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The Williamson County Sun

The Sun is an award-winning, bi-weekly community paper based in Georgetown, Texas. It covers the city of Georgetown and Williamson County. Founded in 1877, it is the oldest paper and business in the county.

Note: This is not an exhaustive list

Williamson County Sun •

Georgetown police address mental health crises with intervention team

Georgetown’s Assistant Police Chief Roland Waits said the department is upping their game when it comes to mental health calls and improving as first responders. According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness, a mental health crisis is “any situation in which a person’s behavior puts them at risk of hurting themselves or others and/ or prevents them from being able to care for themselves or function effectively in the community.”
Williamson County Sun •

GPD releases 2023 racial profiling data, discusses diversity efforts

Some of the efforts Georgetown Police Chief Cory Tchida is working toward to make GPD an inclusive and reputable department includes trying to diversify the force’s staff and regularly releasing its Racial Profiling Analysis for the year prior. Georgetown Police Department’s 2023 Racial Profiling Analysis was approved during the January 23 Georgetown City Council meeting in the council’s…
Williamson County Sun •

Georgetown City Council looks at short-term rentals

Georgetown is working towards new rules that short-term rental property owners would have to follow in order to rent out their homes to guests. The conversation about managing and monitoring short-term rentals has been going on since November 2022, when city council directed staff to create a low-to-moderate regulation program that would focus on registration, communication between stakeholders…

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Williamson County Sun •

Georgetown Rotary Club raises awareness about human trafficking

January is Slavery and Human Trafficking Prevention Month, and the Rotary Club of Georgetown is hosted a mobile exhibit on the Square from January 11-13. This is the first year the organization has put on the exhibit. They decided to take on the initiative because the passion for the topic was initially introduced by a former Rotary Club District Governor who was herself passionate about raising…

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Williamson County Sun •

Rock Street promenade takes shape


• The proposition for the 70 foot Right of Way promenade north of Eighth Street would require gaining control of county property to the west of Rock Street. (Rendering courtesy City of Georgetown)

As part of Georgetown’s ongoing discussions about the Downtown Master Plan, Georgetown City Council heard updates about a plan to create a Rock Street promenade that would include a large public walkway. The promenade will be built, but the features that will be available change depending on the prom
Williamson County Sun •

Groundwater Agreement discussion continues at Georgetown City Council

Earlier this year, Georgetown City Council worked to reserve future groundwater supply from the Carrizo-Wilcox aquifer through an agreement with international company EPCOR, and the city heard an update about the agreement during a December 12 workshop. The Water Reservation Agreement, which was approved by the council on August 9 and reserves the water with EPCOR while the Water Supply…

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Williamson County Sun •

Austin Avenue pedestrian bridge project faces financial constraints

As the City of Georgetown continues evaluating three proposed designs for a pedestrian bridge that would run parallel to the Austin Avenue bridge over the San Gabriel River, the city has learned a grant application to cover some of the project’s costs was rejected by the Texas Department of Transportation.

Although this grant was rejected — which could create financial constraints — Miguel Rosales, the bridge architect, encouraged the council at their November 28 workshop to keep applying to gr
Williamson County Sun •

Changes to the Austin Avenue corridor could see lane reductions

At their November 28 meeting, Georgetown City Council heard an update on the Austin Avenue Corridor Study, which considers transportation needs to develop a vision and recommendations for areas between the Southeast Inner Loop and Northeast Inner Loop.

Since the last update the council received there has been future conditions modeling and build scenario modeling.

“I think we could do something really amazing if we could fix some of those right of way and access issues down [by Old Monument Ca
Williamson County Sun •

The future of Georgetown’s ETJ hangs in uncertainty

On May 19, the Texas Legislature passed Senate Bill 2038. The bill allows property owners of land inside a city’s extraterritorial jurisdiction to petition to leave or disannex from a city.

The ETJ is a designated buffer area just outside the city limits, according to the city. Properties within the ETJ may receive certain services from the city like water and electricity, and must follow certain city ordinances, but do not pay city taxes or vote in city elections. ETJ is designated to cities b
Williamson County Sun •

Animal shelter expansion would accommodate growth to 2035

To meet current demands, the expansion of the Georgetown Animal Shelter and/or a possible partnership with the Williamson County Regional Animal Shelter is set to appear on the November bond election ballot. The Georgetown Animal Shelter was originally built in 2005. Shelter Planners of America did an assessment of the shelter in 2016 and determined it would be at or above capacity in 2020. A…

