City of Georgetown 2023 Bond
Georgetown Facility Bond 2023
The Georgetown City Council has called a Nov. 7 election for a $130 million bond package that would fund new and expanded customer service, animal shelter, and recreation facilities with no expected change to the tax rate. Voters will see four propositions on the ballot.
This page contains more information about each proposition, including why the City is proposing these projects and financial information. Click the + mark next to the different sections for more information on the topic.
For questions not covered here or to schedule a bond presentation in your neighborhood, email ms@georgetown.org.
Proposition A would fund the construction of a 80,000-square foot Customer Service Center that would consolidate in one central location numerous City services that are currently located in multiple offices throughout Georgetown. The new building would house services including: The City’s municipal buildings are at capacity, and the City is subleasing 33,000 square feet of additional space to accommodate current staff. Staffing levels are projected to increase in the coming years in order to maintain the City’s service level as the population grows. The City already owns the land for the proposed building. If the project is approved by voters, the City projects it will save $82 million over the next 30 years compared to the cost of leasing the same amount of space. Proposition B would fund the complete renovation of the current 65,000-square-foot Georgetown Recreation Center on Austin Avenue as well as a 30,000 square foot expansion. The Georgetown Recreation Center was last expanded in 2009 when Georgetown’s population was 45 percent lower than it is today, leading to growing wait lists for athletic leagues and summer camps. Proposition B would add dedicated year-round recreational space for seniors, teens and youth. New and renovated spaces would include: Proposition C would fund an expansion to the City of Georgetown’s animal sheltering capacity. If approved by voters, City Council would pursue one of two options for expanding capacity: Currently, the City’s shelter is consistently housing more animals than it was designed to hold, and capacity constraints at other nearby shelters mean the City can no longer rely on transfers to free up space. Proposition C will enable the City to expand its animal sheltering capacity and help ensure Georgetown residents have access to a local no-kill shelter. Proposition D would allocate $10 million in City funding toward the construction of a new jointly-owned YMCA center on the west side of town. These funds would enable the YMCA to build a 55,000-square-foot facility to accommodate more youth sports and childcare options. The YMCA would cover all operating costs and offer Georgetown residents discounted memberships. The $130 million ($130,000,000) in project expenditures authorized by City of Georgetown Propositions A, B, C, and D would be funded by general obligation bonds, which are repaid by property taxes. If approved, the City expects to issue bonds in installments beginning in 2024. If the proposition passes, the City anticipates maintaining the current property tax rate and will have the ability to pay debt service based on growth in assessed valuation. This estimate assumes annual growth of the City’s taxable assessed valuation on average of 7 percent through tax year 2029 and a 3% growth through 2048. Interest on the proposed bonds under Propositions A, B, C, and D has been estimated at a weighted average interest rate of 5 percent. Homeowners who are 65-or-older or disabled, whose City taxes are frozen when the bonds are issued, will not have their property taxes increased if the bonds are approved, under current City taxing procedures. Past Council presentations related to the bond propositions will be linked here. Citizens must be registered to vote in the City of Georgetown (Williamson County) in order to be eligible to vote in the Nov. 7, 2023 bond election. Important Election Dates: In order to cast a ballot in the bond election, you must be both registered to vote in and be a resident of the city limits of the City of Georgetown. If you’re unsure of whether you are eligible to vote, or would like to learn more, visit www.votetexas.gov. Williamson County residents can download voter registration forms online at: wilcotx.gov/elections. Proposition A: Proposition B: Proposition C: Proposition D: If you have questions about the 2023 Bond or are interested in setting up a presentation for your organization to learn more about the bond, please contact the Communications and Public Engagement Department at pio@georgetown.org.
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The issuance of $56,000,000 bonds by the city of Georgetown, Texas, for a city facility which includes a customer service center as well as other city services and the imposition of taxes sufficient to pay the principal of and interest on the bonds.
The issuance of $49,000,000 bonds by the city of Georgetown, Texas, for park and recreational projects for renovation and expansion of the Georgetown Recreation Center on Austin avenue and the imposition of taxes sufficient to pay the principal of and interest on the bonds.
The issuance of $15,000,000 bonds by the city of Georgetown, Texas, for animal shelter facilities to provide animal sheltering and control services to the city, which may include a joint arrangement with other local governmental entities to expand the Williamson county regional animal shelter and/or new or renovated city facilities and the imposition of taxes sufficient to pay the principal of and interest on the bonds.
The issuance of $10,000,000 bonds by the city of Georgetown, Texas, for a jointly owned YMCA recreation center operated by the YMCA of Central Texas, expected to be located at or near 6200 Williams drive, Georgetown, Texas and the imposition of taxes sufficient to pay the principal of and interest on the bonds.
Frequently Asked Questions
Learn more about the 2023 Bond by reading our Frequently Asked Questions. Click the + mark next to the question to read the answer.
The City of Georgetown’s population has more than doubled in the last 15 years. The City’s current offices, recreational and animal shelter facilities are undersized for serving the number of residents and City staff that we have today. The City expects to fund all four projects from the 2023 bond package within the existing tax rate, which has not increased since 2015 and is among the lowest of all cities in the Central Texas area with a population greater than 20,000. Georgetown voters have approved two bond packages since 2015 and neither resulted in a tax rate increase. Georgetown voters approved a $105 million transportation bond package in 2015 as well as a $90 million transportation bond package in 2021. Early voting begins Oct. 23 and ends Nov. 3. Election Day is Nov. 7. For details on polling locations, dates, and hours, visit wilcotx.gov/elections. Georgetown residents can register to vote until Oct. 10. The last day to apply for a Ballot by Mail is Oct. 27. For more information on how to register to vote visit www.wilcotx.gov/294/Voter-Registration The City is in the process of investing $2 billion over 10 years to expand and improve Georgetown’s water and wastewater systems, and expects to implement $179 million in projects over the next year alone. At the same time, the City is also implementing the road improvement projects funded through the $90 million transportation bond package voters approved in 2021. You can view the fact sheets and frequently asked questions for each proposition here: Prop A Fact Sheet Puede ver hojas informativas y preguntas frecuentes para cada propuesta aquí: Hoja informativa de Propuesta A
Prop A Q&A
Prop B Fact Sheet
Prop B Q&A
Prop C Fact Sheet
Prop C Q&A
Prop D Fact Sheet
Prop D Q&A
Preguntas y respuestas sobre Propuesta A
Hoja informativa de Propuesta B
Preguntas y respuestas sobre Propuesta B
Hoja informativa de Propuesta C
Preguntas y respuestas sobre Propuesta C
Hoja informativa de Propuesta D
Preguntas y respuestas sobre Propuesta D
