GEORGETOWN, Texas - The Georgetown City Council has adopted the city's budget and property tax rate for next fiscal year.
The adopted budget totals $868 million and maintains the 37.4 cent property tax rate. While the tax rate is staying the same, the average property tax bill is expected to increase by $125.
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The City says its property tax rate remains among the lowest in the Austin area of cities with a population greater than 20,000.
The proposed budget included investments in transportation and utility infrastructure, public safety, and customer services, which contributed to a $146 million increase from the current adopted budget.
Highlights of the adopted budget include:
- 51 positions in key areas such as water and electric, public safety, and a customer service 311-like call center
- An average merit pay of 4 percent and conducting additional market reviews for City positions
- Implementation of a 311 Call Center to help centralize residential calls for City services, streamline processing and reporting of service calls, improve response times, and enhance customer service Citywide
- Electric utility staffing, technology, and security, infrastructure to maintain system reliability, and enhanced cash reserve levels
- Water plant operations staffing, as well as capital improvement projects, including upsizing waterlines, rehabilitating the Dove Springs Wastewater Treatment Plant, expanding the III Forks wastewater plant, and other investments in infrastructure to ensure water demands in the City’s water service area meet current and future growth
The adopted budget also includes a $6 million increase from the proposed budget for a groundwater supply reservation contract.
Solid Waste/Water/Wastewater Rates
The City says residents can expect solid waste and water and wastewater rates to increase as well.
The budget includes a solid waste rate increase of 4.5 percent for residential customers, or about $0.98 per month, and 9.5 percent for commercial users.
Water and wastewater rates will increase 13 percent for all customer types, or approximately $6 a month for a family using 6,000 gallons of water per month.
Residential wastewater customers in the city limits will see a $5.05 a month increase, and those outside the city limits will see a $5.80 a month increase.
The proposed budget is online. The adopted budget book will be available online later this year.