City Profile

City Profile Round Rock City Council City Organization Chart Location History of Round Rock City Highlights City Profile City Profile This section provides an overview of the City of Round Rock, including the City’s Organization Chart, Round Rock’s location and history, and other informative statistics. City Profile City Profile Round Rock City Council Craig Morgan Alan McGraw George White Place 1 Mayor Place 2 Frank Leffingwell Will Peckham Place 3 Place 4 Writ Baese Round Rock Kris Whitfield Place 5 City Council Place 6 www.roundrocktexas.gov 33 34 City Organizational Chart Citizens of Round Rock Mayor & Council Municipal Judge City Manager City Attorney Assistant City Manager Assistant City Manager Utilities & Environmental Planning & Development Economic Development Information Technology Services Services Planning & Engineering Commercial & Residential Information Technology Inspections Finance Communication Water/Wastewater Treatment Code Enforcement Geographic Information Budget Purchasing Systems Operations Maintenance Development www.roundrocktexas.gov Services Office Municipal Court Utility Billing Water Conservation Library Long Range Planning Solid Waste & Recycling & Zoning Police Department Public Service Storm Water Drainage Management Parks & Recreation Children’s Service Patrol Genealogy Investigations Transportation Parks Department Digital Resources Communications Recreation Centers Operations & Maintenance Animal Control Athletics/Aquatics Communications Transportation Planning & Engineering Forestry City Clerk Arts & Special Events Transit/Public Transportation General Services Social Media Records Management Construction Inspection Services Website Development Building Construction & Facility Maintenance Fire Department Government Channel Vehicle Maintenance Downtown Revitalization Facility Fire Suppression Sports Center Fire Prevention Convention & Legend: Inspections Visitors Bureau General Fund Public Education Neighborhood Utility Fund Development Drainage Fund Human Resources H.O.T. & Sports Venue Funds Legislative Benefits Special Activities Recruitment Risk Management Round Rock Location Round Rock is located fifteen miles north of downtown Austin on Interstate Highway 35. This location Amarillo places our city within three hours driving time of ninety percent of the population of the State of Texas. This population, of over twenty-six million people, provides an exceptional market for firms located in Round Rock. Our location, within minutes of downtown Austin, provides ready access to the State Capitol; multiple Lubbock colleges and universities including the University of Texas; several large hospitals and medical educational facilities; a long list of high tech industries including Dell; and a civilian work force of over 900,000 within Fort Worth the Austin MSA (source:Dallas www.austinchamber.com). Abilene The Texas Hill Country and the Highland Lakes are within minutes, providing residents easy access to El Paso some of the best outdoor recreation in Texas. Round Rock Austin Amarillo Houston San Antonio Lubbock Fort Worth Dallas Abilene El Paso Round Rock Austin Houston San Antonio Round Rock to Austin 15 miles Round Rock to Dallas/Ft. Worth Metroplex 186 miles Round Rock to Houston 178 miles Round Rock to San Antonio 96 miles www.roundrocktexas.gov 35 The History of Round Rock Circa 1900 – Street Parade For more than 150 years, Round Rock has been occupations. In January 1861, Williamson County home to cowboys, famous outlaws, lawmen, entre- voted against secession from the Union. Despite preneurs, businessmen, and Texas heroes. Today, this reluctance to secede, 353 men from Williamson Round Rock is a growing community which hosts County served in the Confederate army, many from retail malls, high tech companies, several hospitals Round Rock. and college campuses. In the years following the Civil War, from 1867 Round Rock was first through the 1880s, Round Rock became a stop on home to many Native the famed Chisholm Trail, as cowboys anxious to American tribes, herd their longhorns to markets in Kansas drove followed by the their steers through Brushy Creek and past the Spanish Conquistadors round, table-topped rock which served as a sign- and Friars. After Texas post north. Railroads soon followed the cattle trails, gained its independence and in 1876 the existing town moved about 1 mile and became a nation, east to take advantage of the newly constructed American settlers International and Great Northern Railroad line, and Native American Tribes began arriving in large the “New” Round Rock was born. numbers. Even with the continued danger of Indian attack, and threat of invasion from Mexico, the Today, the downtown population of the Round Rock/Brushy Creek area still contains many grew rapidly. In 1848, these settlers voted to form historic structures and Williamson County out of the Milam District. The is the centerpiece of continuing influx of settlers led to the establish- an evolving