ATX-PFH: Impact 10/9/2025

In an opinion issued by the U.S. 5th Circuit Court of Appeals on Oct. 7, a three-judge panel ruled in favor of the city of Hutto in a discrimination case going back to 2020 involving former City Manager Odis Jones.

The unanimous decision reversed a 2023 $8 million judgement against the city.

The background: The suit between Jones and the city of Hutto stems from December 2019, when both parties entered into a $412,000 separation agreement, ending his three-year tenure as city manager. Nearly a year later, Hutto City Council passed a resolution to void the agreement, demanding Jones return the severance pay.

Within a week, Jones filed suit in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Texas Austin Division, citing racial discrimination and breach of contract against the city, Mayor Mike Snyder and former City Council member Tanner Rose. Claims against Snyder and Rose were dismissed in 2021.

Employees of Samsung Austin Semiconductor will move into the new office building at the manufacturer’s Taylor campus by the end of November, Michele Glaze, senior director of communications and community affairs, said Oct. 8.

The overview: Glaze, speaking at a Hutto Area Chamber of Commerce luncheon, said the six-story office building boasts a number of amenities, including two cafeterias, open-concept cubicles, atriums, a fitness center and a meditation space.

About 1,000 Samsung employees will move into the Taylor site over the first two quarters, Glaze said. 

The background: Construction on the $17 billion Taylor site began in 2022. To date, Glaze said the 1,200-acre campus, totaling 4 million square feet, is home to: 

• The office building
• A fabrication plant
• Two gas and chemical supply buildings
• A utility station and building
• An electrical substation
• Water and wastewater facilities
• Two water tanks
• Three warehouses
• 250 construction trailers, and more

Williamson County commissioners approved plans to temporarily move employee office space ahead of the opening of a new administrative building, as well as plans for a new Justice Center Complex.

The setup: Some county operations, including all of the offices operating out of the historic courthouse, will move into the new Williamson County Administration Building next year. The 120,000-square-foot facility is located on an 170-acre tract of land near Southwestern Boulevard and SE Inner Loop in Georgetown.

In addition to finding space solutions before the administration building opens, commissioners are also in the site-selection process for a new Justice Center Complex, which will add significant office space for justice employees.