Williamson commissioners propose $372.9 million budget; plan includes new jobs, raises

Williamson County's proposed $372.9 million budget includes 41 new positions, 4% merit raises for civilian employees, money to staff a new EMS station in Liberty Hill, new law enforcement cameras, improvements to a park and millions of dollars for a long-term transportation plan.

County commissioners approved a maximum proposed tax rate of 37.9 cents per $100 valuation but said they plan to lower it before the final budget is adopted on Aug. 29.

"This court has been pretty faithfully committed to lowering taxes for residents," said County Judge Bill Gravell.

Under the maximum proposed tax rate, owners of an average priced home with a homestead exemption would pay $173 more than they did last year. The maximum proposed tax rate is higher than the current tax rate of 37.5 cents per $100 valuation and property values have increased.

The value of an average-priced home with a homestead exemption has increased to $360,112 this year compared to $317,403 last year, according to county authorities. Owners of an average-priced home with a homestead exemption this year would pay $1,365 in county taxes under the maximum proposed tax rate. Last year, owners of an average-priced home with a homestead exemption paid $1,192 in county taxes.

A public hearing on the proposed budget will be at 10 a.m. Aug. 29 at the commissioners courtroom at the County Courthouse, 701 S. Main St. in Georgetown.

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The proposed general operating and road and bridge budget is a total of $372.9 million compared to last year's adopted budget of $340.4 million. Part of the new increase is due to $5 million being carried over from previous budgets because the county has not received vehicles, ambulances, chillers and generators due to supply chain issues, said Ashlie Holladay, the county's budget officer.

The county also has seen a 60% increase in the cost of materials for roads and will spend $1.1 million in heavy equipment replacement, she said.

The 41 additional positions would cost around $4.4 million. The jobs include 12 dispatchers for the 911 system, six paramedics, one EMS lieutenant, one EMS administrative specialist and a hazard mitigation specialist for emergency management.

They also include a loss control administrator for the Commissioners Court, a director of county courts administration and a prosecutor and an investigator for the district attorney's office.

Other new positions are two attorneys and a victims assistance coordinator for the county attorney's office, two auditors for the county auditors office and an analyst and engineer for IT. There is also a fire alarms and sprinklers specialist for building maintenance, two park maintenance workers, two deputy constables, a fire marshal deputy, a sheriff's deputy, an evidence technician for the sheriff's office and a sanitarian for sewage facilities.

More: Williamson County proposes tax rate, to decrease bill by $107 for average homeowner

A 4% merit raise for civilian employees totaling about $3.5 million is also in the proposed budget, as well as an annual increase totaling $887,000 based on years of service for law enforcement officers.

New projects proposed include $828,000 to staff a new Liberty Hill EMS station. Liberty Hill has had a 107% increase in 911 calls since 2017 and a 277% increase in population in the past decade, officials said.*

Other new projects proposed include $400,00 for a new jury/employee restroom at the Williamson County Justice Center, $325,000 to replace law enforcement cameras, $880,000 for new paving and bathroom renovation at Southwest Regional Park and $1.7 million for storage of video evidence from cameras, phones, security cameras and body cameras for the sheriff's office.

There is also $12 million for the county's long-range transportation plan and $16.2 million for capital projects that have not yet been identified in the proposed budget. The county also has allocated $20 million to pay off debt.

Gravell said the proposed budget seemed appropriate for the "dramatic change we are going through as a county." The county has two cities that are among the fastest-growing in the country, according to information from the U.S. census. Samsung is also building a $17 billion semiconductor plant in Taylor in eastern Williamson County.

By the numbers

Williamson County's proposed budget at a glance

Total budget: The proposed budget for the general fund and the road and bridge fund is $372.9 million. It is a 9.6% increase over last year's budget. The increase includes a $5 million carryover from previous budgets for equipment not received due to supply chain issues, an increase in road material costs and heavy equipment and new employees.

Proposed property tax rate: The proposed property tax rate is 37.9 cents per $100 valuation, which is a little less than half a cent above the current tax rate of 37.5 cents per $100 valuation.

Amount average homeowner with homestead exemption would pay: The average homeowner, after a homestead exemption, would pay $1,365 per year with a home worth $360,112 under the proposed tax rate. This is increase of $173 from what an average homeowner paid last year.

No new revenue rate: If the county was to raise the same amount of tax revenue as last year, it would have to lower the tax rate to $35 cents per $100 valuation.

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This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Williamson County commissioners propose $372.9 million budget