Williamson County's Upcoming Bond Election

What You Need to Know

by Ann Marie Kennon

PHOTO CREDIT: TXDOT AND WILCO BREAK GROUND ON FM 3349 AT US 79 IMPROVEMENTS, OCT 2022 (IMAGE CREDIT: WILCO.ORG)

The Citizens Bond Committee of Williamson County, chaired by Georgetown’s David Hays, was formed to assess the necessity of a bond election aimed at enhancing roadways and park facilities. The committee held six public meetings across the county seeking input from a dozen cities in the county, municipal utility districts, county staff, the YMCA, and other partners. David reports that all six meetings were well attended and there was no opposition to the committee’s proposals.

The committee advised holding an election for road projects valued at approximately $1.68 billion and park projects totaling slightly more than $78.9 million. After reviewing, the Commissioners Court proposed last month that the electorate should decide on issuing the bonds. They narrowed down the project list, allocating $825 million for roads and $59 million for parks with a focus on safety and mobility.

“The cost of projects in urban areas like Georgetown and Cedar Park has escalated considerably due to increased traffic, and the number of projects exceeding $100M caught my attention," David notes. "With Williamson County's unstoppable growth and rising traffic challenges, failing to enhance our road infrastructure will only set us further back." He adds, with the county's population expected to touch one million by 2030, according to the Capital Area Metropolitan Planning Organization (CAMPO), the need is pressing.

There are 38 road projects named in the order, ranging from right-of-way acquisitions to design to full construction in all four precincts.

Projects With The Widest Interest:

 In Georgetown, the expansion of Ronald Reagan from FM 3405 to Sun City Boulevard will be a benefit for the safety and flow of traffic around Sun City: $96M

•  Kenney Fort Blvd. extension to University Blvd., partnership with the City of Round Rock

•  FM 1431/US 183A intersection capacity expansion, partnership with the City of Cedar Park

•  Liberty Hill Bypass, complete bypass around Liberty Hill: $86.5M

•  East Wilco Hwy, construct two-lane roadway CR 137 - CR 404: $80M

•  East Wilco Hwy, construct two-lane roadway from Chandler Road to SH 29: $87M

•  Robinson Ranch Rd, construct threelane roadway from SH 45 to McNeil: $47M

Mark Your Calendars:

• Voter Registration Deadline: Oct. 10

• Mail Ballot Applic. Deadline: Oct. 27

• Early Voting: Oct. 23 to Nov. 3

• Election Day: Nov. 7

Park Projects:

The Parks bond package includes 14 projects totaling $59 million for a mixture of projects related to:

Future parkland acquisition —location(s) TBD

Facility development projects associated with Berry Springs Park and Preserve, Williamson County Expo Center & Twin Lakes Park (YMCA)

Several shared use path projects

Tax Implications:

The county assures that if voters approve, the bond propositions will not alter the county’s debt service tax rate.

David emphasizes that these bonds, combined with contributions from cities and state, will ensure an even development. For instance, he says, “The upcoming Samsung fab will have a substantial impact on the road conditions in Taylor and they are already working fast to keep up with their water and infrastructure needs. Similarly, the future loop around Liberty Hill will be funded from multiple sources. Small municipalities like Jarrell are also growing quickly and the county—historically— steps in to provide funding for improvements to stay ahead of growth until the cities’ tax base can support their own road and park projects.”