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2018 BUDGET
IN BRIEF
Over the past five years, U.S. census data shows Georgetown has grown by over
40%. With growth comes the reality of increased
demands for fundamental City services like public safety,
transportation, and utilities. The FY2018 Budget was
developed to meet these service level demands.
In this budget the City is funding the first fixed route bus
system, GoGeo! Additional investments in mobility
include funding for FM1460, FM971, and the creation of
Rivery Extension, which provides a key east west
alternative to Williams Drive.
Major investments in public safety include the
construction of Fire Station 6 and the land acquisition and design of Fire Station 7.
Two new police patrol officers and a school resource officer sergeant for
Georgetown ISD are also featured in the budget.
In addition to mobility and public safety investments, the City is also investing in
quality of life services. In late spring 2018, the City will open the 525 acre Garey
Park, which features a playground, splash pad, equestrian area, dog park and event
venue. Phase II improvements in San Gabriel Park are also budgeted this year.
The budget funds a high quality of life in our community and proactively invests for
future growth. Council’s tradition of conservative financial stewardship guided the
development of the budget and the setting of the property tax rate. For FY2018,
Georgetown’s property tax rate is the lowest of the top ten most populated cities in
the region.
All Funds FY2018
Base
FY2018
Changes
FY2018
Budget
Electric
78,862,928
276,377
79,139,305
General Capital Projects
48,551,383
-
48,551,383
General Debt Service
16,621,744
-
16,621,744
General Fund
60,200,285
3,046,337
63,246,622
Internal Service Funds
39,089,330
1,965,903
41,055,233
Other Enterprise Funds
7,776,010
25,772
7,801,782
Special Revenue Funds
30,099,146
610,475
30,709,621
Water
49,094,406
607,574
49,701,980
Total Budget
330,295,232
6,532,438
336,827,670
Making History in a
Historic Town
City Manager David Morgan
Economic Activity
Sales tax revenue is budgeted at $26.31 million, which is 4% over year
-end projection. Financial modeling indicates the growth rate seen in
the previous year will continue into FY2018. Increases in sales tax rev-
enue are being driven by growth in the retail, food, and information
sectors. Overall the City has seen increased sales tax over the past
five years.
21%
11%
8%
4%
49%
7%Other
Food
Information
Manufacturing
Retail
Wholesale
Did You Know?
A portion of sales tax revenues are used to fund the City’s
4A and 4B corporations. These entities help spark
economic activity by building roads, developing
infrastructure, and negotiating incentive packages to help
move businesses to Georgetown.
The most recent Citizen Survey identified mobility as a key concern in Georgetown. We listened, and that is why
this budget includes $21 million in voter-approved road improvements and over $4 million for road
maintenance and repairs. $15 million will fund the extension of Rivery Boulevard and Northwest Boulevard
Bridge, a project that will create a key east-west alternative to Williams Drive.
We’re also proud to be launching the city’s first fixed-route bus system, GoGeo, with routes to key destinations
in the city.
ADDRESSING MOBILITY AND BUILDING FOR THE FUTUE
Did You Know?
A portion of sales tax is
reserved exclusively for
road maintenance. In
this year’s budget over
$3.95 million is
budgeted for road
maintenance from sales
tax.
Keeping Georgetown Moving
The Police Department will add two
Patrol Officers and one School
Resource Officer. Fire improvements
include replacement of breathing
equipment and funds for the
Promotional Assessment Center to
help retain quality & dedicated
employees.
FY2018 BUDGET HIGHLIGHTS
PUBLIC SAFETY
In 2016, the City of Georgetown Fire Department began Emergency Medical Transports. The move
to provide EMS service was based on the idea that the department could provide a seamless and
continuous level of care from first response to hospital delivery. On average, the department is
responding to over 20 calls a day and transporting nearly 14 people a day. In total it is expected
that the department will transport over 5,000 people in FY2018. Lastly, financial modeling is
projecting the EMS fund to recoup all of the startup cost associated with the program within the
next 2 to 3 years.
UPDATE OF EMS TRANSPORTS
Did You Know?
In the most recent
Citizen Survey, 95% of
residents thought Police
Protective Service were
“good” or “excellent”,
while 98% thought Fire
& EMS Services were
“good” or “excellent”.
Keeping Georgetown Safe
Our award winning Parks and Trails system is a large part of the quality of life that
draws people to visit, work, and live in Georgetown. That is why they are a major
focus this year with the opening of the 525-acre Garey Park, which is the result of a
generous donation by Jack Garey & the Garey family. The park will feature an event
center, equestrian facilities, and dog parks, amongst other park antimonites.
In addition to Garey Park, the budget includes funds for phase II of improvements to
San Gabriel Park. Phase I is scheduled to be completed this year.
GAREY PARK AND SAN GABRIEL IMPROVMENTS
Keeping Georgetown Fun
Did You Know?
In the most recent
Citizen Survey, 90%
thought Parks and
Recreation Services in
the City were “good” or
“excellent”.
Mr. Jack Garey
Keeping Georgetown Running
Water and Electric Operating Improvements
One of the main goals of the FY2018 Budget is to improve the City’s
electric and water services. These improvements include personnel ad-
ditions, equipment upgrades, and capital improvement projects.
The FY2018 Budget features three new operating improvements to the
Water Services Fund. First, to keep up with customer and system
growth, two technicians will be added to the Water Service Crew. Fur-
ther, the City plans to add a Hydrant Testing Truck to improve timely
fire hydrant maintenance and increase leak detection activities. Lastly,
Georgetown’s water meters will be converted to an automated system
to reduce metering technician trips.
The budget plans to improve electric utility services through the addi-
tion of a meter technician, testing equipment, and an electric rate
study. The meter technician will provide quality checks on metering
equipment and new installations. The addition of substation testing
equipment will allow current staff to perform mandatory reliability
testing. The City has relied on contractors to perform these tests in the
past. The purchase of this equipment will allow the City to save $34,000
annually in contractor payments. In addition to a meter technician and
testing equipment, the City plans to review electricity rates. This study
will update the projected future rates, as well as anticipate the need for
future rate stabilization reserve increases.
Water and Electric Capital Improvements
In addition to operating improvements, the City will implement several
electric and water capital improvement projects.
The electric CIP totals $6,537,000 . Projects include $3,000,000 for new
developments, with the remaining balance going towards street light im-
provements and fiber optic installations.
The water CIP totals $7,150,000. Projects include the expansion of the S.
Lake Water Treatment Plant and the replacement of the Braun elevated
storage tank .
Full details of the FY2018 Budget
are available at
www.georgetown.org.