Williamson County Officials Pass Detailed Budget For Fiscal Year 2016-17

WILLIAMSON COUNTY, TX -- Williamson County officials recently adopted their General Fund budget for fiscal year 2016-17 --$180 million coffers 11.7 bigger than the last one, with allowances made for a police radio replacement and enhanced Information Technology assets.

Williamson County Commissioners Court members approved the new budget totaling $179,871,807 on Sept. 1. The new budget represents an 11.7 percent increase over last year’s adopted budget, county officials said in a news advisory. The budget funds the second year of a three-year radio replacement plan at a cost of $1.9 million and has increases in Information Technology for security enhancements, increased network and internet capability, and software maintenance.

Capital improvements also figure prominently, including $8.8 million for one-time capital improvements funded from cash reserves including repairing plumbing in the jail, renovations to the Cedar Park Annex building and the Justice Center, and repairs to the Brushy Creek Regional Trail at Dam 7.

"There also is $2 million set aside for expansion of the Williamson County Regional Animal Shelter," county officials noted. "The Commissioners Court already allocated $3 million from certificates of obligation for a total of $5 million going to expansion of the shelter."

There is also a 3 percent increase given to the merit pool for employees not on law enforcement or corrections pay charts, officials noted.

"By policy, employees may receive no merit increase or as much as five percent in any given year," officials said. "Sixteen new full-time positions and two part-time positions were added in the budget with more than 60 percent of those positions added to public safety."

All Corrections and Law Enforcement officers will receive a step increase based on the tenure pay grade step charts," officials said. "The step increase is between 2% and 2.25%. In addition to the step increases, two of the Corrections grade charts will be adjusted which will result in an additional increase this year," officials said. "The average total pay increase for officers in these two grade charts will be greater than 5%. The adjustment increases the starting salary of an entry level Corrections Officer from $32,775($15.76 hourly) to $34,086 ($16.39 hourly), which places our entry level salary above the average entry level salary in the local market."

The budget also gives elected officials a 2 percent increase with the exception of the County Attorney whose salary would be increased $3,857.96 to be consistent with County Court-at-Law judges, officials said.

The Commissioners Court also adopted the FY 2016-2017 budget for the Road & Bridge Fund of $29,505,841. The budget included an additional $1 million for rehabilitation of neighborhood streets and $1 million toward the long-range transportation plan for engineering and right-of-way purchases, as well as a possible 3 percent merit raise for employees, according to county officials.

The Debt Service budget, which is repaying the debt associated with road, park and other capital improvements, was approved at $93,160,731 and includes $10.1 million for paying down existing debt. Current projects being funded by voter approved bonds and certificates of obligation include road bond projects, the Williamson County Expo Center, the North Campus facilities and Georgetown Annex, officials said.

"Williamson County will end the fiscal year with an estimated $84.2 million in general fund cash reserves and $17.2 million in Road and Bridge fund cash reserves according to Williamson County First Assistant County Auditor Julie Kiley," the county's statement read.

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

The first public hearing on the tax rate was held August 30. The proposed tax rate is $0.486529 cents per $100 of valuation which is the current tax rate. A second public hearing on the tax rate will be held on Sept. 6, and the Commissioners Court will vote on the tax rate on Sept. 13.

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