historical, ment of the “Brushy Creek” Post Office in 1851. cultural, recreational, When the U.S. Post Office requested a new name and commercial area. for this post office, Postmaster Thomas C. Oatts In the late 1800s, chose “Round Rock” in 1854 because of the land- Round Rock played mark rock in the middle of Brushy Creek. Sam Bass host to many famous and infamous characters. These included outlaw Sam Bass, gunslinger John Wesley Hardin, Wash- ington Anderson, one of the heroes of the battle of San Jacinto, Texas Rangers Ira Aten, Dudley Snyder Barker, Captain Fred Olson, and the famous fron- tiersman, soldier, hunter and entrepreneur, Captain Nelson Merrell. Anna Hurd Palm, for whom “Palm Valley” is named, typified the pioneer spirit of early settlers. Trapeze artist and female impersonator Kenney Fort - Collection Services Vander ‘Barbette’ Broadway was singled out by Noel Coward as one of the greatest artists of the By the time of the Civil War, the population of the pre-depression era and was the toast of Parisian Round Rock area had increased to approximately society during the 1920s and 30s. 450 persons in more than twenty different 36 www.roundrocktexas.gov Circa 1900 – Street Scene Round Rock citizens first voted to incorporate in A barrel of lime produced at the Round Rock White 1877, and in 1878, Mr. W.T. Smith served as the City’s Lime Plant was also judged superior and awarded “Worthy Mayor.” The City was incorporated in its a gold medal. Cheese produced at the Round Rock present state in 1913, and Jack Jordan was elected Cheese Factory won a second place silver medal at the first Mayor. Serving as the first City Council the National Dairy Show in Memphis, and in 1929 Members were: John A. Nelson, Dr. W.G. Weber, E.J. received a first place ribbon at the Texas State Fair. Walsh, J. A. Jackson, W. A. Gannt, and A.K. Anderson. The newly formed City Government promptly began improving utilities, services and streets. Telephone service began operation in the early 1900s. In 1913, the first streetlights and speed limit signs (12 mph) were installed, and citizens voted for the incorporation of Common School District #19. Local fire pro- tection, which had been first organized as a volun- teer hose and hand pump company in 1884, received Round Rock Cheese Factory a boost from the 1913 City incorporation and used the additional tax revenue to purchase an engine By 1936, the population had climbed to 1,173 and and pump and chemical equipment in July of the has continued to climb. The 1960 population was same year. In 1918, the City granted a license to Mr. 2,458 and crept up to 2,811 by 1970. The decade S. E. Bergstrom to operate an electric plant, which of the 1970s marked the beginning of a surge in de- provided electricity to Round Rock until 1927, when velopment in Round Rock. During this time, Round the Texas Power and Light Co. assumed operations. Rock out-paced the growth of all cities in the Austin Natural gas and City water were added in 1936. In Metropolitan Area, resulting in a 353 percent in- 1938, the City constructed a $90,000 citywide sewer crease in total population for the decade. system. The Round Rock Public Library, first organized in 1962 by the Ladies Home Demonstration By 1980, Round Rock had established itself as Club, is now recognized as one of the premier librar- the largest city in Williamson County and a viable ies in the Central Texas area. growth center within the flourishing Austin-Round Rock Metropolitan Area. At this time, the City had But national crises often intervened to slow the a total area of 5,007 acres. By 1990, due to an ag- advance of progress. With the advent of World War gressive annexation campaign, the total area was II, more than 350 Round Rock men followed the 12,520 acres, an increase of 250 percent. example set by their fathers and grandfathers in the Spanish American War and World War I, and en- In the mid-90s, Round Rock led Williamson County in listed to fight. Citizens of Round Rock have fought sales tax revenues due to the great surge in com- in the Korean, Vietnam and Desert Storm wars and mercial and industrial activity. In 1994, Dell relocated continue to serve in the armed services. its world headquarters from Austin to Round Rock. The expansion of the City’s tax base resulted in a Even before the relocation of Dell to Round Rock, series of public works projects and additional public the City received national acclaim as a business amenities such as the expansion of the water plant, friendly community producing quality products. At an additional wastewater treatment plant, and the the 1904 St. Louis World’s Fair, a broom made at development of the 570-acre Old Settlers Park with- the Round Rock Broom Company won a gold medal. out an increase in the property tax rate. www.roundrocktexas.gov 37 In the late 1990’s, opened a 104,000 voters overwhelm- square foot store ingly approved the just north of the use of hotel-motel Outlets.

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