In addition to Granger, the Thrall, Lexington and Thorndale independent school districts will share the $1.3 million Moody Foundation M-Pact Grant.

According to a foundation press release, the Rural M-Pact initiative targets educational communities with customized, district-specific funding to support local student vocational success.

“The funding is split among the districts because strategically we will use it together and with one another as students from all the school districts are served,” said Granger ISD Superintendent Stephen Brosch during the June 17 school board meeting.

The M-Pact award is a three-year grant providing school districts the time to implement new programs into their curriculum.

Amber Thorsen, Granger’s director of federal programs and curriculum, said, “The first year (of the grant) is a lot of planning, working on building the program and getting a lot of stakeholder data.”

The second and third years are when the programs launch.

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Brosch pointed out that Granger, Thrall, Lexington and Thorndale already have welding programs, but with the M-Pact grant districts can add different subjects they may not have had the funds to implement on their own, such as the healthcare trades.

Brosch also noted the M-Pact grant is a boon to all the collaborating school districts because they will now be able to offer new learning opportunities to their pupils. “It helps us build a better (career and technological education) program so our students are more successful after graduation,” Thorsen added.

Brosch said the districts will tailor the funding to support programs reflecting students’ vocational interests, preparing them for job markets doing well now and ones predicted to promise success in the future.

“And then we can put those things together to really add something new to the curriculum that we haven’t been able to (in the past),” Brosch said.

The next trustees’ meeting is 6 p.m. June 24 in the board room at 300 N. Colorado St.

Parade and festival draw big crowds

Taylor’s Juneteenth Citywide Freedom Day Celebration has continued to grow each year and showcases the inclusivity of the community, according to organizers.

“

“I think it’s a testament to everyone being able to come together in the name of inclusion.”

— Nakevia Miller Mayor Jim Buzan, who attended the parade and brunch Saturday morning, reflected on the connections formed when people grow up in the same city with shared experiences.

“A lot of people here either I went to school with or I went to school with family members. It’s a very close-knit community,” Buzan said.

Participation in the parade and festival, held June 20, increases each year and continues to attract regional interest, planners said.

This year the event included a horse-mounted group from Elgin and a motorcycle club based in Killeen in addition to local groups.

Nakevia Miller, executive director of the Dickey Museum & Multipurpose Center, presented three awards to parade recipients:

• Best Driving Group: 290 Boyz Riding Club (gaited- horse club from Elgin)

• Best Walker: Taylor’s own Queen Lola

• Best Overall: Taylor Youth Duck Nation Cheerleaders “I think it’s a testament to everyone being able to come together in the name of inclusion,” Miller said.

The grand marshal was 99-year-old former teacher Lessie Givens.

She taught Taylor students for 36 years, starting at the all-Black school, O.L. Price, before campuses were desegregated.

A biker known as T-Bone, vice president and road captain of the National Association of Buffalo Soldiers and Troopers Motorcycle Club – Killeen Chapter, said it was a Buffalo Soldiers unit that brought word to Galveston on June 19, 1865, that slavery was ended in Texas.

That event led to the celebration known as Juneteenth, which became a Texas holiday in 1980 and was named a federal holiday by President Joe Biden in 2021.

T-Bone and seven other riders skipped the Killeen parade to celebrate with Taylor.

He said the club president, known as Saddler, lives in Taylor.

“It’s important to celebrate

historic events. I’m glad that the events are getting bigger. I’d like to see a lot more participation. It’s great that everybody is coming out to get involved in it,” T-Bone said.

Taylor’s Juneteenth event is sponsored in part by the city.

Miller said the celebration “takes a village” to coordinate and would not be possible without the support of the Parks and Recreation Department employees who help with logistics, administration, underwriting and setting up.

“We are so grateful that we have a city staff that’s committed to helping support Black cultural preservation, helping us to feel included and seen in our community,” Miller said.

In addition to the parade and brunch event Saturday morning, Taylor celebrated Juneteenth with a Saturday evening festival featuring vendors, activities, gospel music, a live band and an educational African Safari Program with Elizabeth Kahura sponsored by the Texas Commission on the Arts.

