Whitetail WCID - City of Georgetown Water Commonly Asked Questions
If you have a question that you do not see addressed here please contact Larry Whelan at larry.whelan@univista.com, or 512-784-9610.
# Q: What is a WCID?
A: WCID is a acronym for Water Control Improvement District. A WCID is used to create a way to fund and provide water to an unincorporated area. It only has the ability to provide water services.
# Q: What does it take to create a WCID?
A: According to Texas Law, the first step torwards creating a WCID is completed if either 50 landowners in a potential district comprising more than 200 residents or owners comprising more than 50% of the land value in a potential district sign a petition. Once this goal has been met the petition can be taken to the County Comissioners for approval. Once the county comissioners have approved you have a WCID.
In our case it going to be a little more complex because we're going to also negotiate a deal with the City of Georgetown to supply us water. We're also going to write the bylaws to restrict our WCID to the supply of water to Whitetail.
# Q: Does the WCID go away when the bonds are paid off? If so, does Georgetown Water take over and charge us these 'administrative' fees or are those fees covered in the Monthly charge.
A: The tax would either go away or be lowered significantly but the WCID would most likely remain unless Georgetown assumed ownership of the water lines.
# Q: Does the cost of the WCID in any way reduce or negate the monthly fee for water hookup? Or is that in addition to the WCID?
A: Yes. This will be negotiated, but Georgetown representatives have talked about waiving connection fees for those that sign up at time of WCID inception. If there is a connection fee it would be significantly reduced.
# Q: Does Georgetown Water not want to provide this bond and tax option directly? (meaning we don't need to create the WCID)
A: since we're not a part of Georgetown they don't have to provide us water or the funding to get water. By creating the WCID we become a retail customer of Georgetown water.
# Q: Would you all (the water committee) consider offering a discount to those along the route to ensure 100% participation?
A: Since connection fees would be significantly reduced or waived altogether there really wouldn't be much more we could do. It is very likely that if we do not create a WCId then Georgetown and the developer will go around the neighborhood because it would be cheaper and faster to develop through an open field.
# Q: What are the options if we have less participation? I mean, if 1/2 the residents don't pay in up front, do they get to attach and get water later at the regular hookup fee? Sticking the rest of us with the big bill?
A: If we get all the signatures we need then everyone in whitetail would be within the WCID. Everyone would be taxed regardless of whether they participate in the water or not. If they choose not to connect at the time of install but then sign up at a later date they will have to pay full connection fees plus significantly higher fees for trenching and installation of the lines.
# Q: Who owns the water line, Georgetown or WCID? If Georgetown, then why don't they provide the financial vehicle?
A: The WCID owns the lines as long as the WCID has a bond to pay unless someone else assumes the debt.
# Q: Right now your numbers are cost prohibitive for me, especially at the 50% participation.
A: You are correct if this is optional. If the WCID is created there will be 100% participation for all properties in Whitetail + some people on cr176 who have elected to participate.
# Q: If I participate in the WCID but my neighbors along the developer's water route don't, they can still get water at 1/2 to 1/4 the prices by simply going through the Georgetown Water company. I don't want to be the one paying for the infrastructure while the rental house across from me (a business, therefore more costs conscious) waits and gets it cheaper.
A: This will not happed because when the WCID is created ALL Whitetail property owners will pay for the system whether they hook on to buy water or not. This is the only way for us to afford the cost of the system! ALL residents must participate and the WCID makes that happen.
# What happens when our property assessments go up?A:The major portion of the "Tax" is based on the Bond debt. This debt is fixed and does not go up. We only need just so much money to pay our bills and no more. As the assessed values go up in the neighborhood, the tax rate goes down. Only about 10-15% of our costs will increase with inflation , the remaining 85-90% will not be going up during the life of the bond.
If you didn't get to sign the petition or would like to make a $100.00 donation to make
Whitetail WCID a reality please contact any of your following Whitetail neighbors:
Larry D. Gensch
(512) 259-1517 Home
(512) 922-4643 Cell
lgensch@aol.com
Frank Hanson
(512) 259-4235 Home
fhanson@ecpi.com
Larry Whelan
(512) 784-9610 Cell
larry.whelan@univista.com