Round Rock Mayor Craig Morgan delivered an update on ongoing projects and priorities in his annual State of the City address held during the Round Rock Chamber’s Power Lunch on Dec. 10 at Kalahari Resorts and Conventions.

Much of what’s underway stems from the voter-approved 2023 bond projects, which included $230 million for parks, recreation and sports projects, and $44 million for public safety improvements.

“There’s a lot of exciting things going on right now. You’re going to see a lot in regard to our bond projects,” Morgan told KVUE DayBreak News Anchor Bryan Mays in a conversation-style presentation. “We’re only in year two, and we’re seeing substantial completion already. But it’s what we do in Round Rock. We have a council and a staff that makes sure they implement what the citizens voted for.”

Ahead of a detailed discussion on current City projects and priorities, Morgan expressed concern about what he said is an increasingly adversarial relationship between the state and local governments, calling for a return to partnership with cities, counties and school districts. He cautioned against politically appealing promises regarding property taxes without sustainable funding plans, stressing the need to preserve the City’s ability to fund core services such as public safety, infrastructure and parks. The City of Round Rock currently has one of the lowest property tax rates in Central Texas at a rate of $0.372 per $100 of valuation. Morgan suggested a more constructive path forward through pragmatic problem-solving, reliance on tax policy expertise and open, good-faith dialogue between state and local leaders.

Throughout the remainder of the event, Morgan and Mays touched on ongoing and upcoming road projects, economic development and quality of life efforts and the City’s expansive work to maintain reliable infrastructure amid a time of water supply uncertainty statewide.

Transportation

Morgan pointed out that the City currently has $196.4 million in roadway improvement projects currently underway.

“More than any other city in the area, we have about $200 million in active road projects going on right now,” he said. “We have core services and core responsibilities, and transportation is clearly one of the highest priorities.”

Morgan reported that the widening of Gattis School Road Segment 3 from A.W. Grimes Boulevard to Double Creek Drive is slated to be completed in early 2026, far ahead of its initial plan.

Additional transportation projects are expected to be completed in fall 2026:

• Wyoming Springs Boulevard extension: from Creek Bend Boulevard to Old Settlers Boulevard
• County Road 112: from A.W. Grimes Boulevard to County Road 110
• Old Settlers Boulevard extension: from Red Bud Lane to County Road 110
• Red Bud Lane North widening: from East Palm Valley Boulevard to County Road 117
• Chisholm Trail South improvements: from Sam Bass Road to RM 620

Work on Gattis School Road Segment 6 is expected to begin in 2026. Segment 6 will include the widening of Gattis School Road from a four-lane to a six-lane divided arterial from Via Sonoma Trail to Red Bud Lane.

Morgan also noted the city’s two public transportation options – CapMetro’s fixed-route service and Round Rock Rides, the City’s on-demand transit service – have seen recent increases in ridership.

Downtown

According to Morgan, the City has invested more than $250 million in the Downtown area since 2001. Among the upgrades with current or future impacts are:

• Griffith Building: The former library building is being renovated and repurposed for use by the Visitors Center, City Arts Center and Round Rock Chamber offices, with expected completion later this month.
• Town Green: The city block around the historic Downtown water tower is currently under construction, aimed at making it a more widely utilized central gathering space. Expected completion is fall 2026.
• Lake Creek Trail: The 10-foot-wide trail connecting Round Rock West Park to Centennial Plaza is substantially complete. It includes a new pedestrian bridge over Lake Creek and an underpass under I-35.
• Brushy Creek Trail extension: The Heritage Trail East portion of Brushy Creek Trail is under design and will extend from Mays Street to Georgetown Street, with a new pedestrian bridge near the Ruby Hotel. This final portion will allow the Brushy Creek Regional Trail System to extend all the way through Round Rock.

Round Rock City Council also recently approved Downtown rezoning, Morgan said, which will allow for buildings of up to 12 stories in specific areas of downtown to create additional density over the long-term that would support more retail and dining. He explained that the zoning also included design standards and caps on bars preserve the character of downtown.

Parks, Recreation and Sports

The City has a number of quality of life-related projects in the works or recently completed, many of them at Old Settlers Park, which the Mayor called “probably one of our greatest assets.”

Within Old Settlers Park, projects include:

• Lakeview Pavilion and Stage: Now open, it will better support live music performances and gatherings such as Frontier Days and Light Up the Lake.
• Joanne Land Playground: The local favorite gets a facelift.
• Rock’N River expansion: The summertime hangout will be getting cabanas, a private pool and an action river, as well as more parking. The new segment is slated for a 2026 opening.
• Harrell Parkway: Improvements are being made to the roadway and pedestrian facilities to increase pedestrian safety.
• Tennis and pickleball courts: The existing tennis complex is being relocated to the eastern end of Old Settlers and will include additional courts, including new, dedicated pickleball courts.
• Athletic Performance Center: The site will include four multi-purpose fields, an indoor gym, outdoor track, offices for the Parks and Recreation Department and more.
• Multipurpose Complex expansion: The 60-acre site at Old Settlers Park will get six additional fields and collegiate-level press boxes.

