Council members (term expiration)

How council members are paid

The position is voluntary, though council members are reimbursed for travel, meals, conferences and other items directly relating to their role on City Council. Expenses cannot exceed the $10,500 allotted in the budget.

Meetings

Leander City Council meets at 7 p.m. the first and third Thursday of every month.

Pat Bryson Municipal Hall, 201 N. Brushy St., Leander

Top decisions in 2011

  • Purchasing Sandy Creek Water Treatment Plant — The Lower Colorado River Authority announced it intended to sell the water treatment plant along with 31 other facilities in a divestiture in November 2010. The city fought to purchase SCWTP because, according to city officials, keeping the facility in the hands of the public would keep water rates from possibly spiking under private ownership.
  • Hiring City Manager Kent Cagle — The Leander City Council voted unanimously to hire Cagle on Oct. 20. The previous city manager, Anthony "Biff" Johnson, died unexpectedly March 24. City Finance Director Robert Powers was named interim city manager, but he was not interested in holding the position permanently.
  • Lakeline right of way acquisition — Leander made strides in acquiring the necessary right of way to complete the extension of Lakeline Boulevard. Cowman said the step is critical in encouraging further development along the corridor because it allows for traffic flow.
  • Scott & White Clinic – Leander — Leander has been an underserved area as it pertains to health care for quite some time, but the new Scott & White Clinic at 1007 S. US 183 aimed to help. S&W broke ground on the project in May, and while it did not open by the end of the year as planned, it is slated to open Feb. 1 and provide the community with primary care and physical therapy.

Top issues for 2012

  • Bringing retail to town — Mayor John Cowman said the city is expecting to make some announcements in 2012 regarding new projects coming to town. More specifically, Cowman said he expects to be able to announce an anchor tenant at a new development in 2012.
  • Dining options — Cowman said the City of Leander is looking to increase the number of restaurants in town so residents do not have to leave the city limits to find a nice place to eat.
  • New homes — Cowman said the city expects to ink a development agreement for a major residential component on the west side of Leander. He has said in the past that getting more people to move to Leander is key to the city's long-term well-being.
  • Infrastructure — Leander will continue to work with Williamson County to ensure the proper infrastructure is in place to encourage development. The completion of the Toll 183A extension, San Gabriel Parkway and Hero Way are all expected in 2012, which will help connect the city to the region and allow Leander to foster development and connectivity with the rest of the county.

City Council members can also be reached by calling City Hall at 528-2700.