Bond Election - November 7th, 2006

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County voters will have an opportunity this fall to decide on a bond election regarding the issuance of $250 million in general obligation bonds for roads and parks.  

Proposition No. 1 - $228 Million for Roads

Proposition 1 on the ballot will authorize the Williamson County Commissioners Court to issue and sell general obligation bonds of the county in one or more series in the aggregate principal amount up to $228 million for the purpose of the construction, acquisition by purchase, maintenance, and operation of roads within Williamson County, Texas, including, but not limited to, constructing, improving, extending, expanding,  upgrading and/or developing roads including right-of-way acquisition, utility relocation, traffic safety and operational improvements and other transportation related improvements.  Roads include, but are not limited to, Westinghouse Road, Pond Springs Road, Lakeline Boulevard, Brushy Creek Road, Ronald Reagan Boulevard, Georgetown Inner Loop, Chandler Road, Arterial A, IH-35, R.M. 620, U.S. 79, F.M. 1660, F.M. 1460 and R.M. 2243.   

Proposition No. 2 - $22 Million for Parks

Proposition 2 on the ballot will authorize the Williamson County Commissioners Court to issue and sell general obligation bonds of the county in one or more series in the aggregate principal amount up to $22 million for the purpose of constructing, improving, renovating, equipping and acquiring land, buildings and facilities for park and recreational purposes including parkland, open space/preserve land, scenic easement, trail acquisition and pedestrian and bike trail improvements. 

Q&A

Q:  If the bonds pass, how will it impact my tax rate?
A:  Three variables determine the potential impact to the tax rate: the assessed valuation of property in the county, the amount of debt issued in a given year and the interest rate on such debt.  Based on an estimated assessed valuation growth of 5 percent for the next three years with the $250 million in debt issued over 5 years at a slightly increasing interest rate on each issuance of bonds, the projected tax rate would not increase until 2012 and at that point it is estimated to increase by 9/10 of a penny or .0094.  The estimated 5 percent assessed value growth is a product of historical growth rates and then dropping the percentage to a lower level after three years.  The actual assessed valuation growth in 2006 was 6.87% and for fiscal year 2007 it is 11.82%.

* Assumes M&O tax rate stays the same.

Q:  If issuing school bonds affects my tax rate, how can the county’s bonds not affect the tax rate?
A:  School districts are usually smaller geographic areas than counties, so counties usually have a larger tax base and the debt is structured differently.

Q:  When was the last time the county had a bond election for roads and parks?
A:  In 2000, Williamson County voters passed a $350 million road bond package and $25 million park bond package.   The road bond package was the first step toward implementing a multi-corridor transportation plan adopted by the court in 1999.  It included monies for the first phases of Ronald Reagan Blvd. and Chandler Road as well as portions of the Georgetown Inner Loop, McNeil Road and Anderson Mill Road.  The 2000 road bond program completed 70 projects – more than originally projected due to low interest rates and lower than expected construction costs.  The 2000 park bond program secured 1,321 acres of parks and open space in the county, including the creation of the 800-acre Southwest Regional Park on C.R. 175 north of F.M. 1431 and the 300-acre Berry Springs Park and Preserve on C.R. 152 north of Georgetown.

Q:  Why are we being presented with another bond election now?
A:  From April 1, 2000, to July 1, 2005, Williamson County grew by 33.4% from 249,967 to an estimated 333,457 citizens.  The county is estimated to reach a population of 548,770 in the next ten years.

Q:  How did the Commissioners Court decide which projects to include in the 2006 road bond proposal?
A:  The Williamson County Commissioners Court appointed a 9-member Bond Advisory Committee representing the four precincts to review the multi-corridor transportation plan and receive input from cities, MUDs, school districts, public safety entities, the county and the public.  The Bond Advisory Committee recommended the Court call an election for $250 million in bonds for roads and parks.  Construction of additional portions of  Ronald Reagan Blvd. as a north-south connector on the west side of the county and the completion of Chandler Road to Hwy. 95 as an east-west connector on the east side are two priority projects under the multi-corridor transportation plan that the Court anticipates funding with the proposed road bonds.   

Q:  How will the park bond money be used?
A:  If approved by the voters, the Commissioners Court plans to phase in additional amenities to the county’s existing parks, as well as purchase land for future parks.  Money also will be used to build more trails and to assist cities with park projects that they cannot complete on their own.  Some of the future park land also could serve as conservation land to mitigate for development elsewhere in the county. 

Q:  Who is qualified to vote?
A:  All registered voters residing in Williamson County.  Voters must be registered by October 10, 2006.

More information on the bond election is available by e-mail bonds2006@wilco.org or call (512) 943-1195.

Election Information

The general election will be held on Tuesday, November 7, 2006, from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.  Early voting starts October 23 and runs through November 3.  Early voting and Election Day voting locations are available online at www.wilco.org under Elections in county departments.  The last day to register to vote is October 10, 2006.  All voter registration applications must be postmarked by that date.  Requests for ballot by mail must be in the Elections Office by October 31, 2006.  The Elections Office is located at 301 S.E. Inner Loop, Ste. 104, in Georgetown.  Voter registration applications and ballot by mail applications are available in the Elections Office or on-line at http://wcportals.wilco.org/elections/index.html#registration.  For more information, contact the Elections Office at 512.943.1630 or e-mail dstacy@wilco.org.

To view the above information in Spanish, please click here.

Proposed Road Project Map

Public Open Houses