Column by Commissioner Cook
Williamson Commissioner Cook: Feeding growth – one expensive omnivore (statesman.com)
The march towards a population topping 1 million by 2040 continues for Williamson County. Companies and ventures desirous of a presence in our county are numerous, and the draw for families to live here and commute to local jobs remains strong.
There are now over 74,000 single-family homes outside of municipalities. This means they do not have city services and protections, such as abundant law enforcement, noise and nuisance abatement ordinances, libraries, local ballfields, access to water and wastewater treatment facilities (unless contracted through a local municipality) and bulk trash pickup days.
Many of those county neighborhoods do not feel nor look rural, and homes are purchased without realizing that the mailing address may not be an indicator of whether that neighborhood is within the boundaries of a city. We now have more residents in the county than in our largest city, Round Rock. The residents in our unincorporated areas request city services; after all, they pay taxes, but those services do not exist for them. Those who live in a city pay both county and city taxes. For that, they get both worlds.
Growth also leads to packed road. Our 2023 Williamson County Citizens Bond Committee selected by the Commissioners Court to discuss future needs for county roads and parks, just completed its tour through the precincts. They conducted public meetings and voted on proposed projects they analyzed as the most needed improvements and additions. They will be bringing proposed road projects cresting $1 billion in costs to the Commissioners Court for adoption, modification or rejection. Most of the projects have city/town shared costs.
As for parks, the Bond Committee will be recommending almost $80 million in improvements and expansions, many of which are also in cities, and in one case the YMCA, as it operates our Twin Lakes Park, bringing money to the table.