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2020
Volume 33, Issue 44
www.LHIndependent.com
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September 24, 2020 | 50 Cents
ESD planning May sales tax election
By MIKE EDDLEMAN Managing Editor Commissioners for Williamson County ESD #4 – Liberty Hill Fire – have signaled they intend to move forward with plans for a May 2021 sales tax election in an effort to increase revenues for the growing district. Having just opened Station 2 in 2019, the District is knee-deep in the planning for Station 3 which will be on the western end of the coverage area. That land has been purchased, and Chief Anthony Lincoln estimates it will cost about $1.4 million per year in additional funds to operate the new station once it is open. That estimate includes debt service on land and construction, staffing and operating expenses. The ESD brings in a majority of its revenues in property and sales tax, and there are available local funds under the statewide sales tax cap of 8.25 percent within the ESD. In most areas of the district, that available tax revenue is half or three quarters of a cent, which is all that is left under
the cap. Currently in the area there are different sales tax amounts based on boundaries for the City, ESD and Library District. Part of preparing for an election, the ESD will have to produce a map showing the specific total rate throughout the District. The ESD currently brings in one cent of the sales tax revenue, and the revenue generated by that one cent has grown dramatically each year since the vote first passed back in 2015. In the first full year – 2016 – the revenue was $193, 195 for the District. It more than doubled in 2017, grew by $175,000 in 2018, topped $800,000 in 2019, and this year, through September, the revenue has been $936,545. “We jumped on this a long time ago (in 2015), and this all came back up with the Senate Bill 2 stuff with everybody wondering what they're going to do to raise money,” Lincoln said. “Our Board said there's still funding available and we needed to look at it, so
See ESD, Page 3
In tune The Panthers hosted New Braunfels Canyon Sept. 18 in the team’s only scrimmage this season, putting up for touchdowns and stifling ALEX RUBIO PHOTO
the visitors through most of the evening. Liberty Hill kicks off the 2020 season – its first as a 5A program – Friday at home for Senior Night against Killeen Ellison. Read more about the scrimmage on page 6, and look for details on the season opener online Saturday at LHIndependent.com
Williamson County Sheriff
Chody determined Gleason sets sights to continue work on restored image
With November elections around the corner, Williamson County Sheriff Robert Chody is looking to remain in his current post leading the sheriff’s office for another term. The controversial sheriff is facing McCoy’s Building Supply is making its new home in Liberty off against Democratic oppoHill on the southeast corner of SH 29 and RR 1869. (Courtesy nent Mike Gleason. Having an often contentious Photo) relationship with media and other elected officials in the County, Chody believes the people of Williamson County should ignore the negativity and look at the results of his work. By RACHEL MADISON McCoy’s son, Emmett Mc“I think it’s important that Staff Writer Coy, eventually took over the the community sees the results McCoy’s Building Supply has company and started the retail of some of the changes that a long history in Texas, and side and building supply side. met with criticism and pushnow the building supply store Today, the CEO of McCoy’s back that caused some negais expanding to Liberty Hill, is Frank’s grandson and Em- tivity. I want them to see is the with a new store expected to mett’s son, Brian McCoy. He results,” said Chody. “Grade open in the spring of 2021. took the reins as CEO in 2001, me on my report card in the MJ Toops, communications and in 2007, Brian’s daughter, aspects of not negative media specialist for McCoy’s Build- Meagan McCoy Jones, became but the results.” ing Supply, said McCoy’s the fourth generation to join One of the significant changwas founded in Galveston in the company leadership when es during his time in office is 1927 by Frank McCoy. When she was named president of the Chody’s claim of a reduction he founded it, it started out company. in response time from the preas McCoy Roofing Company. See McCOYS, Page 10 vious administration, cutting
McCoy’s coming to Liberty Hill
ROBERT CHODY response times almost in half. The Independent requested the data to confirm but has yet to receive a response. “One of those results is the response time that you’re seeing from the sheriff’s office. When I came into office, the top priority calls, the calls when you need help right away, from a certain period were up to 28 minutes on average,” Chody said. “In 2019, I had those priority calls down to 11 minutes and some change. That’s almost cut in half. That’s something I want the community to know. We are getting there
See CHODY, Page 4
With 24 years of experience in Williamson County law enforcement, Democratic candidate Mike Gleason is looking to top current Williamson County Sheriff Robert Chody on Nov. 3. In that more than two decades, Gleason understands the inner workings of various departments that comprise Williamson County law enforcement. “I was there for 24 years. I started as a corrections officer on the midnight shift. I worked in every capacity as either an employee or a commander in every section of every bureau at the sheriff’s department until I retired as assistant chief deputy,” said Gleason. “I ran all the major budgets. I fired, I hired, and I built the field training program. I built the crisis intervention team, swat team, and swift-water rescue. I’ve done everything in that agency.” All that experience is why Gleason believes he’s the right man for the sheriff’s
MIKE GLEASON position. “This is a natural fit for me because the last four positions I held were command positions, budgeted positions. With my last position, I worked in the corrections bureau, and I had a $23 million budget there,” he said. “We almost ran a hospital there. Along with caring, feeding, and transporting up to 800 inmates. When I was on the patrol side and a patrol commander, I had to order and know what we needed to be prepared for. It takes a lot to run something like that, and I
See GLEASON, Page 4
Motal named Region 13 middle school principal of the year By ANTHONY FLORES Staff Writer Liberty Hill Junior High Principal Travis Motal, is the recipient of Region 13 Middle ©2020 The Liberty Hill Independent
School Principal of the Year – a rather unexpected honor. The honor was a surprise to Motal, so much so he almost overlooked the email with the good news. “It’s very humbling and exciting. When I saw the email, I almost thought it was spam,” said Motal. “It didn’t jump out at me because that wasn’t in my mind. I didn’t focus on it.
Then I went back and read it, and I was like, ‘Wow, really?’ I was very shocked and very humbled.” Motal is in his eighth year as a principal and his second year in Liberty Hill. Before arriving in Liberty Hill, Motal served as a principal in Taylor for six years – three years in middle school, and three at the intermediate. Motal was an
assistant principal in Pflugerville for five years before Taylor and started as a fifth-grade teacher. Motal sees the award as a manifestation of his efforts to improve LHJH. He’s grateful for the positive feedback from staff, parents, and students. “There are two ways that I’ve been thinking about it. It’s being appreciative of the
hard work you put in and you feel like you’ve spent a lot of time trying to make the school as great as it is,” he said. “You spend a lot of time investing in people, whether it’s staff, students, or parents. So, it’s very nice to feel like some of those fruits are being shown of the labor you’ve put in.” Motal says that he owes much of the credit for his
award to the principals who offered him his early opportunities. “On the other side of it, what stuck out to me was that I immediately thought that I wouldn’t be here if I didn’t get support along the way,” Motal said. “I immediately went back to the first principal that
See MOTAL, Page 3