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Williamson County Sun •

Georgetown council approves historic home tax exemption

Historic homes primarily in the Old Town and downtown areas doing certain outdoor repairs of $10,000 or more will receive a tax exemption starting at 25 percent. The program was approved on its first reading during the regular meeting of Georgetown City Council at its September 12 meeting. Council Member Mike Triggs, District 3, opposed the measure. The exemption was established to assist…

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Williamson County Sun •

Court, deputies association clash over numbers needed to protect county


• Charles Duval, third from left, the president of the Williamson County Deputies Association was joined by supporters as he spoke to the press on August 29. (Photo by Kaitlyn Wilkes)

The Williamson County Deputies Association spoke out against the Williamson County Commissioners Court during the Tuesday commissioners court meeting over the amount of funds the Sheriff’s Office will receive for the 2024 Fiscal Year budget. The association claimed the department is facing a shortage of deputies
Williamson County Sun •

Georgetown water and wastewater users face 13 percent hike

To help fund the water department’s capital improvement plan and rising inflation costs, Georgetown City Council voted unanimously to raise the city’s water and wastewater rates 13 percent in Fiscal Year 2024. During the Tuesday August 22 council workshop, Matthew Garrett, managing partner at NewGen Strategies and Solution, presented an update on the 2022 water and wastewater cost of service…

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Williamson County Sun •

City council reviews pedestrian bridge designs for Austin Avenue bridge


• The first bridge design features a lower railing for pedestrians and cyclists. (Courtesy Rosales + Partners, Inc.)
• The second bridge design takes inspiration from historic bridges. (Courtesy Rosales + Partners, Inc.)
• The third bridge design features one main structural tower. (Courtesy Rosales + Partners, Inc.)

The Georgetown City Council was presented with the three final bridge design ideas for the Austin Avenue pedestrian bridge that will help connect downtown to other parts of the ci
Williamson County Sun •

Georgetown City Council place $130 million bond package on November ballot

Georgetown City Council has finalized its November bond package, and during a special meeting Tuesday, August 15, officially placed $130 million worth of projects on the November 7 ballot. Split into four propositions, if approved in the election by voters, the bond would fund a city partnership with the YMCA of Central Texas, the building of a new City administrative building, the r
Williamson County Sun •

Georgetown discusses tax rate for 2024 budget

For Fiscal Year 2024, Georgetown city staff projects the city’s revenue will be $97.59 million, a 9.3 percent decrease from the city’s 2023 budget. City Manager David Morgan gave an overview of the next fiscal year’s budget and received input and feedback from the council at a workshop August 8.This is the city council’s second presentation and feedback session about the 2024 budget. The…

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Williamson County Sun •

Georgetown working to secure long-term groundwater supply

The City of Georgetown will work with a water utility company to secure a minimum of 35,000 and a maximum of 75,000 acre-feet of groundwater for the city. City council unanimously moved to work with EPCOR, which has a presence in Round Rock, on a future Groundwater Reservation Agreement at a special meeting Wednesday, August 9. The agreement would give the city access to the new water source. …

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Williamson County Sun •

Blue Hole Park improvements may not make November bond package

As Georgetown City Council continues to look at projects to include in a possible $136 million November bond election, council members discussed removing Blue Hole Park improvements from a package in favor of using Certificate of Obligation to fund the work. The proposed Bond Proposition B, as of Tuesday, included $6 million for Blue Hole Park work and $49 million for the expansion and…

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Williamson County Sun •

Expenditures down 11 percent in proposed Georgetown FY 2024 budget

The plans for Georgetown’s Fiscal Year 2024 general fund as well as other funds for city departments were presented to city council members during a budget workshop Tuesday, July 11. The general fund is the primary source of money for Georgetown. Departments that are included in the fund are parks, safety, streets, city administration, water and electricity among others. “I do want to remind…

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Williamson County Sun •

Applications open for Home Repair Program

Georgetown, in conjunction with Habitat for Humanity of Williamson County, is accepting applications for the City of Georgetown Home Repair Program. The website for the Home Repair program states it was established to “provide home repairs to homeowners who are residents of the City of Georgetown and have limited resources.” Those interested in the program must live within the city limits of…

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The Williamson County Sun •

Preservation Georgetown hosts event for city’s 175th anniversary

Nonprofit Preservation Georgetown will be hosting the group’s first event in the series of presentations to celebrate the 175th anniversaries of Georgetown and Williamson County. Preservation Georgetown will host an event at 9:30 a.m. Saturday, June 17, at Grace Heritage Center, 817 South Main Street. Light refreshments will be served and a presentation, given by Texas Historian Trey Smith,…

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