A photography exhibit highlighting the history of Black rodeos was also part of the Juneteenth programming. The free exhibit, titled “Soul Circuit -- Juneteenth Rodeos in Texas,” will be on display at the McCrory Timmerman Gallery, 112 W. Second St., through July 15.

Presentation of the awards took place on the last day of the Texas Newspaper Association’s annual Convention & Trade Show, held June 18-20 at the Hyatt Regency DFW International Airport.

According to TPA officials, 103 member newspapers submitted 1,020 entries encompassing stories or other content published in 2025. The impartial Washington Newspapers Publishers Association handled the judging across 10 divisions grouped by frequency and circulation.

The Taylor Press is owned by Granite Media Partners Inc., a 50-year-old Texas news and marketing company that operates or manages publications stretching from East Texas to the Big Bend area.

“The Taylor Press’ performance in the statewide contest continues to show our commitment to rigorous reporting, adherence to the facts and telling our audience what happened, not what to think,” said Thomas Edwards, executive editor of Granite. “Our ultimate goal is to keep our communities informed without fear or favor dictating our efforts.”

See PRESS • page 2 Area Editor Jason Chlapek echoed Edwards’ sentiment.

“The staff we have here at the Taylor Press goes above and beyond the call of duty,” Chlapek said. “These awards are a testament of the hard work they put in day-in and day-out.”

The Taylor Press’ awards included:

• Second place, News Writing, Division 4

• Second place, Sports Coverage, Division 4 According to TPA officials, Granite publications overall claimed more than 40 statewide awards, including five first-place commendations. Some of the awards lauded the company’s continuing expansion into digital platforms.

TPA, founded in 1880, is dedicated to advocating for the welfare of Texas newspapers, “encourages higher standards of journalism and plays an important role in protecting the public’s right to know as an advocate of First Amendment liberties,” according to its website.

The organization represents 328 paid-circulation newspapers — 40 dailies and 288 non-dailies.

For the 20th consecutive year, Taylor’s Main Street program has earned accolades from a national organization honoring the “Front Porch of Texas,” city officials said.

Each year, Main Street America and its partners announce the designated programs recognizing improvements to downtowns through preservation- based economic development and community revitalization using the “Main Street Approach.”

“The city of Taylor Main Street Program demonstrates a dedication to investing in the people and places that make your downtown district special and contribute to the collective power of the Main Street movement to build vibrant spaces and durable economies,” said Erin Barnes, president and CEO at Main Street America.

The Taylor Main Street Program’s performance was evaluated by the organization’s personnel and Taylor Main Street, which works in partnership with the national organization to identify programs meeting “rigorous national community evaluation standards,” according to a release.

“This recognition belongs to the entire Taylor community,” said Niecy Baum, downtown director. “From our local businesses and property owners to volunteers, sponsors, partners and residents, so many people have played a role in creating the energy and excitement that make downtown Taylor the Front Porch of Texas.”

Taylor is one of 838 nationally recognized Accredited Main Street America organizations and is a part of a network of more than 1,600 communities.

According to the release, to qualify for accredited

status — Main Street America’s top designation tier — communities must demonstrate a proven track record and “exceptional performance” in six areas:

• Broad-based community commitment to revitalization.

• Inclusive leadership and organizational capacity.

• Diversified funding and sustainable program operations.

• Strategy-driven programming.

• Preservation-based economic development.

• Demonstrated impact and results.

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“This recognition belongs to the entire Taylor community.”

— Niecy Baum, downtown director

With no discussion, County Judge Steven Snell read the motion for the new voting equipment and Precinct 2 Commissioner Cynthia Long and Precinct 3 Commissioner Valerie Covey approved it. Precinct 1 Commissioner Terry Cook and Precinct 4 Commissioner Russ Boles were absent from the dais.

The purchase was not the only agenda item handled quickly in the 20-minute June 16 meeting.

An item to appoint a successor to Larry Gaddes, who announced his resignation last week as Williamson County tax assessor-collector, was pulled from the agenda.

