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Court deadlocks on buying site for potential jail and justice center; motion fails 2-2
Summary
A motion to put a piece of county-interest land under contract for due diligence related to a future jail and justice center failed on a 2-2 vote. Commissioners cited unresolved concerns about site suitability and the need for further analysis.
A proposal to put a parcel under contract so Williamson County could perform due diligence for a potential future jail and justice center failed July 15 after the court split 2-2.
Commissioner Covey moved to approve assignment of a contract from the county’s broker to allow a four-month due diligence period; the motion was seconded. The proposal followed a months-long committee review of justice and jail space needs and a strategic plan direction to consider relocating justice functions outside downtown Georgetown.
Supporters said the contract would hold the property as an option while the county completed studies — including utilities, annexation, habitat and environmental reviews — and procured a program manager to guide planning. Opponents and some committee members urged caution: several commissioners and the sheriff raised concerns about the site’s operational suitability and whether the county was ready to buy land before completing key analyses. The court also discussed the size of the parcel (identified in committee material as roughly 481 acres) and the presence of conservation easements on portions of the land.
At the vote, the court recorded two votes in favor and two opposed, resulting in failure of the motion. Commissioners said the decision preserves the need for further work: staff can obtain access for some due diligence tasks without contracting for the parcel, and the county’s program-manager procurement — an item later on the agenda — is intended to provide additional analysis to support site selection.
No purchase agreement was executed at the meeting; commissioners said they expect additional public discussion and further committee work before taking any land-acquisition vote.
