Jerrel W. Reynolds was sworn in as the Hutto City Council Place 1 member at a July 2 meeting.

More details: In the June 13 runoff election, Reynolds received the most votes with 55.5% of 597 ballots cast. Brandy McCool received 44.5% of the votes.

Reynold will replace interim council member Charles Warner, who was appointed June 8 after the resignation of former council member Brian Thompson on Dec. 22.

In a previous statement to Community Impact, Reynolds said his top priorities for Hutto include “responsible growth, infrastructure planning, and protecting residents.”

“We must ensure roads, water, public safety, and services keep pace,” Reynolds stated. “My focus is planning ahead, not reacting, while protecting quality of life and avoiding unnecessary tax burden on homeowners.”

City Council members are elected to serve three-year terms.

Hutto ISD students will pay slightly more for school lunches in the 2026-27 school year. 

What you need to know: The district's board of trustees approved a 10-cent increase to lunch prices in a June 25 board meeting. For students in pre-kindergarten through fifth grade, this means regularly priced lunches will be $3.10 with the start of the new school year; lunches for students in sixth through 12th grade will be $3.35. 

What they're saying: HISD's Assistant Superintendent of Operations Dustin Barton said the district has historically maintained a positive child nutrition budget fund balance and that this increase is needed to maintain a positive balance. Not sustaining a positive balance would make the district subject to a paid lunch equity calculation, he said, which would result in higher lunch prices. This calculation compares the average price of paid lunches to the difference between federal reimbursements for free and paid meals, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, and could require school districts to increase prices.

Check out the latest transportation project updates across the Austin metro.

Upcoming projects

New Braunfels EDC invests $405K in pedestrian improvements: The NBEDC is funding the final design of Phase 2 of pedestrian improvements along five roadways. If approved, construction is expected to begin in 2028.

Ongoing projects

Legacy Ranch Drive expansion
Project: Crews are working to expand approximately 0.6 miles from Seward Junction North Loop in Liberty Hill to a CR 258 extension east of US 183, including new signals, pavement improvements, and turn lanes serving a future LISD site. 
Update: Contractors broke ground March 6.

• Timeline: completion expected this summer
• Cost: $1.4 million
• Funding source: Williamson County 2023 road bond

A case against a former Williamson County elected official and assistant county attorney was dismissed by prosecutors in July.

In a nutshell: A criminal case alleging former Williamson County Sheriff Robert Chody and former Assistant Williamson County Attorney Jason Nassour tampered with evidence related to the death of Javier Ambler was dismissed by prosecutors July 1, a news release from the office of Travis County District Attorney Jose Garza states.

The case was dismissed due to a previous judgment preventing evidence against Chody and Nassour from being presented. Per the release, the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals declined to review a lower court's decision that the evidence was inadmissible, leaving the state unable to present evidence of guilt.