Georgetown Mayor Dale Ross said he will not seek a third term.

“I believe it is time for others in our community to have the opportunity to serve and lead,” Ross said in an email to Community Impact Newspaper.

“My wife Mickie and I have had the honor of serving the citizens of Georgetown for almost nine years; three years as a member of the Georgetown city council and almost six years as mayor,” he said. “I intentionally use the word ‘we’ because anyone that has held elected office knows the office holder cannot effectively serve and lead without the support and sacrifice of their spouse.”

He said in 2017, Georgetown City Council created a new vision statement for the city: Georgetown: A caring community honoring our past and innovating for the future.

In his time as mayor, Ross said he has been committed to preserving Georgetown’s unique charm during a time of incredible growth.



“Over the last five years, we have grown at a rate from 4.5% to 7.8% annually,” he said. “While I did not set out to make Georgetown one of the fastest growing cities in the nation, I do feel an obligation to prepare for the growth we know will come by managing resources and guiding development thoughtfully. A visual cue to represent this growth and our city’s response are the four new water towers that have gone up in the last four years.”

Ross listed other highlights from his time as mayor:

  • “We are the third safest city in Texas for a city of our size. In 2015, we launched our own Emergency Medical Services (EMS) to better serve our residents. We learned from the 2018 citizen survey that 97% of residents thought this new service, which includes ambulance services, was either good or excellent. In 2015, we also opened our state-of-the-art Public Safety Operations and Training Center, a 76,000 square foot facility.
  • Continued investment and new job opportunities were a constant over the last half-decade. Downtown had $11 million in private investment in 2019 alone. Additionally, we saw the opening of the Sheraton Hotel and Convention Center, Randall’s, Holt Cat, Academy, Wolf Crossing and we are looking forward to the opening of Costco and Wolf Lakes Village.
  • Fourteen years after Jack and Cammy Garey announced that they would donate their ranch and home to become a public park, the city held a grand opening celebration for Garey Park in 2018. An estimated 12,000 people came for the grand opening event.
  • In 2015, the voters approved a $105 million bond package for roads and sidewalks, the largest transportation bond in the city’s history. The bond package was expected to take a decade to complete, however, we are on track to complete these projects within seven years, including the Southwest Bypass, the Rivery Boulevard extension, the soon-to-be-completed Northwest Boulevard Bridge, as well as $10 million in sidewalk improvements.
  • Georgetown gained incredible fame and remarkable infamy based on our renewable energy contracts. Despite the challenge and increased cost to customers, in my view, our electric utility is on a stable path, with a renewed focus on safety, reliability, and cost-competitive rates. I look forward to seeing the good work and positive results from our new general manager and our new portfolio manager, Shell Energy of North America.”

Ross said while it has been an honor and privilege to serve Georgetown residents, it is time for him to focus on his growing CPA firm, to work on getting healthier, and to enjoy time with friends and family.

“The community of Georgetown has given us so much,” he said. “We have attempted to repay this generosity in a small way by giving our time and talent to make our city better for all its citizens.”