The gist
The approval of the MOU agreement is the first step in the merger process between Georgetown and other member cities with the Williamson County Animal Shelter, Assistant Public Works Director Jack Daly said.
Other cities included in the Williamson County Animal Shelter merger include Cedar Park, Hutto, Leander and Round Rock, according to previous reporting by Community Impact.
Daly said the approved MOU agreement includes a draft of an interlocal agreement to incorporate Georgetown into the county animal shelter.
Other cities included in the merger must also approve an MOU agreement with a draft interlocal agreement, Daly said.
The approved MOU and interlocal agreements from the cities would then have to be approved by the attorney general before they can come back before council for approval, Daly said.
The specifics
Daly also presented City Council with proposed details of the merger at the March 7 meeting, with details regarding costs and funding expansion at the county animal shelter.
The merger, once all steps in the process have been completed, would include the city of Georgetown covering operation and maintenance costs for the county animal shelter at an estimated 15% annually, which will be funded by reappropriating portions of the animal services budget. The city would also be responsible for annual equity buy-in fees—funds invested into the partnership based on predictions of growth, according to city documents.
Georgetown’s equity buy-in fees for 2025 are based on the year’s projected operational and maintenance costs plus 50% and would decrease over the next 10 years until it hits $0, Daly said.
The first year of costs for the equity buy-in fees for Georgetown is projected to be a little more than $316,000 at both a 9% and 5% growth rate. The total projected equity buy-in at a 9% growth rate is approximately $2.3 million and approximately $2.03 million at a 5% growth rate, according to city documents.
The city will also be helping fund the expansion of the Williamson County Animal Shelter with $15 million of 2023 bond funds, estimated to be approximately $750,000 annually over 20 years. The city will also provide 106 kennels for housing medium and large dogs, according to city documents.
What’s next?
Daly said upon approval of the MOU and draft interlocal agreements by the attorney general, cities will then need to officially approve the interlocal agreements, including any requested revisions.
