Williamson County voters to weigh in on nearly $1B+ roads, parks bond
Williamson County voters will have a say in November on nearly $900 million's worth of roads and parks projects included in a bond election.
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WILLIAMSON COUNTY, Texas (KXAN) -- Williamson County voters will have a say in November on nearly $900 million's worth of roads and parks projects included in a bond election.
The bond package will be divvied into two propositions. The first will ask voters to decide whether to issue $825 million in bonds on road projects, while the second concerns $59 million allocated to parks improvements.
County officials estimate that, if approved by voters, the two bond propositions won't lead to an increase in the county's debt service tax rate of $0.1339 per $100 of valuation, according to a county release.
The bond election comes after the Williamson County Commissioners Court first approved a citizens bond committee in late March. The committee met six times between March and June to evaluate the need for bond elections and which projects should be included for consideration.
The committee did recommend calling for an election, with their initial suggested road projects equaling nearly $1.7 billion and recommended parks projects totaling nearly $79 million.
“We thank the Citizens Bond Committee for their work in compiling their list of projects and making their recommendation. In the end, we selected projects with safety and improved mobility as the priority for our list to present to the voters,” County Judge Bill Gravell said in the release.
County voters have previously greenlighted roads and parks bonds in 2000, 2006, 2013 and 2019 elections. Those approved bond issuances resulted in 247 road projects that added 376 new capacity lane miles and completed nearly 854 lane miles, per the release.
On the parks end of things, those bonds helped secure more than 4,800 acres of parks and preserves, invested in 52 miles of trails and helped expand facilities at the Williamson County Expo Center and within county parks.
Roads included as improvement projects within the bond are:
- Ronald Reagan Boulevard
- Liberty Hill Bypass
- RM 1431 at 183A intersection
- SE Inner Loop (Georgetown)
- Whitestone Boulevard (Cedar Park)
- Parmer Lane at SH 45
- Kenney Fort Boulevard (Round Rock)
- East Wilco Highway (Hutto, Taylor, Georgetown)
- Bagdad Road (Leander)
- Robinson Ranch Road
- Red Bud Lane (Round Rock)
- Schultz Lane (Round Rock, Pflugerville)
- Deepwood Drive (Round Rock)
- Eagles Nest Street (Round Rock)
- CR 214
- FM 971 (Granger)
- CR 305
- Corridor A2 (Taylor)
- CR 460 (Coupland)
- Seward Junction Loop
- Kauffman Loop (Leander)
- CR 258
- Crystal Falls Parkway (Leander)
- CR 175
- SH 195 at Ronald Reagan Boulevard
- I-35 at Inner Loop Interchange (Georgetown)
- Wyoming Springs Drive (Round Rock)
- West Main Street (Florence)
- FM 971 (Georgetown)
- Toro Grande Boulevard (Cedar Park)
- Chandler Road
- CR 123
- CR 110
- Sonterra Boulevard (Jarrell)
- North Barker Street (Thrall)
- Salt Lake, Brook, Front Street (Bartlett)
- CR 138
- CR 458
Park projects under consideration in the second proposition are:
- Trail extension from Cedar Park Lakeline Park to Twin Lakes Park
- Regional Park trail extension southward toward Brushy Creek Regional Trail
- Trail extension from Berry Springs Park and Preserve north and westward toward Georgetown Westside Park along Berry Creek
- Trail extension south and eastward along Brushy Creek near Sam Bass Road
- Williamson County Expo Center improvements along cover on west arena with restrooms, showers
Election Day is Tuesday, Nov. 7. More details on the vote order, including tentative vote center locations, are available online.