GEORGETOWN — With little fanfare, the Williamson County Commissioners Court hired a county manager at a salary of more than $300,000 from its humanresources ranks — marking the first time such a position has been created.
Saved until the last item of the Oct. 1 commissioners’ meeting, the official hiring was unanimously approved after a motion by Precinct 4 Commissioner Russ Boles.
Rebecca Clemons clinched the job at a salary of $309,000.
“We interviewed several for this role, and we appreciate their involvement in the process,” Precinct 3 Commissioner Valerie Covey said. “We had some good candidates (and) it was a tough choice. But I believe we picked the best person for this inaugural role in the county.”
Covey suggested the position was needed to oversee brisk growth in the county, and to fill administrative gaps when County Judge Bill Gravell is called out of the area, such as his recent trip to South Korea to encourage more business ties.
“As difficult as the many projects are and the complications we have in such a large and quickly growing county, I’m confident that Ms. Clemons will do a great job,” Covey said. “We know that as we move forward, it will be handled very well and very professionally.”
The new position was approved in the Fiscal Year 2024-25 budget. The new hire’s first day on the job was Oct. 1. According to a county-issued press release, Clemons reports directly to the Commissioners Court and is responsible for “... providing leadership and executing direct supervision over certain management, professional and administrative staff, including death-inquest specialists, pretrial service, human resources and others.” In addition, according to the press release, the county manager will “aid in departmental and long-range planning while ensuring policy compliance and strategic planning goals are met.”
“Hiring the county’s first county manager is an important step for Williamson County,” Covey said in a subsequent prepared statement. “Rebecca’s wealth of knowledge about many facets of county government makes her an ideal choice for this role.”
According to the county biography, Clemons previously served as the senior director of human resources for Williamson County. She also held positions in the office of the county judge as well as those in the budget office and county auditor departments.
Clemons earned a degree in business administration from Texas A&M University, according to the release.
She was not present at the meeting, but subsequently issued a release: “I am appreciative to the Commissioners Court for their confidence in appointing me as county manager. I look forward to continuing to serve the employees and taxpayers of Williamson County in this new role.”
In support of the new position, officials ticked off further growth numbers for the county, including a population of 713,000 comprising the 12th most-populous county in the state per the Texas Demographic Center.
Growth is reflected in the county government’s makeup, with 1,900 employees and a $635.1 million budget this fiscal year, according to officials.
