Death-inquest specialists being added to employee ranks
GEORGETOWN — The Williamson County Commissioners Court unanimously approved a fiscal-year budget of more than $635.1 million this week reflective of brisk growth — including staff pay increases, funding for more than 40 new hires, a sizable property purchase and the addition of four death-inquest specialists amid a growing number of post-mortem investigations.
The upshot: The fiscal year county budget for 2024-25 is some $75 million higher than last year’s $560 million financial plan, according to county officials.
The total county tax rate for tax year 2024 is almost 40 cents per $100 valuation, which is below the voterapproval rate. This rate will increase annual property taxes on the average homestead residence by $191.45.
County Judge Bill Gravell
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We’ll be loved for this decision in the future.”
-County Judge Bill Gravell on Tuesday referenced the tax increase while championing the budgeting of $18 million for an Austin-based property within the county’s jurisdiction. The 70,000-squarefoot building sits on 28 acres of land at 9500 Lake Creek Boulevard. Gravell said the property owned by the Texas Department of Transportation is outfitted for a radio tower, making it ideal as a backup emergency operations center. In touting the purchase, he likened the transaction to purchasing a home at below-market price.
“In a way, providentially, I believe it’s something we can’t walk away from,” he said. “I know there are ramifications. I know we’ll be proposing — not that the court has voted on it — a higher burden upon our residents,” he said. “But I would simply say to our residents: If you had the opportunity to purchase a home for half the price and it were just as equal to every other home and you had the need — would you not take advantage of it? I’ve just never seen a better piece of property at a better price in the city of Austin in Williamson County for that price.”
He extended the home purchase analogy, saying the property purchase price comes to about $12 per square foot. Even better, he suggested, no debt would be incurred by the purchase given the proposed tax levy.
“We’ll be loved for this decision in the future,” Gravell said.
The county’s financial plan also budgets $309,083 for the hiring of four death-inquest specialists, each slated to work alongside justices of the peace to investigate end-of-life incidents. Gravell noted the specialists are needed given the rising number of death investigations amid consistent growth in Williamson County — the 10th-fastest- growing county in the U.S., officials said.
In mulling the addition of death investigators, Gravell cited the increasingly heavy workloads of the county’s four justices of the peace as justification for the addition of death investigators to assist them.
“The JPs’ role and the death investigators’ role is simply to determine the cause and manner of death,” Gravell said. “The cops can’t make that determination; the death investigators can’t make that determination. It’s the death investigators that assist them to obtain the evidence they need to make that (determination).”
In mulling the level of funding for death investigators, Gravell addressed the county’s quartet of JPs while noting the 1,000-plus death inquests they’ve collectively had to make this year alone.
“I want to say to our justices of the peace: We’ve listened to you, but I want you to listen to us. We appreciate the jobs that you’re doing; we understand the complex nature of the work you have. We know that deaths have increased twofold in the last five, six years. We respect that,” he said.
In the final tally, peace justices working with law-enforcement agencies will often authorize a forensic examination, especially in cases of suspected foul play, by a physician trained as a medical examiner. The forensic pathologist then issues a ruling and cause of death.
In terms of the General Fund budget of $361,223,296, the plan calls for the addition of 42 new full-time positions and three part-time slots moved to full-time. Officials noted most of the positions added are under general government.
New spots in addition to the inquest specialists include a county administrator and additional employees for the offices of tax assessor/collector, elections, technology services and facilities management.
Other items on the budget include: • An earmark of $400,000 to develop a master plan for the county’s Justice Center and jail. County commissioners painted the current space as insufficient both now and for the future. The allotment also includes additional employees in judicial roles.
• As a means to retain and attract employees, commissioners approved a 3% cost of living increase and an equal percentage for merit pay among civilian employees. To that end, law enforcement and corrections personnel would receive a 3% cost of living increase along with an increase to their salary charts ranging from 2% to 2.5%.
• In hammering out the budget, commissioners also had an eye on technology needs with allotments for equipment upgrades for law enforcement and corrections officers, including tasers and body-worn cameras.
• In furthering the county’s strategic plan, commissioners also included $28.3 million for capital improvements and the Long-Range Transportation Plan. Moreover, the adopted FY 25 Road and Bridge Fund budget calls for an allotment of $73,153,507. It includes $22 million for capital improvements and $5 million for the Long-Range Transportation Plan.
After nearly three hours of hashing out the proposed budget, Gravell had this assessment: “Williamson County is forward-leaning with this budget,” the county judge said in a prepared statement after the vote.
“Using our strategic plan as a guidepost, this budget provides essential services to help our residents today, as well as lays the foundation for our future. We want our residents to feel safe and enjoy our high quality of life now and for years to come.”
Precinct 1 Commissioner Terry Cook alluded to the complexity of the budget process in a prepared statement.
“The preparation for the discussions took days and late nights to understand the proposed projects: need, cost, benefits, etc. The process is very long and with many difficult votes that must be taken to reach the end of the budget process,” Cook said.
Her Precinct 4 counterpart, Russ Boles, showcased budget items designed to ease the lives of county residents. His jurisdiction includes the Taylor area.
“The court recognizes the importance of supporting critical services as well as infrastructure projects that will benefit the residents of Williamson County,” he said in a prepared release. “Our priority is to keep our residents safe and to make smart decisions with the taxpayer dollars.”
The adopted FY25 budget will be available for residents to review online and in the County Clerk’s Office no later than Sept. 30. The Budget Office website can be found at wilcotx. gov/180/Budget-Office with details under the section titled “2025 Budget Overview.”
A hard copy of the budget is available at the county clerk’s office in the Justice Center located at 405 Martin Luther King Jr. St.
By law, the budget must be in place by Oct. 1.
