A Walmart Supercenter is slated for a new commercial development, to be known as Santa Rita Ranch Center, at the juncture of Liberty Hill, Leander and Georgetown, according to a news release.

The details: The store, with an anticipated opening in 2027, will anchor the retail project situated on the northwest corner of Ronald Reagan Boulevard and Hwy. 29.

The exterior facade of the 176,000-square-foot Walmart will be adapted to ensure it fits the character of Santa Rita Ranch, the news release states. Additionally, the storefront is expected to create around 400 jobs.

Zooming out: The Santa Rita Ranch Center will be a $100 million property build-out spanning 400,000 square feet. The commercial project will be developed by Provident. Walmart's presence as the anchor tenant is expected to drive commercial activity at Santa Rita Ranch Center, the release states.

Though additional tenants have not yet been officially announced, marketing materials from Resolut RE indicate that Longhorn Steakhouse, Olive Garden, Ross and PetSmart are also planned for the retail center.

Liberty Hill City Council approved another round of water and wastewater rate hikes May 13.

The context: The rate hikes are necessary to fund infrastructure improvements and to pay down debt associated with those ongoing infrastructure projects, Finance Director Josh Armstrong said
He explained that the roughly 10% rate increases are a "Year 2" step in the city's five-year 2025 Water Master Plan, which found that the city could face water shortages in the next few years if it did not bolster its infrastructure. The first phase of increases was adopted in April 2025.

What you need to know: The average utility bill will increase by $12.20 per month, according to city documents. Both water and wastewater rates will increase across the board. The new rates go into effect in June and will be reflected on July bills.

How we got here: Liberty Hill’s current water demand is projected to increase by 12% per year over the next 10 years, then by 16% per year through 2050, according to previous Community Impact reporting. 

A 2023 Texas law allowing state and local police to arrest people suspected of entering the country illegally is scheduled to take effect May 15.

The overview: Texas legislators passed Senate Bill 4, a state immigration enforcement law, in late 2023. The law was originally set to take effect in March 2024, but has been tied up in court for more than two years.

For the first time, the law would allow Texas police to arrest migrants they suspect crossed the U.S.-Mexico border without authorization and allow judges to order migrants’ removal if they are found guilty of illegal entry.

The background: SB 4 had been largely blocked by a series of court rulings since early 2024. A federal appeals court dismissed a lawsuit against SB 4 April 24, and a separate lawsuit was filed May 4.

On May 13, U.S. District Judge David A. Ezra—who previously deemed SB 4 unconstitutional—heard arguments in the secondary lawsuit, although he did not issue a ruling before press time May 13.

After dozens of Texas primary races ended without a clear winner in March, candidates for those seats will face off in an overtime round, known as a runoff election, this month. Texans can vote early in the runoff election from May 18-22, with election day May 26.

How it works: State law requires that primary candidates receive more than 50% of the votes cast to advance to a general election.

In the May 26 runoff election, Republican and Democratic voters will choose who they want to represent them in statewide offices, legislative and Congressional seats, the State Board of Education and county-level positions. The winner of each runoff race will appear on the ballot in November.

On the ballot: The statewide Republican runoff races include:

• U.S. Senate: John Cornyn and Ken Paxton
• Texas attorney general: Mayes Middleton and Chip Roy
• Texas railroad commissioner: Jim Wright and Bo French

• Texas attorney general: Nathan Johnson and Joe Jaworski
• Texas lieutenant governor: Vikki Goodwin and Marcos Vélez