ATX-GEO: Impact 9/11/2025

Georgetown City Council officially adopted the city’s property tax rate and budget for fiscal year 2025-26 at its meeting Sept. 9.

What happened: Council members unanimously ratified a tax rate of $0.353 per $100 valuation on second reading. Although the rate is $0.0117 lower than the FY 2024-25 rate, it will raise more taxes because of an increase in home values, Georgetown budget manager Mayra Cantu said.

This equates to a $14 increase on the average homeowner’s tax bill annually.

Remember this? The tax rate supports the city’s $1.3 billion budget, which allocates funds for capital projects, purchased electricity, public safety and water operations. The budget will also fund additional full-time employees for the city.

What else? In FY 2025-26, the average residential customer will spend $13.40 more for water and wastewater, $12 more for solid waste, and $28.80 more for electricity.

The new fiscal year begins Oct. 1, when the new property tax rate and fees go into effect.

Atlas Spas and Swim Spas, a hot tub and swim spa retailer, will open a location in downtown Georgetown. 

The details: The company owns the building on West University Avenue and is in the process of securing city permits before opening the store, according to an employee. 

Something to note: The Georgetown location is the fifth for the company, which has storefronts in Waco, Tyler, Plano and Fort Worth. Operating since 1981, Atlas offers a range of products, including hot tubs, swim spas, saunas and cold plunges as well as services like installation, maintenance and repair. 

Robert Downs owns and operates the Georgetown location.

The Lower Colorado River Authority, which manages the Highland Lakes system in Central Texas, announced it would begin lowering Inks Lake for a period of eight weeks starting Oct. 1. 

In a nutshell: The LCRA announced Sept. 9 that the lake would be lowered to provide property owners an opportunity to work on docks and boat slips, as well as to remove debris from the lake and shoreline.

What residents should know: The lowering will cause Lake Travis, located downstream from Inks Lake, to rise by about 3.5 inches, according to a news release from the authority.

Gov. Greg Abbott issued a Sept. 10 executive order aimed at prohibiting hemp-derived THC products from being sold to minors, which he called “safety for kids, freedom for adults.” The order comes one week after a special legislative session ended without Abbott and state lawmakers agreeing on legislation to ban or restrict THC sales.

The details: Abbott’s order directs the Texas Department of State Health Services and the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission to “immediately begin the rulemaking process” on new THC regulations, including:

• Limiting THC sales to people 21 years and older
• Requiring THC retailers to check all customers’ IDs
• Expanding testing and labeling requirements for THC products
• Raising manufacturer and retailer licensing fees to cover costs of enforcing the new rules
• Enhancing monitoring by state and local law enforcement