The following press release by Williamson County.
Wednesday, the Williamson County Commissioners Court approved the fiscal year 2025-2026 county budget and set the county tax rate.
“I believe this budget reflects the county’s priorities as outlined in our strategic plan. It prioritizes public safety and also values our county employees who serve our residents. The budget was responsibly built to meet the needs of the county and the people who live here,” said County Judge Steve Snell.
The total county budget is comprised of the General Fund, Road and Bridge Fund and Debt Service Fund. The total county budget for October 2025 through September 2026 is $702,428,992.
The adopted FY26 General Fund budget is $401,201,232. It includes the addition of 45.5 full-time positions and one part-time to full-time. Thirteen of the new positions will be needed with the creation of the new 512th District Court. Other new positions include four Sheriff’s Office deputies, three corrections officers, three deputy constables, an emergency management preparedness and mitigation specialist, an EMS inventory coordinator I, a budget analyst, a GIS analyst III, a facilities maintenance tech II, and an Expo maintenance tech.
Supply chain issues continue to impact the county, and as such, the FY26 budget includes a carryover of $6.84 million for ambulances not received in prior fiscal years and $4 million for vehicles not received this fiscal year.
Reliable equipment for public safety is essential. The budget includes $2.6 million for 33 new cardiac monitors for EMS and $4.24 million for Phase 1 replacement of emergency radios for law enforcement and corrections.
As part of the county’s strategic plan, Williamson County is focused on planning ahead for future growth and development. The General Fund budget includes $20 million for capital improvements and $7 million for the county’s Long Range Transportation Plan, as well as $17,937,693 to be used for either the Long Range Transportation Plan or capital improvements. During their meeting on Sept. 9, the Commissioners Court will discuss which capital improvement projects they will fund with those dollars.
In order to attract and retain employees, the Commissioners Court approved a 2% cost of living increase and a 2% merit increase for civilian employees. Law enforcement and corrections will receive increases due to a salary study at a cost of $4.868 million. The average increase per deputy is 8.38%, and the average increase for corrections officers is 10.98%. They also will receive step increases on their pay charts at a cost of $1 million.
“Our county population is growing, especially in the unincorporated areas. The population in those areas is larger than two of our largest city populations combined. Further, many in MUDs expect a city-level of services which we may not be legally able to provide and certainly can’t afford to provide,” said Precinct 1 Commissioner Terry Cook.
The adopted FY26 Road and Bridge Fund budget is $78,523,221. It includes $19.69 million for capital improvements and $10 million for the Long-Range Transportation Plan. It also includes a 2% cost of living increase, a 2% merit increase for employees, and four new full-time employees.
“We heard from the voters that transportation is important to them. The growth that we are seeing is relentless. This budget pays for the necessities, like deputies and asphalt for roads. There is no fringe,” said Precinct 4 Commissioner Russ Boles.
The adopted FY26 Debt Service Fund budget is $222,704,539 and includes $20 million for debt defeasance to pay down debt early.
“I have been a proponent of paying down debt early in order to reduce the amount we pay in interest, so it was important to me that we continued to do that in this budget,” said Precinct 3 Commissioner Valerie Covey.
The Commissioners Court also set the county tax rate. The total county tax rate for tax year 2025 is $0.413776 per $100 valuation. This rate will increase annual property taxes on the median homestead residence by approximately $122 per year.
The adopted FY26 budget will be available for residents to review online and in the County Clerk’s Office no later than Sept. 30, 2025. The Budget Office website can be found at www.wilcotx.gov/budget with information on the budget under the section titled “2026 Budget Overview”. A hard copy of the adopted budget will be available at the County Clerk’s Office in the Justice Center located at 405 Martin Luther King Jr. Street, Georgetown, Texas.
More information on the budget and tax rate can be found on the website: Budget & Tax Rate Info | Williamson County, TX
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