Morgan also lauded the recent opening of the Round Rock Sports Center expansion, which included two new champion basketball courts, additional parking and spectator seating to allow the facility to better accommodate more youth and amateur sports events. Since the opening of the Sports Center in 2014, Morgan said, the City’s sports tourism program has brought over $210 million in economic activity to Round Rock.

Public Safety

When taking into account support and general services, Morgan shared that approximately 70 percent of this year’s general fund budget is dedicated to public safety, reflecting the City’s prioritization of police and fire services.

“Our citizens demand to be safe,” said Mayor Morgan. “That’s one of the reasons they move here. When companies look here, they’re looking at schools, quality of life and public safety.”

The voter-approved 2023 bond package included an expansion of the Public Safety Traning Center as well as three new fire station buildings. Central Fire Station’s fire operations were moved to a brand new Station 1 in 2024, and construction on Station 10, located at 4380 E. Old Settlers Blvd., is underway. Land has also been acquired for Station 11, to be located near Ascension Seton Williamson.

In addition, 17 new public safety-related positions were funded this year: 10 police officers, six firefighters and one crime scene tech. The City has been especially focused on steadily increasing fire staffing in alignment with growth and new stations, Morgan said, while maintaining flexibility needed to ensure the City’s future fiscal sustainability.

Water

Round Rock’s water situation remains well-positioned for the future, Morgan said, thanks to foresight allowing access to various water sources. The City of Round Rock’s primary drinking water supply comes from Lake Georgetown (which is supported by Lake Stillhouse Hollow) through the Brazos River Authority. The Cty also participates in the Brushy Creek Regional Utility Authority (BCRUA), which provides access to water from Lake Travis as a supplemental and long-term supply source.

On a typical winter day, the city uses approximately 22 to 23 million gallons of water, although usage peaked as high as 34.5 million gallons of water during summer 2025 due to outdoor residential watering. By 2028, the City’s projects with the BCRUA will add an extra 20 million gallons per day to Round Rock, and within the next two decades, projects are already in place to double that additional capacity.

“Thank goodness for people prior to us who had the foresight to really hone in and say this is the time to buy water, because it’s expensive now,” said Mayor Morgan.

The City is also part of the Brushy Creek Regional Wastewater System, which includes two treatment plants and approximately 45 miles of collection lines. Round Rock will invest $125 million to expand the system, adding 10 million gallons per day of capacity by 2029/2030 to support continued growth.

Round Rock is also quickly becoming a regional leader in water reuse, which is treated wastewater that can be used for irrigation and other non-potable uses. Reflecting on the 2011 drought, Morgan explained how conservation and reuse efforts have reshaped City policy, leading to year-round outdoor watering schedules and investments in expanded reuse storage and distribution. Despite substantial population growth since 2011, the Round Rock residential and business community still has not exceeded peak water usage levels seen during that time.

Economic Development

Round Rock’s unique mix of destination shopping, corporate headquarters and other economic development generates meaningful revenues that help keep Round Rock’s property tax low, Morgan said. The City’s strong business base means single family homes pay only 19% of General Fund revenues needed for City services.  Commercial properties make up only 8% of taxpayers, but contribute 49% of total property tax revenues.

Morgan stressed that limited remaining land requires careful consideration of long-term fiscal and community impacts, rather than pursuing every potential development opportunity. He thanked the Round Rock Chamber of Commerce for its work toward economic development, and touched on two current economic development topics of discussion: data centers and The District.

• Data centers: Round Rock currently has two major data centers in operation. Among those, Sabey Data Center’s $210 million valuation generates about $1 million in City revenue annually. The city also requires data centers to have closed-loop water systems, which has limited Sabey’s water usage to just 2 million gallons per year, or the equivalent of approximately 15 homes. While power remains an important issue, Morgan said, a data center project cannot move forward unless Oncor, the electricity distributer for Round Rock residents, confirms that the requested power capacity exists and the facility operator signs a binding contract to take and pay for that full load.
• The District: Officials broke ground on The District earlier this year. The 65.5-acre mixed-use development will be built south of state Highway 45 northwest of Greenlawn Boulevard, and is expected to exceed $500 million in private investment.

In closing, Morgan characterized the City of Round Rock as being in strong overall condition, particularly in terms of financial stability and long-term planning capacity. As Round Rock continues to grow, proactive investment in infrastructure and services will be essential to managing that growth effectively. Mogan emphasized Round Rock’s role as a regional and statewide leader, noting that the City’s progress is rooted in careful planning, strong partnerships and continued responsiveness to resident priorities.