Since Georgetown City Council passed two ordinances in June 2025 that affect the unhoused population downtown, city officials and the police department have focused on enforcement and maintained a limited role in seeking homelessness solutions.

The overview: Several local nonprofit organizations have found new ways to provide resources for the community and are calling on the city to fill in gaps.

Still, officials maintain the ordinances are needed to address increased resident complaints and prevent the proliferation of the unhoused population.

Digging in deeper: One ordinance passed last summer makes it unlawful to sit or lie down on public property downtown. The other restricts people from distributing food and goods in publicly owned or operated parking areas unless otherwise authorized.

In response, Helping Hands of Georgetown and Kat Kares, two local nonprofit organizations, relocated their volunteer efforts from the public library parking lot to St. Paul United Methodist Church.

What officials are saying: Georgetown Mayor Josh Schroeder said while homelessness is “a difficult problem” in Georgetown, the ordinances are designed to prevent the “numerous complaints” the city has received about the unhoused community.

“We are not allowing the homeless problem that Austin allowed to proliferate through that community [to] happen in this community,” Schroeder said at the March 12 State of the City address. “I don’t think anybody wants that.”

The Georgetown ISD board of trustees unanimously approved the purchase of 21 new school buses at an April 20 meeting.

The purchase helps the school district comply with Senate Bill 546, a law passed in 2025 that mandates all public school buses have three-point seat belts by September 2029.

The details: The purchase will replace 21 out of 23 school buses lacking three-point seat belts by this August. Clint Pruett, GISD executive director of support services, said the district currently has eight buses with lap belts while 15 buses have no seat belts.

GISD approved the purchase, which comes from unspent 2021 bonds, for up to about $3.62 million. A representative from GISD said the purchase will cost around $3.5 million.

What they’re saying: “For us to be able to do this now and have something that will last easily hundreds of thousands of miles, it's a benefit to the community,” GISD Superintendent Devin Padavil said.

Liberty Hill-based All-Star Trade Pros Plumbing & AC is celebrating one year in business this May, according to company spokesperson Robin Arndt-Rives.

The details: The locally-owned HVAC and plumbing company serves the northern portion of the Austin metropolitan area. The company offers air conditioning, heating, air filtering, plumbing and water quality services.

According to the company's website, owner Shane Rives started the business because he felt driven to "bring HVAC back to the neighborhood level" and treat homeowners with "same-day, on-time, affordable service."

• 126 Holmes Road, Unit 10, Liberty Hill

The overview: Texans are expected to save millions in sales taxes on emergency supplies—everything from tarps to generators—during an annual tax holiday April 25-27.

How it works: The sales tax holiday begins at 12:01 a.m. April 24 and lasts until midnight April 27.

Texans are expected to save about $2.4 million in state and local taxes, according to the comptroller’s office. Last year, Texans saved about $2.3 million, agency spokesperson Kevin Lyons said.

According to the comptroller’s office, items qualify for the tax exemption if they are priced at:

• Less than $75 for items including household batteries, fuel containers, flashlights, smoke detectors, tarps and first aid kits
• Less than $300 for hurricane shutters and emergency ladders
• Less than $3,000 for portable generators