The overview
The city of Georgetown is working to outline a potential bond package, an election for which council members would have to call by Aug. 15. The election would ask voters to approve roughly $300 million in capital improvement projects.
The outlook
Giving feedback to city staff, council members agreed the bond package should include funding for a new city administration building, an expansion of the Williamson County Regional Animal Shelter and a joint-venture project to construct a new YMCA facility. Cost estimates for the projects are:
- City administration building: $54 million
- Animal shelter expansion: $12 million
- YMCA partnership: $10 million
Some context
Both the Georgetown Animal Shelter and the Williamson County shelter have been facing capacity issues in recent years. In an effort to address overcrowding, city and county officials have floated a partnership to expand the regional facility and fold the city of Georgetown into its operations.
The WCRAS is made up of the cities of Round Rock, Leander, Cedar Park and Hutto. Georgetown City Manager David Morgan said an agreement with the cities is in place, although one city is not ready to move forward until Georgetown can solidify a funding plan—dollars for which would come from the bond election. He also said county officials have expressed support for the plan.
“We believe we have an agreement that is really structured well to where it benefits all parties,” Morgan said. “[Williamson County] needs to expand their animal shelter right now. We would pay for that expansion that would help offset their cost of having to make that happen.”
Other projects
Council members have discussed a variety of additional projects to include in a bond package, including plans to improve San Gabriel Park and Blue Hole Park, although no funding estimate has been calculated. Some of the other potential new projects and renovations, which officials will decide whether to include in an election over the next month, are:
- Recreation center expansion: $44 million
- Bark Park: $455,000
- Heritage Gardens: $145,000
- Rivery Park: $355,000
- Berry Creek Trail: $5.3 million
- SE Utility Corridor Trail: $7.9 million
- Pecan Branch Trail: $5.3 million
- San Gabriel East Trail: $1.7 million
- Smith Branch South Trail: $3.6 million
- New tennis center: $76 million
- Aquatics center: $40 million
