[caption id="attachment_126856" align="aligncenter" width="700"] From left, the 2015-16 Williamson County Commissioners Court: Cynthia Long, Precinct 2; Ron Morrison, Precinct 4; Lisa Birkman, Precinct 1; County Judge Dan Gattis and Valerie Covey, Precinct 3[/caption]

Meetings

The Williamson County Commissioners Court meets at 9:30 a.m. every Tuesday at the Williamson County Courthouse, 710 S. Main St., Georgetown. 512-943-1550. www.wilco.org

Terms and compensation

The county judge and four county commissioners serve four-year terms. Each commissioner receives $94,037.10 per year. The county judge is budgeted at $115,485.10, but has opted not to receive increases for several years, so he is only paid a portion of his salary.

Video Coverage

Meetings are available to watch on the county’s website at www.wilco.org. Although meetings are not streamed live, video clips can be viewed online the following day. Videos are indexed to the meeting agendas, so individuals can select specific items to view or watch the entire meeting.

Big decisions made in 2015

• Bonds In May the commissioners court issued $65 million in bonds, which have been used for constructing, improving and renovating facilities as well as purchasing land and equipping county buildings. The county dedicated funds to expand offices within the Georgetown Annex, a training facility for the sheriff’s office, training space for Hazardous Materials and Emergency Medical Services departments, office space for EMS and a radio shop as well as vehicle and facilities storage.
• Transportation The county broke ground on a project to widen FM 1460 between Round Rock and Georgetown as part of the $275 million in road bonds approved by voters in 2013. Designs are underway to widen CR 110 from Hwy. 79 to north of Chandler Road in Taylor and for CR 111 from FM 1460 to SH 130. Those projects are expected to improve safety and mobility in the area, County Judge Dan Gattis said.
• Events center In May, the court diverted $3.5 million from the May 2013 parks and recreation bond to fund Phase 2 of the expo center. The county is completing renovations as well as adding seating, enlarging the arena, and adding meeting space. Gattis said the project could be completed in July. 

Top issues for 2016

• Water Although Central Texas is no longer in a drought, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor, Gattis said a top issue for 2016 will be water needs in the county. In November, commissioners heard a request for $50,000 to complete a water study, and Gattis said he and Commissioner Valerie Covey have begun a study to determine how much water the county has. Gattis and Covey plan to gather overall data for the county and then decide if additional water sources will be needed in the future.
• Security According to a memo issued by Gov. Greg Abbott’s office in October, licensed concealed handgun carriers cannot be prevented from entering multipurpose government buildings as part of a new law that went into effect Sept. 1. Unless an entire building is dedicated to court proceedings or government meetings, CHL carriers cannot be denied entry. Gattis said the opinion from the governor will be tricky because of the layout of a few of Williamson County buildings, such as the Justice Center and justice of the peace courts. Concealed handgun carriers would be allowed inside the buildings but not inside courtrooms. Since it is easier to secure a building at its front doors, Gattis said the court is working to find a temporary solution to put in place this month while working on a long-term solution.