Williamson County, Texas

It's no secret that Texas relies on property taxpayers as their source of funding for more and more each year...

When the state does not fund its mandates, property taxpayers are stuck with the bill.

Did you know?

Property taxpayer protections can be put in the Texas Constitution.

A proposed amendment, HJR 73 by Rep. DeWayne Burns, passed the House on a vote of 127-18. Despite overwhelming bipartisan support, it stalled in the state Senate, never getting a hearing.

Similar measures already protect taxpayers in many other states.

If the Legislature acts, voters will get the chance to stop the Legislature's practice of passing costs on to homeowners.

If the Legislature believes something is important, shouldn't they pay for it? Homeowners shouldn't be treated like the state's no-limit credit card.

We can have a responsible, pay-as-you-go state government. Ask the Texas Legislature to give voters a voice in ending unfunded mandates!

Unfunded Mandates:

• Drive up your property tax bill.
• Drive up the size and cost of county government.
• Remove accountability from government spending.
• Cost Texans billions of dollars.
• Force property tax increases that strain YOUR budget.

Take action below to protect property taxpayers:

http://protectpropertytaxpayers.org/

Recently, Commissioner Cook visited the Williamson County Landfill  in Hutto as they were preparing a new section to receive refuse. Landfills are regulated by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ), and these landfills must meet their many requirements and reviews. Did you know there are many layers that go into building these things? Their construction involves more than just digging a hole and putting trash on top of the ground. Care must be taken to release safely the methane gas that is generated by the piling up of trash and making sure that our groundwater does not become polluted from the rain runoff.

Landfills are fairly site specific, in that they are almost always located in areas that have a thick layer of clay soils, because clay is impervious to water seeping through to our groundwater. But, landfills don’t only rely on clay to keep out pollutants. The Wilco Landfill uses sail construction. 

The base of a landfill is built in such a way that moisture is collected in the middle and then removed using pumps. The clay is covered up by large, heavy-duty plastic sheeting, as a secondary buffer. The seams between sheets are bonded with heat. On top of the plastic sheeting is a thick permeable layer of cloth-like material to protect the sheeting underneath, because there cannot be any punctures to protect the groundwater. The edges of this material are actually sewn together with a handheld, industrial-strength sewing machine. A thick layer of dirt is then laid over to complete the base of the landfill.

The crews putting this together were working quickly because a storm was scheduled to come through the area in a day or two. If water had gotten under the plastic sheeting, the whole job would be ripped up and started over. A $1M job. They got it done in time, thankfully.

Commissioner Cook is actively supporting Pavilion Clubhouse in Round Rock. This organization is only eight months old. Pavilion is a place where people living with mental illness and/or substance abuse can work together and participate in their own recovery. The Clubhouse needs a little bit of time for their sustainability plan to take effect like any startup business. They have some grant proposals, such as one with the city of Round Rock, but those take a little time to get here.  Can you help right now with a little bit of your time? If so, please click on READ MORE for the information on volunteering at the Dell Diamond. You will also see a link to sign up. 

If you can help financially in this moment of need, please go to http://pavilionrr.org/support-us-donate to donate online or mail a check to: Pavilion, 4010 Sam Bass Road, Round Rock, Texas 78681. It doesn’t matter if it’s $20 or $200.

 I want to encourage our Precinct 1 constituents to apply for consideration to serve on the Williamson County Historical Commission. The WCHC is dedicated to the preservation of the history of the county. For more information on what this organization does, please visit http://www.williamson-county-historical-commission.org/

The County will be accepting applications for membership in the WCHC until the positions are filled. Members are appointed by the Williamson County Commissioners Court and serve for two-year terms. The Commissioners Court also appoints people to fill expired positions. 

Individuals wishing to serve on the WCHC should fill out an application and submit it to their Williamson County precinct commissioner or the county judge. Voting members must be 18 years of age or older. Applications and a copy of the WCHC bylaws are available on this website at http://www.wilco.org under Commissioners Court under Historical Commission Applications or at this link http://www.wilco.org/Portals/0/Departments/CommCourt/Appointment%20Form.pdf?ver=2017-05-15-105138-293.

Below is my contact information for Precinct 1 constituents:

Precinct 1 Commissioner Terry Cook

1801 E. Old Settlers Blvd.

Round Rock, TX 78664

512-244-8610

[email protected]

I recently learned how to prepare a full meal for four in 30 minutes that was economical, low-fat and delicious. This dinner even included a healthier version of tres leches cake for dessert. 

A group of about 50 attended the Williamson County AgriLife Healthy Cooking School, the first held in Round Rock, on April 16 led by Chelsea Stevens.

Trained specialists incorporate basic nutrition, food safety, shopping on a budget and food preparation skills into these free classes. They also explore the relationship between agriculture and healthy eating.

The Healthy Cooking School is part of the Family and Community Health Program headed by Stevens, one of five AgriLife agents for Wilco. This event has been hosted seven other times in the county since 2014, four in Georgetown and two in Liberty Hill.

The Family and Community Health Program is one of many educational programs of the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service, that oversees a network of 250 county Extension offices covering all 254 Texas counties with 900 professional educators. (Click on Read More Below)