local leadership
by Ann Marie Kennon • lhtxdigest.com photos courtesy Commissioner Cynthia Long
Commissioner Cynthia Long
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ynthia Long has served Williamson County as Commissioner for Precinct 2 since 2007. She enjoys mentoring youth and young adults, fishing, snow skiing, and the beach. She has been married to her husband, Donn, for 34 years and they are active members at Hill Country Bible Church, Lakeline Campus, serving in the youth group ministry. The Liberty Hill Digest sat down with the Commissioner to talk about her leadership and community involvement to help readers get to know the person and the personality on the dais. LHD: Tell us a little about yourself before you were elected County Commissioner. CL: I worked in various technical positions before moving into IT management and founded my own IT consulting company in 1997, focusing on information technology and project management. My clients were based in the U.S., Central and South America, and Europe. Prior to my election to the court, I was elected twice to the Cedar Park City Council, served on the Cedar Park Planning and Zoning Commission and the Round Rock Medical Center Board of Directors. I also helped start and was the founding Chair of the Twin Lakes Family YMCA. I am currently serving on the Board of Trustees of the Cedar Park Regional Medical Center. LHD: What are some of the big issues, as you see them, in the county right now? CL: Williamson County is one of the best places to live in the nation. People and businesses are continuing to prove it every day as they move to our great community. Staying ahead of the explosive growth remains one of the biggest challenges. Our new neighbors drive on our roads, use our emergency services, enjoy our parks, and more. On all of those fronts, we have been planning for future growth. Striking the balance of meeting current demands, maintaining what is special about Williamson County and our cities, and planning for future neighbors will continue to be a major focus of what I do. LHD: What are some of your current projects and goals? CL: My goals for the County continue to be to make Williamson County the place where people want to live, work, learn, worship, and play. Areas I focus on are transportation, parks, reducing taxes, and public safety. Through my transportation focus on the Commission-
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F E B R UA R Y 2022 LIBER T Y HILL D IGES T
er’s Court and the overwhelming support of the voters, Williamson County has had multiple successful bond elections, which provided the funding to complete 181 projects, add 353 new capacity lane miles, and 439 reconstructed lane miles. As Chair of the 22-person, six county Capitol Area Metropolitan Planning Organization (CAMPO), I have helped bring hundreds of millions of dollars to transportation improvement projects in our County. On February 7, Commissioner Long received the 2021 TXDOT Road Hand Award. She was chosen, statewide, as the individual who has made significant contibutions to transportation, not just in her own area but in the region and across Texas. As we grow, making sure we have parks and trails for our citizens becomes more important. In my tenure, and with voter approval, we have added more than 2,400 acres of parkland, preserves, and trails to the Williamson County Parks system, providing amazing recreational opportunities for our citizens. On safety, making sure Williamson County remains a safe community is of paramount importance. That is why I have consistently supported law enforcement with ample funding and tools to do their important jobs. Additionally, we have focused on the growing mental health issues
