County commissioners

• County judge: Dan A. Gattis, 710 Main St., Ste. 101, Georgetown, 943-1550
• Precinct 1: Lisa Birkman, 1801 E. Old Settlers Blvd., Ste. 100, Round Rock, 244-8610
• Precinct 2: Cynthia Long, 350 Discovery Blvd., Ste. 201, Cedar Park, 260-4280
• Precinct 3: Valerie Covey, 3010 Williams Drive, Ste. 153, Georgetown, 943-3370
• Precinct 4: Ron Morrison, 350 Exchange Blvd., Ste. 100, Hutto, 846-1190

Meetings

The Williamson County Commissioners Court meets at 9:30 a.m. every Tuesday

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 $83,558.62 per year, and the county judge's annual salary is $102,616.81.

Big decisions made in 2012

• Construction of Emergency Services Operations Center — The new building is 30,000 square feet with space for departments including 911 Communications, Emergency Management, Hazardous Materials, the Sheriff's Office, and the Williamson County and Cities Health District Emergency Management Division. It provides additional space for the Emergency Communications Department with 21 consoles for dispatchers and upgrades the 911 emergency communications system.
• Salamanders to potentially be listed as endangered by feds — Williamson County officials opposed the listing of the Georgetown, Salado and Jollyville Plateau salamanders as an endangered species. According to county officials, if salamanders residing in Williamson County are put on the list of endangered species, the listing has the potential to affect development and all future building in the county.
• The 2006 Road Bond program — 2012 saw the completion and start of several roadway projects intended to improve mobility. The county oversaw the completion of Chandler Road from I-35 to Hwy. 95, Ronald Reagan Boulevard Phase 4 began construction, and the court allocated the last of the funds from voter-approved road bonds. Williamson County started its Road Bond program in 1999 with the first voter-approved road bond election in 2000 and its second in 2006. Mobility is one of the top issues for Williamson County, according to Public Information Officer Connie Watson.

Top issues for 2013

• Endangered species listings — After submitting scientific studies performed by SWCA Environmental Consultants, the county will be notified about the listings by Aug. 22. Commissioner Valerie Covey said she feels the submitted data will show the salamanders are most affected by rainfall totals, not infrastructure or development.
• Vote centers for elections — The centers will bring all-electronic voting to Williamson County.
• Continue working with cities to plan mobility for the future — As Williamson County continues to grow, mobility will continue to be a need in the county, Watson said. Cooperative planning is needed between cities and the county to ensure that east/west and north/south corridors are planned for future growth, she said.
• Changes to health care, including the 1115 Waiver — According to Watson, the biggest health care challenges facing the county are the large number of uninsured, access to care for the uninsured and under-insured, and rising costs of indigent health care. The new federal waiver allows Texas to expand Medicaid managed care while preserving hospital funding for indigent care and will capture more federal dollars to support innovation in the state's health care delivery system. This includes formation of regional health care partnerships to improve access, quality, cost-effectiveness and coordination among communities, she said.