GEORGETOWN – Members of the Williamson County Circuit Court unanimously approved a number of initiatives at their meeting Tuesday, from raising the cost of a key water line in Taylor to approving a salary increase for the county auditor.

The city of Taylor has agreed to pay more than $70,000 to upgrade a water main project, an official told city councilors at their regular meeting last week.

With District Judge Bill Gravell abstaining, commissioners unanimously approved a $71,380.34 ordinance amendment related to a project by James Construction Group involving a water main to supply the city.

The matter was item 43 on a packed agenda.

As explained by county officials, the original change order removed 17,000 pounds of ductile iron fittings – which are effective in resisting corrosion when providing clean drinking water – from the water main, resulting in $171,500 being erroneously deducted from the approved contract amount.

The revised amending regulation aims to correct the error by removing the quantity reduction related to the fillings, officials said.

“Item 43 is a change order with James Construction that must be paid by the City of Taylor,” Robert B. Daigh, the county’s senior director of infrastructure, told commissioners.

“The City of Taylor has signed this amendment ordinance,” he added after presenting the road construction report to commissioners.

The change order is the latest in a series of changes that have resulted in an 11.36 percent increase in the original cost. The original contract of $12,673,200.94 has now grown to $14,113,275.17 after change orders totaling $1,440,074.23 have been made so far, officials said.

In other business, commissioners approved a $7,098.43 raise for Julie M. Kiley, who was appointed county auditor in November 2022 following the retirement of her predecessor, Jerri Jones. Kiley’s new salary of $202,757.26 is a 9.2 percent increase over her current annual compensation, according to county documents.

Commissioners’ approval of the revised salary was due to Texas Local Government Code guidelines because the former “highest paid county elected official,” District Attorney Dee Hobbs, has a higher salary of $181,884.40. Commissioners noted that most of the funding for Kiley’s revised salary is already included in the proposed FY25 budget.

Kiley served as First Deputy County Auditor since 2004 before being appointed County Auditor.

The court also approved an agreement between the Williamson County Regional Animal Shelter and the AARP Foundation to provide training to seniors at nonprofit organizations with the goal of employment.

The initiative provides for participants to complete training as part of a voluntary commitment in parallel to non-subsidized employment.

According to the AARP Foundation website, the Senior Community Service Employment Program places qualified job seekers in paid training assignments at local nonprofit and public agencies, including child care centers, senior centers, schools and hospitals.

Benefits of the program include work experience for participants’ resumes, hands-on training in new skills, professional job placement in full or part-time employment, and an average of 20 hours of paid work per week.

Disadvantages include the possible loss of social benefits such as food stamps due to the additional income.

In addition, the district honored its employees of the year.

A committee selected the award winners from 39 nominations in five categories. The winners received a check for $500.

Shelley Loughrey, director of benefits administration, was honored in the Exceptional Customer Service category. Kate Wolf, director of emergency communications, received the award for professional leadership. Cathy Atkinson, accounting manager for the tax office, received the Wilco Way Award for leadership. Jeff Malcolm, inventory coordinator II with Facilities Management, received the Wilco Way Award for non-leadership. And Robert Tijerina, victim assistance sergeant with the Sheriff’s Office, received the Game Changer Award for an app he helped develop that provides consolidated resources for crime victims.