“We’re going to take it back to executive session if we have time. If not, we’ll do it at a future meeting under attorney consultation,” Snell said.

Commissioners Court will next meet at 9:30 a.m. Tuesday, June 30, at 710 S. Main St. Sessions can also be viewed online at wilcotx.gov/331/ Commissioners- Court.

Lankford presented his findings at the June 11 City Council meeting. Countywide median home values fell from $422,218 in 2025 to $401,808 in 2026.

In Taylor, the median home value dropped from $294,418 to $273,426. Even though Taylor added 158 new homes, most in the $300,000 to $400,000 range, the overall taxable value of residential properties dropped.

While only 7.85 percent of properties on the tax roll are commercial, they account for 53.35 percent of the city’s taxable value. The total market value of Taylor real estate rose from $5.73 billion in 2025 to $6.05 billion this year, Lankford said. Of that, $5.4 billion is the taxable value.

The appraisal district received 30,000 property appraisal appeals this year, most of them submitted through tax agents rather than directly by property owners. Lankford said property owners may benefit from filing their own appeal rather than using a company that specializes in appeals.

“Tax agents get a median tax savings of between $30 and $59, before the fees they charge. Property owners who are doing their own appeal save an average of $143,” he said.

He said the average amount seems low because it includes appeals on properties that are already at market value and receive no savings.

CITY SIGNS FOREIGN-TRADE ZONE LETTER The council voted to sign a no-objection letter allowing Soulbrain RASA TX LLC to be included in Foreign-Trade Zone No. 183, which serves the Austin area.

If the company is accepted into the trade zone, it could avoid certain customs and inventory taxes. The tax break is estimated to cost the city $24,956 a year once the company reaches full operations in 2034.

Soulbrain, 201 FM 3349, is building a $175 million chemical manufacturing facility in the RCR Taylor Logistic Park. The South Korea-based company will produce phosphoric acid for Samsung Austin Semiconductor and other semiconductor clients.

Taylor Economic Development Corp. CEO Ben White said even though Taylor will be giving up some tax revenue, it will still receive property tax revenues from land, buildings, improvements and equipment as well as sales and use tax revenues from business operations.

THIRD STREET APARTMENTS APPROVED

After several appearances before the council, an apartment project at 1019 and 1021 W. Third St. won approval for a special use permit and can move ahead with site development.

The project calls for 21 apartments on a 0.43acre site in an older, established part of town. Community members spoke out about putting a proposed three-story building housing more than 20 families on the small lot, saying it would change the character of their neighborhood and affect infrastructure including drainage and transportation.

The developer agreed to lower the building from three stories to two. Two community members told the council the change answered their biggest concern about how the building would fit the neighborhood.

Council member Shelli Cobb said even with the changes, she had concerns about adding highdensity housing to the fragile infrastructure in that neighborhood.

“I went door to door in that area and talked to several people. Most of them are renting the home they live in and don’t feel like they have a say in this. None of the people were happy. There are problems and issues there that I think we need to make sure we consider when looking at putting so many people on the spot on that corner,” Cobb said.

Council member Kelly Cmerek commended the developer for listening to the community and working with city staff to make the project less intrusive.

“To me it’s a win. Is it perfect? No, but he’s building a lot less than is allowed by our code,” Cmerek said.

CITY TO STUDY PROBLEM INTERSECTIONS A request for stronger traffic measures at Howard Street and West Lake Drive became the starting point for Police Chief Joseph Chacon to recommend the Taylor Police Department create a traffic management policy to handle similar requests. Chacon said he prefers to make decisions based on hard data, so Taylor police analyzed reported auto collisions over the past few years in the Howard and West Lake area.

He also used the Taylor police speed trailer for four days on both West Lake Drive and Howard Street. Then his department conducted a public survey to see how residents felt about putting a stop sign in that area.

Of the 500 responses to the survey, 60 percent were against adding a stop sign at the corner.

Cobb said one resident of that area who has been requesting a stop sign said his mailbox has been hit so often he had to get special permission to move the post office box farther from the street. Cobb said those types of accidents may not be counted in the traffic data Chacon had.

