As Williamson County’s population grows, local officials are working to get ahead of water demand.

At a Sept. 3 Round Rock Chamber Momentum breakfast, County Judge Steven Snell, Round Rock Public Works director Michael Thane, and Brazos River Authority CEO and General Manager David Collinsworth answered questions on a panel about the future of water planning and infrastructure in the county.

In a nutshell: Thane said an upcoming 12-month study of 20 of the county’s largest water utilities will identify immediate water supply and treatment shortfalls as well as plan regional solutions.

“One utility cannot afford to build the infrastructure by themselves, so there may be many solutions,” Thane said. “There will be regional solutions where these water utilities in Williamson County work together to help build out that infrastructure, whether it’s treatment or transmission pipelines across the county.”

Stay tuned: Thane said a contract for the regional water study, estimated to cost about $500,000, will head to Williamson County Commissioners Court for approval soon.

Two candidates will be on the ballot for the Leander ISD board of trustees Place 1 seat. Serenity Coats and Gerald Prater are running for Place 1. Incumbent Trish Bode did not seek reelection.

What you need to know: Candidates were asked to answer the questions provided, limit their answers to 50 words and not attack other opponents. Answers may have been edited or cut to adhere to these guidelines or for style and clarity. Candidates were informed that "questionnaire not returned by deadline" would be published if Community Impact did not receive the candidate information and answers by the deadline provided.

Voter deadline registration is Oct. 5. Early voting will be held Oct. 19-30, and election day is Nov. 3.

LISD trustees are elected at-large, meaning all registered voters living within LISD boundaries can vote for each place.

Austin ISD's deficit grew to $105M this year, dropping its state financial rating to a B for the first time since 2017 as board members plan an additional $19M in cuts.

By the numbers: The shortfall grew throughout the year, per district data: $19 million at adoption, $121 million after a mid-year amendment and $105 million in the final unaudited number, $86 million higher than first approved. That drop pulled the district's fund balance down to 8.8% for 2025-26, well below the 15.21% target set at adoption, per district data.

Several transportation projects across the Austin metro are moving forward, with new construction, funding and schedule updates.

The details: Hays County secured more than $39 million in federal funding for a planned $49 million Centerpoint Road overpass over the Union Pacific Railroad crossing. The project is in the right-of-way acquisition and final design stages.

In Pflugerville, construction on Parkway Drive is expected to begin in mid-September following City Council’s approval of a $3.1 million construction contract. Work is scheduled through July 2027.

The MoPac South expansion in Austin is now estimated to cost $1.3 billion, an increase of more than $400 million. The project would add express lanes and shared-use paths between Cesar Chavez Street and Slaughter Lane.

Meanwhile, Round Rock’s Red Bud Lane North widening remains on schedule despite weather delays. Construction also continues on Cedar Park’s Toro Grande Boulevard improvements. In Buda, final asphalt paving has begun on Middle Creek Drive following substantial completion in August.