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Check out these four recent local government stories impacting residents in the Cedar Park area.
1. Cedar Park OKs next Brushy Creek Regional Utility Authority fiscal year budget
Cedar Park City Council voted July 23 to approve the Brushy Creek Regional Utility Authority’s, or BCRUA’s, fiscal year 2026-27 budget, which outlines the utility’s planned spending for the coming year and includes a $7.2 million contribution from Cedar Park.
Some context
The BCRUA is a partnership between the cities of Cedar Park, Leander and Round Rock to provide the area with drinking water, primarily through a system that draws water from Lake Travis.
Each of the three cities gets one vote on the BCRUA board. Cedar Park City Council member Anne Duffy currently serves as the city’s voting member and the board president.
The BCRUA board approved the budget June 24. Following the board vote, a separate approval is required from each of the three cities.
Leander and Round Rock city councils have yet to vote on the budget.
The debt service budget of $33.4 million is an increase of 7.7% compared to the previous year’s budget.
The breakdown
Of the $41.2 million total, roughly $7.8 million goes toward the operating budget, which pays for routine costs like maintenance, treatment chemicals and employee compensation, BCRUA General Manager Sam Roberts said.
The operating budget increased 8.8% over the previous year, he added.
The bulk of the budget is allocated to debt service associated with capital improvement projects, including construction of the deep-water intake, pipelines and water treatment plant.
The debt service budget of $33.4 million is an increase of 7.7% compared to the previous year’s budget.
2. Chlorine rinse underway in Cedar Park, neighboring cities
The chlorine-like smell or taste that Cedar Park residents might notice in their tap water will continue through early September. The cities of Cedar Park, Round Rock, Leander and Liberty Hill, in coordination with the Brushy Creek Regional Utility Authority, are conducting a chlorine rinse of their water treatment systems.
What you need to know
Tap water remains safe to drink, bathe in, water plants with and use for other everyday purposes, a news release from the city of Cedar Park states.
The chlorine rinse, which began Aug. 3, serves to disinfect the water system and remove buildup from pipes.
To improve the taste and odor of tap water, residents can store it in an open container in the fridge to let the chlorine dissipate.
Chlorine rinses are considered a water treatment best practice and are recommended by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality and the Environmental Protection Agency, the release states.
3. Austin Light Rail vehicle design to advance under $39M contract with Stadler
Switzerland-based Stadler has been selected to deliver the train cars for Austin Light Rail, the third and final major vendor brought on for the project's first stages this year. Officials with the Austin Transit Partnership, the entity overseeing the transit program, advanced a $39 million contract with Stadler to design the fully electric vehicles July 15.
The company has provided cars for CapMetro's existing Red Line as well as other Texas transit systems.
Preliminary design work is now taking place for the entire Austin Light Rail network, its maintenance facility and the vehicles. The Austin Transit Partnership expects rail construction to begin in 2027.
4. WilCo commissioners consider pausing justice center project to listen to resident concerns
Williamson County commissioners are considering slowing down the justice center complex project, which plans to construct a jail and courtrooms near SE Inner Loop in Georgetown, in order to prioritize community engagement.
Officials discussed the next steps of the project at a July 21 Commissioners Court meeting.
The current situation
The county is currently wrapping up Phase 2 of planning for the new justice center complex, a project that began a year ago with an initial needs assessment. Although the county has purchased a site for the project, commissioners said they have not authorized final designs, contractors or any actual construction.
Commissioners are pushing to slow down the process to rebuild public trust and actively engage local residents and the school district, Precinct 4 Commissioner Russ Boles said at the meeting.
County Manager Rebecca Clemons said this could mean either moving into Phase 3 with restrictions or amending the current Phase 2 contract with project consultant Kitchell, both of which would allow the continuation of public engagement.
