Incumbent Mike Triggs was elected in 2019 and did not file for re-election earlier this year.
Meet the candidates
If elected, Orsak said some of his top priorities include planning for Georgetown’s future water needs, improving infrastructure and maintaining downtown Georgetown.
Butler said he believes Georgetown’s greatest obstacle is growing too quickly, and a top priority for him involves implementing slow and sensible growth.
What you need to know
Georgetown City Council consists of seven council members, each elected from single-member districts and serving for three-year terms, according to the city charter. Council members must live within the districts they represent.
District 3 encompasses areas north of Lake Georgetown and parts of Sun City and Cowan Creek, according to the city’s website. Residents can view a full district map here.
Early voting runs from April 22-29, and residents have until April 3 to register to vote. Voting locations and the sample ballot will be available on Williamson County’s website.
Candidates were asked to keep responses to 50 words or less, answer the questions provided and avoid attacking opponents. Answers may have been edited or cut to adhere to those guidelines, or for style and clarity.
Ben Butler
Experience:
retired U.S. Army colonel, former director of Public Works, Georgetown Electric Board
Occupation:
retired
Candidate Website:
https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61573032115659&sk=about
If elected, what are your top priorities for the city of Georgetown?
My priorities are slow and sensible growth, supporting our police and other first-responders, better traffic flow, water solutions and bringing an engineering perspective to the council. Georgetown is a great place to live, work, play and raise a family and I intend to keep it that way.
What uniquely qualifies you for this position?
I have an engineering background, a breadth of experience living in eleven different states and two foreign countries, customer support skills developed as director of Public Works, policy development and implementation experience as a senior Army officer, and a belief that there are no government funded programs, only tax-payer funded.
What do you see as the city’s greatest obstacle, and what are your plans to tackle it?
Georgetown’s greatest challenge is growing too quickly. Staying ahead of traffic, water, and first-responder requirements while keeping taxes in check will require an empirical, engineering approach while working closely with county and state officials to ensure shared responsibilities are properly addressed.
What is something you want Georgetown residents to know about you?
Thirty years in the Army taught me how to lead groups to achieve success using teamwork, innovation, and out-of-the-box thinking. From engineering, I learned a systematic approach to solving problems. A dozen years in the private sector allows me to truly understand what businesses needs to survive.
Joe Orsak
Experience:
retired healthcare fundraiser and hospital CEO
Occupation:
retired
Contact Information:
[email protected]
If elected, what are your top priorities for the city of Georgetown?
My priorities when elected are to continue planning for our future water needs, working to ensure thoughtful growth/development, the need to guarantee adequate electrical power, public safety by funding police, fire and EMS, maintaining our historic downtown, keeping our taxes low through fiscal responsibility and improving our infrastructure.
What uniquely qualifies you for this position?
I have served on past city planning commission and city council. Chair of Sun City nominating committee, liaison to Sun City finance committee, chair of the city of Georgetown’s ethics commission, member of Georgetown legislative task force, member of Georgetown’s strategic partnership committee, graduate of Georgetown Leadership Academy and Rotary.
What do you see as the city’s greatest obstacle, and what are your plans to tackle it?
Our greatest obstacles are water/growth/power. I plan to approach each of these through research, thoughtfully and listening to what my district residents feel plus balancing the needs of our greater community.
What is something you want Georgetown residents to know about you?
I want the residents to know that I believe in being available and responsive to their concerns. I plan to have monthly coffees to allow anyone to come and asks questions and get answers. I will also have a regular newsletter and quarterly town hall meetings. Communications is the key.
