Hays County Precinct 3 Commissioner Will Conley was elected to his second term as chairman of the Capital Area Metropolitan Planning Organization in January. According to a news release accompanying the announcement, Conley is the first elected official from outside Travis County to head the organization its 40-year history. Conley will serve a two-year term. "I'm pleased my colleagues had the confidence in me to re-elect me as chairman, and I'm dedicated to working hard with them and the other entities in the region to finding solutions to the difficult challenge of transportation in Central Texas," Conley said. Conley said formulation of the CAMPO 2040 Plan is the main priority for the organization this year. The plan details how transportation issues will be addressed during the next 25 years in Bastrop, Burnet, Caldwell, Hays, Travis and Williamson counties. In May, CAMPO launched the planning process for the 2040 Plan. During the launch event, Ryan Robinson, demographer for the city of Austin, said Austin's population grew 69 percent, to 790,390 residents, between 2000 and 2010. Robinson also said the Austin Metropolitan Statistical Area could have a population of as many as 5.5 million people by 2050. The 2040 Plan is aimed at addressing that growth. In addition to formulation of the 2040 plan, CAMPO is allocating about $60 million to local entities within its six-county service area. An additional $60 million will be applied to "regionally significant" projects as determined by the organization. "We're trying to put our money where it has the most impact here in Central Texas and where we can leverage those funds with other projects that may be ongoing to get the most bang for our dollar," Conley said. Public workshops are held regularly throughout the process of formulating the 2040 Plan. For more information, visit www.campotexas.org or call 512-974-2275.