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Smith On The Fifth
Year in Review
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"Happy New Year"
"Let's make this next year the best year yet"
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As we close out 2025, I want to begin simply—with thank you.
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Thank you for staying engaged, reading these updates, showing up to meetings, sending emails, making phone calls, and sharing what is working and what isn’t. Your involvement matters more than you may realize.
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I believe good leadership starts with listening, and this year your voices helped shape better questions, better conversations, and better decisions. Serving as your County Commissioner is a responsibility I take seriously, and I am grateful for the trust you place in me to represent you with truth, integrity, and action.
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Mary Smith
Williamson County Commissioner, District 5
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Candidate for Williamson County Mayor
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What We Faced — and How I Served
As we look back on this past year, I want to reflect on the challenges facing Williamson County—and the work I’ve been honored to do in service to you.
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This year tested us. Rapid growth, rising costs, and long-term financial obligations collided with the everyday issues families feel most: taxes, schools, traffic, public safety, and quality of life. Throughout it all, my focus remained steady—putting people first, protecting taxpayers, and planning responsibly for the future.
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💰 Fiscal Stewardship: Facing Our Financial Reality
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Williamson County carries nearly $1.1 billion in total debt, with more than $109 million budgeted this year towards paying that debt. That's over 12% of our budget before a single dollar reaches classrooms, deputies, or road repairs. As we began our budgeting process, we faced a gap of over $30 million dollars of projected expenses over revenue.
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Scrutinized budgets, contracts, insurance costs, and fixed expenses
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Pushed for realistic revenue assumptions to reduce pressure on taxpayers
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Advocated for alternatives to debt-heavy capital funding, including using fund balance for emergency vehicles
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Supported increasing the non-residential Adequate Facilities Tax so commercial growth contributes to the infrastructure it requires
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✅ WIN: Reduced the Budget Gap
Through careful analysis and negotiation, the estimate ~$30 million+ funding gap was reduced to approximately $15 million—without defaulting to unnecessary tax increases. Through adjustments to our projected revenues and realized savings in healthcare insurance, we were able to close the gap significantly.
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Raising taxes should always be a last resort. While the Commission ultimately approved a property tax rate of $1.30, up from the revenue-neutral certified rate of $1.24, I voted against the increase. With the increase in property values and because additional cost savings and revenue options were still being explored, I did not believe a higher tax rate was necessary.
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🌱 Balanced & Thoughtful Growth: Infrastructure & Rural Preservation
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Growth continued to accelerate across the county, raising legitimate concerns about traffic, schools, sewer capacity, and preserving rural character.
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Championed community-driven Special Area Plans
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Asked tough questions about infrastructure capacity before approving growth
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Advocated for transparency, accountability, and resident input
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Balanced property rights with long-term quality of life
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✅ WIN: Growth with Guardrails
Sponsored and supported the Arrington Special Area Plan after serving on the Advisory Board for more than a year. Sponsored and passed improved public notice with regards to wireless communication (5G) towers. Supported the formation of the Subsurface Sewage Disposal System (SSDS) task force to remove unnecessary steps in the septic approval process for property owners in the unincorporated areas.
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🍎 People-First Governance: Schools, Teachers & Fair Funding
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Despite strong schools and engaged families, Williamson County Schools faced a $12 million funding gap. State funding formulas based on “fiscal capacity” penalize our county by ignoring our higher cost of living—leaving teachers ranked 27th in the state for pay.
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Elevated inequities in state education funding
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Supported legal action to challenge the current funding model
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Advocated for competitive teacher pay and sustainable, long-term solutions
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Asked hard questions to ensure transparency and accountability
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✅ WIN: Standing Up for Fair School Funding
Took action to challenge a system that shortchanges Williamson County teachers and students by joining a lawsuit with several other county officials.
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🚓 People-First Governance: Public Safety & First Responders
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As neighboring counties raised pay, recruiting and retaining experienced deputies and first responders became increasingly difficult. Public safety depends on valuing those who serve on the front lines.
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Supported market-based compensation studies
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Made multiple motions to move pay toward competitive benchmarks
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Worked toward a responsible compromise that raised Sheriff’s Office pay to a more competitive level.
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✅ WIN: Meaningful Pay Raises for Deputies and County Employees
Helped secure long-overdue raises that will improve retention and strengthen public safety countywide. While I supported the final budget that included competitive pay raises for all county employees, I also pressed for stronger data and analysis to ensure compensation decisions are sustainable and fair.
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🧾 People-First Governance: Taxes, Seniors & Cost of Living
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Rising property values have translated into higher tax bills—especially for seniors and residents on fixed incomes.
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Proposed and helped pass an expansion of the Broad-Based Tax Relief Program
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Raised income thresholds so more seniors can remain in their homes
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Prioritized protections for vulnerable residents throughout budget deliberations
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✅ WIN: Expanded Senior Tax Relief
Sponsored and passed an increase to the qualifying income for our Broad-Based Tax Relief Program. Now more seniors will qualify for property-tax relief, helping them stay in the homes they worked a lifetime to build.
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🏛️ A Service-Driven Approach to Governance
Throughout 2025, I remained guided by a simple principle: government should focus on its core responsibilities, serve people well, and respect taxpayers.
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That meant questioning government ventures that compete with private enterprise, supporting necessary projects while demanding better funding approaches, and insisting on transparency and accountability in major decisions.
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Serving on the County Commission has shown me just how interconnected our challenges truly are with regards to finances, growth, infrastructure, and quality of life. It has also shown me what works, what doesn’t, and where we must do better.
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Too often, counties are forced into reactive decisions because long-term planning was postponed. I believe Williamson County deserves leadership that plans ahead, brings people together, and keeps service, not politics, at the center of every decision.
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That is why I am running for County Mayor.
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I’m running to build on the work already underway guided by three simple principles:
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Fiscal Stewardship — disciplined budgeting and honest planning
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Balanced & Thoughtful Growth — growth that strengthens, not strains, our communities
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People-First Governance — decisions rooted in service, transparency, and accountability
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I truly believe our best days are ahead of us—and together, we can protect what makes Williamson County special while preparing responsibly for what comes next.
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All of the following meetings will be held at:
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Next County Commission Meeting - January 12th @ 6:00PM - Main Auditorium
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If you like what you see, please be sure to share with your friends. The more we educate ourselves, the more we can become active participates in our amazing community. You can subscribe here. Also, if you are interested in supporting my efforts to preserve and protect Conservative values in Williamson County, please consider making a donation.
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Appearance in uniform does not imply endorsement by the Department of Transportation or the Department of Homeland Security. Paid for by Friends for Mary Smith | Jessica Torres, Treasurer
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