In short
- The county owned about $2.0 billion in land, roads, buildings and equipment at the end of fiscal 2025. That is the value after wear and tear.1
- That is about $220 million more than a year before, a rise of about 12% (our math).2
- Land is the largest part, about $845 million.1
- Roads and other work under way were worth about $402 million. The county still owed builders about $326 million on active projects.1
Numbers marked “our math” are our estimates, not official figures. The notes show the inputs and the steps.
What the numbers show
| What the county owns, Sept. 30, 2025 | Value on the books |
|---|---|
| Land | $844,652,425 |
| Work under way (not yet finished) | $402,283,057 |
| Roads, bridges and other public works, before wear and tear | $802,567,424 |
| Buildings, before wear and tear | $355,336,551 |
| Machines and equipment, before wear and tear | $145,012,445 |
| Everything, after wear and tear | $1,989,343,734 |
Source: the county’s fiscal 2025 audit, Note 8.1
- Wear and tear cost about $58 million in fiscal 2025. About two-thirds of it was for roads and other transportation (our math).12
- Land is about 42% of the total (our math).2
- Book values are what the county paid, less wear and tear. They are not what the assets would sell for.1
The other side
- A growing county needs more roads and buildings. A rising total can mean new roads and parks, not waste.1
- Book value is not market value. Land bought years ago may be worth much more today. Old roads may cost much more to replace.1
- This page does not judge whether the projects were worth it. The audit gives totals, not project-by-project results.1
What you can do or watch next
- Watch Commissioners Court agendas for road, park and building contracts. See commissioners court.
- See county debt explained for how the county borrows to build.
Questions to ask
- Which projects make up the money still owed to builders?
- How does the county estimate the yearly cost to keep up new roads and buildings?
What we still don’t know
- Which projects are in the “work under way” total, or in the money still owed to builders. The audit reports the money owed as one combined line for roads, parks and buildings, with no list of projects.1
- What the assets would cost to replace today.
Changes to this page
- Nov. 2, 2026: Rewrote the questions to ask so each is open, neutral and addressed to the public body.
- Nov. 2, 2026: First draft.
- Nov. 2, 2026: We checked the audit for a list of projects behind the money still owed. It gives only one combined line, so we say so.
Footnotes
-
Williamson County, Texas, Annual Comprehensive Financial Report for fiscal 2025, Note 8, “Capital Assets,” pp.53-54: governmental activities, ending balances Sept. 30, 2025: land $844,652,425; construction in progress $402,283,057; buildings and improvements $355,336,551; machinery and equipment $145,012,445; infrastructure $802,567,424; capital assets, net $1,989,343,734 (beginning $1,769,545,158). Depreciation and amortization $57,754,371, of which transportation support $38,541,713. Construction commitments: spent to date $2,403,405,559; remaining commitment $326,216,436. ↩ ↩2 ↩3 ↩4 ↩5 ↩6 ↩7 ↩8 ↩9 ↩10
-
Our math. Same report: 1,989,343,734 − 1,769,545,158 = 219,798,576, or 12.4%. 38,541,713 ÷ 57,754,371 = 66.7%. 844,652,425 ÷ 1,989,343,734 = 42.5%. ↩ ↩2 ↩3