bond package before voters at its Aug. 8 meeting. The details: The bond will be made up of two propositions. Proposition A will be an $825 million road bond, while Proposition B will include $59 million for parks. The election will take place Nov. 7.
BY CLAIRE SHOOP
GEORGETOWN City o cials announced July 17 residents in the western portion of its water service area will remain under Stage 3 drought conditions through Sept. 4. This part of the service area is described in a city news release as being southwest of Williams Drive, west of DB Wood Road and west of the Southwest Bypass.
SOURCE: CITY OF GEORGETOWN¡ COMMUNITY IMPACT
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GEORGETOWN EDITION • AUGUST 2023
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