The Williamson County Commissioners Court adopted their General Fund budget for FY 2017-2018 of $191,598,091, a 6.5 percent increase over last year’s adopted budget of $179,871,807. The budget funds the third and final year of a radio replacement plan at a cost of $1.9 million and 35 new full-time employees including six personnel in Emergency Medical Services to staff a new EMS station in Cedar Park with one ambulance.

The Commissioners Court also set the tax rate for 2017. Two public hearings were held on the proposed tax rate of $0.476529 per $100 of valuation on August 15 and 22, 2017. The Commissioners Court reduced the General Fund tax rate by one cent to $.259029 per $100 valuation. Road and Bridge tax rate remains at $.04, and the Debt Service tax rate remains $.1675. This equates to an overall county tax rate of $.466529 per $100 valuation which is a one cent reduction from last year’s total tax rate.

The Commissioners Court included $10 million for the Long-Range Transportation Plan corridor studies with $7 million coming from the general fund and $3 million from Road and Bridge. It also includes roughly $11 million for capital improvement projects.

The County will begin providing on-site sewage facility services starting October 2. Seven employees currently with the program will transfer from Williamson County and Cities Health District employees to county employees with a total staff of eight.

A one percent cost of living increase was given to all employees not on the Law Enforcement or Corrections pay charts. A three percent increase was given to the merit pool for employees not on the Law Enforcement or Corrections pay charts. By policy, employees may receive no merit increase or as much as five percent in any given year. No increase was given for elected officials’ salaries.

All Corrections and Law Enforcement officers will receive a step increase based on the tenure pay grade step charts. The step increase is between 2% and 2.25. 

The Commissioners Court also adopted the FY 2017-2018 budget for the Road & Bridge Fund of $33,680,150.99. The Debt Service budget, which is repaying the debt associated with road, park and other capital improvements, was approved at $102,419,161.67 and includes $19.9 million for paying down existing debt on bonds with a savings in interest currently estimated at $13 million.

Williamson County will end the fiscal year with an estimated $103 million in general fund cash reserves and $19 million in Road and Bridge fund cash reserves according to Williamson County First Assistant County Auditor Julie Kiley.

The county budget will be filed in the County Clerk’s Office in the Justice Center, 405 MLK, Georgetown, no later than September 30, 2017, and will be available at that office in person or can be viewed at www.wilco.org by selecting the Budget Office from the list of county departments.