Georgetown City Council members supported delaying some parks and recreation capital projects in order to prioritize public safety and transportation, officials said at an Oct. 13 City Council workshop.

Council members also agreed to postpone a planned May 2027 bond election by at least one year.

The discussion: Assistant City Manager Nick Woolery presented a proposed capital improvement project schedule to council members at the workshop.

The new timeline includes:

• Pushing Blue Hole Park construction until fiscal year 2027-28

• Delaying the Recreation Center renovation and expansion to FY 2028-29

• Moving the final year of the 2015 Road Bond sidewalk work to FY 2028-29

Funding for the $12 million animal shelter expansion remains scheduled for FY 2026-27 and design work for Fire Station No. 9 will take place in FY 2029-30.

The background: The city shifted the proposed timeline for the projects due to an adjusted financial forecast that takes into account lower property valuations and reduced funding capacity, Woolery said.

Downtown Georgetown is actively undergoing several improvements that have been planned for over two years as part of the 2024 Downtown Master Plan. City officials have begun work on over half of the priority projects identified in the plan to elevate the city's downtown footprint, Downtown and Tourism Director Kim McAuliffe said.

What's happening: “We want people to go off and enjoy the rest of our downtown, because our downtown is 52 blocks, but most people only think about the nine blocks of the square,” McAuliffe said.

A new street patio and sidewalk cafe pilot program touches on pedestrian and historic square enhancements, and a second planned parking garage will accommodate visitors downtown.

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In July, Texas' top elected officials directed most state agencies, appellate courts and public universities to cut spending by 3% in their base budget requests for the next two years.

The overview: Gov. Greg Abbott, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick and House Speaker Dustin Burrows said those reductions will help Texas hold a "strong fiscal position" by expanding property tax relief and maintaining public education funding when the legislature returns to Austin next year.

The issue: Dozens of agency leaders have warned that the cuts, totaling hundreds of millions of dollars, are not sustainable. They would cause Texas residents to lose "essential" services and lead to losses in state revenue, leaders said at the capitol and in budget documents.

Government institutions protesting the budget reductions include the comptroller's office, the attorney general, Texas' Cancer Prevention and Research Institute, state criminal justice agencies and the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality.