"I'm real excited and energetic about what I see taking place for the downtown. What is good for the downtown is good for everybody ... In general, I think economic development citywide is starting to come back." - Paul Brandenburg, Georgetown City Manager
Big decisions made in 2011
- Budget — The council approved the 2011–12 budget, which included about $400,000 in cuts, and approved a new property tax rate of 38.75 cents per $100 valuation.
- City elections — City Council moved city elections from May to November. This will have to be approved by voters during a city charter election, possibly in November 2012.
- Redistricting — The council went through a redistricting process that shifted some neighborhoods into new council districts.
- Public safety — Council approved moving forward with constructing fire station No. 5 and reconstructing fire station No. 2. The council also approved moving forward with issuing bonds to design the Public Safety Operations and Training Facility.
- City attorney — The council accepted the retirement of City Attorney Mark Sokolow and agreed to a severance package.
Top issues for 2012
- Facilities — The council will consider what to do with facilities in downtown when the police and fire departments move into new buildings.
- Economic development — Council could consider updates to economic development agreements for projects throughout the city that have been stalled due to the economy.
- Water utilities — The city could acquire the Chisholm Trail Special Utility District, which provides water to some residents in the ETJ.
- Residential development — Council may look at ways to incentivize residential development in the city.
- Solid waste and recycling — The council will also consider taking bids for its solid-waste services and a new single-stream recycling service.
- City charter — Council members will decided what changes could be made in the city charter, which would require a public vote.
Source: City Manager Paul Brandenburg
Meetings
- The Council meets at 6 p.m. the second and fourth Tuesday of the month.
- Georgetown City Council Chambers, 101 E. Seventh St., 931-7715, www.georgetown.org
Terms and compensation
- The mayor and council serve three-year terms with no term limits. The mayor's salary is $450 a month, and council members receive $300 a month. Both offices have a maximum $100 expense reimbursement.
TV coverage
- Meetings are replayed on Suddenlink Cable Channel 10 at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, Friday and Saturday following each City Council meeting. Each meeting is also broadcast on the city's website.
City Council 101
The Georgetown City Council's members are elected from single-member districts, and the mayor is elected at-large. Each council member must live in the member district he or she represents.
