Government
BY GRACIE WARHURST
City raises fees for new development
City explores sale of water service territory The city of Georgetown is considering limiting the area it provides water to by selling portions of its water service territory. Explained A certificate of convenience and necessity is the geographical area in which the city is required to provide water service. Currently, 40% of the city’s CCN customers live outside the 174-square-mile area of the city and its ETJ, as Georgetown’s CCN spans a total of 400 square miles. The history In 2014, the city merged with a rural water district formerly called the Chisholm Trail Special Utility District. While originally intending to take over a small portion of the district, the state Legislature required the city to absorb it entirely. The why By selling part of the CCN, the city will reduce the cost burden on Georgetown taxpayers, as well as better control the growing demand for water. The city would retain all of its CCN that is within Homeowners to see small tax bill increase Georgetown council members adopted the city’s property tax rate and budget for fiscal year 2025-26 at its Sept. 9 meeting. What happened Officials ratified a tax rate of $0.353 per $100 valuation. Although the rate is lower than the FY 2024-25 rate, city taxes will go up because of the increase in home values. This equates to a $14 increase on the average homeowner’s tax bill annually, according to Mayra Cantu, budget manager for the city of Georgetown. “We will be one of the lowest [tax rates] in our region,” Cantu said. The tax rate will support the proposed $1.3 billion budget, which includes $703 million in planned capital improve- ment projects.
Current water service area
Georgetown City Council approved increases to water, wastewater and transpor- tation impact fees at its Aug. 12 meeting. These increased costs for developers will help fund improvements needed for new growth, according to city documents. The goal is to ensure the cost of new develop- ment does not fall disproportionately on existing residents. Digging deeper Although transportation impact fees vary significantly based on the area and the type of land use, developers and property owners can anticipate increases from 100% to over 250% by September 2026.
Proposed transfer area
35
183
Nontransfer area
29
N
city limits and the ETJ, as well as territory west of its ETJ to Hwy. 183. Georgetown will offer neighboring cities the option to purchase parts of the CCN before offering the areas to other providers. Georgetown voters would also need to authorize the sale through an election.
Aug. 31, 2027
Aug. 31, 2026
Current
Water impact fee Wastewater impact fee
$13,000
$12,000
$11,000
$13,500
$10,250
$7,000
SOURCE: CITY OF GEORGETOWN/COMMUNITY IMPACT
County leadership makes final changes to budget Williamson County commissioners approved a $702.4 million budget and supporting tax rate of $0.413776 per $100 valuation for fiscal year 2025-26 at a Sept. 3 meeting. What residents should know The new tax rate is the highest rate commission- ers can adopt without calling an election. A resident’s estimated county property tax bill for the upcoming fiscal year comes out to $1,556 based on the median property value of $358,542, according to county documents. This is an increase of approximately $122 per year from FY 2024-25. What happened The final budget includes two changes from the last budget workshop. At the Sept. 3 meeting, commissioners
Budget totals
General fund: $401.2M Debt service fund: $222.7M Road and bridge fund: $78.5M
Total: $702.4M
SOURCE: CITY OF GEORGETOWN/COMMUNITY IMPACT
unanimously approved removing money allocated for a county vehicle that was already delivered this year, coming out to around $87,000. Precinct 3 Commissioner Valerie Covey also pro- posed adding $17.9 million to the general fund for the Capital Improvement Plan and the Long-Range Transportation Plan. The amount is in addition to the previously allocated $20 million for the CIP, and $17 million for the LRTP. “The theory behind [the additional funding] is paying for it now with cash versus financing over the future, costing the taxpayers even more money,” County Judge Steven Snell said.
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GEORGETOWN EDITION
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