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Williamson County approves 2025–26 county clerk archives plan, will move historical probate books before courthouse relocation
Summary
After a public hearing, the county approved the county clerk's archives plan for fiscal year 2025–26, including continued preservation work on probate books and planning for climate-controlled storage in the new building.
The Williamson County Commissioners Court approved the county clerk’s archives plan for fiscal year 2025–26 during a Sept. 23 public hearing and recorded the action as a budget amendment.
County Clerk Nancy Reister and Archives Director Cynthia Fasillo described ongoing preservation and digitization work, noting the office is finishing preservation of probate books that date to the county’s early years and expects the project to “bleed into a little bit of next year.” Reister told the court the office has microfilmed records for the state library and plans to complete work before moving into the county’s new building to ensure records are climate-controlled and accessible in a large research library.
Reister said the clerk’s office will compare every returned item when the vendor brings preserved volumes back and expects a “lot of reviewing” before moving. She told the court the books have been preserved and encapsulated and are “in really good shape.” The clerk said county permanent records include deeds, birth, death and marriage records and that some records go back to the county’s founding.
Commissioners asked staff to study space and climate-control needs in the new facility; Commissioner Covey specifically asked that the county ensure the clerk has sufficient dedicated archival space and that climate controls meet preservation requirements. Following the public hearing, which included public commenters praising the clerk’s online records and preservation work, the court voted to approve the archives plan (motion by Commissioner Covey, second by Commissioner Long; vote recorded 5–0).
The court and clerk discussed storage alternatives, the county’s warehouse capacity and the need to reconcile digital access with retention of hard copies for permanent records. Reister said some records remain restricted in hard-copy form but are available online after scanning, and she said archivists will review each returned item for completeness before the move. The county said it will monitor space needs and climate-control requirements as the relocation proceeds.
The vote to approve the archives plan is recorded in the court minutes for Sept. 23, 2025.