Chacon said his data indicates there may be other issues along that area besides speed, and suggested alternatives to adding a stop sign.

“If the speed is not supporting it, then would we have some adverse unintended consequences such as greater traffic congestion, and possibly with the start and stop could it cause other collisions?” Chacon said.

The council agreed with the chief, and the department will move forward by exploring alternative traffic calming measures including looking at line-of-sight obstructions, increasing patrols and working with the city engineer on a more in-depth traffic study for additional recommendations. City staff will also talk to nearby homeowners to better understand the issue.

The council did not approve a stop sign for the intersection.

In honor of Taylor’s sesquicentennial, we are looking back at the early days of Taylorsville and the people and events that shaped the town we know today as Taylor.

After getting its start in 1876 with the arrival of the International and Great Northern Railroad, the town was first called Taylor Station and then officially, Taylorsville.

Named after Edward Moses Taylor, an official with the railroad, the community immediately began to grow. The first businesses and homes were wooden structures built very quickly and very cheaply.

In a little over a year’s time, a visitor wrote, “Today we see a town of five hundred active, enterprising inhabitants.”

Taylorsville had, he said, “attracted people of means, morality and intelligence.”

By 1878, 1,000 residents called Taylorsville home. There were 32 businesses including hotels, restaurants, saloons, dry goods, hardware and feed yards. The community became a shipping point for cattle, grain and cotton. Williamson County’s newest community was growing and thriving.

Then tragedy struck. A fire in 1878 destroyed a few of the town’s earliest wood-frame structures, but that was minor compared to a blaze the following year in which 29 of 32 businesses were destroyed, changing the face of the city overnight.

While I have read several accounts of this destructive fire that were very informative, the source I found to be the most enlightening was a 1940 interview with an 83-year-old Taylor resident, Mrs. John S. Kritser.

Mrs. Kritser was a lifetime resident of the area and lived in Taylorsville at the time of the fire. She was interviewed by student reporters Bette Schram and Irene Strarup and the following comments were published in the March 8, 1940, issue of the Taylor High School newspaper, The Cotton Boll.

“During the last of February 1879, there was a large fire that swept over all of Taylor, destroying almost everything in its path. It started when a high south wind blew some clothes on a hot stove in a small house behind the Kamp Hotel.”

Many current Taylor residents will recognize the red Kamp Hotel building next to the railroad tracks on the corner of East First and North Main streets as the more recent home of Taylor Café, a popular restaurant that barbecue legend, Vencil Mares, opened in 1948. It was one of the few buildings that survived the fire of 1879 and is considered to be one of the oldest buildings in Taylor today.

“Having no water works, we could not stop the fire as it quickly spread from the hotel up the west side of the street to as far as Taylor went in those days. Suddenly the wind changed to the west, blowing the fire to the other side of the street, and upon the arrival of a norther, practically the whole town was burned.”

Something Mrs. Kritser talked about that I haven’t seen anywhere else is how the people of Taylorsville came together to recover and rebuild from the devastating fire. “Long wooden shelters were erected until the homes and stores could be built again and the people whose homes were not damaged by the fire took in the homeless people. We took eighteen people in and beds were put on the floor for everyone.”

Following the fire of 1879, most new buildings were made of brick. The town quickly recovered as indicated in an article from a September 1879 issue of The Taylorsville Times that reported sizable exports of cotton, wool, hides, bones, oats, corn, flour, hogs, sheep, horses and cattle.

One thing I noticed from the Cotton Boll interview is that Mrs. John S. Kritser was only known by her husband’s name. I wanted to know more about this pioneering woman who had lived in the area since before the railroad arrived, so I did a little research.

I learned that Martha Elizabeth Sloan was born in 1858 on the Sloan-Easley property located northwest of Taylor near Jonah. She married John S.

Kritser in 1878, which appears to be the time when she moved inside Taylorsville’s city limits. Their first child died in infancy and was buried in the Sloan-Easley family cemetery near Jonah.

The Kritsers had five other children. Those who remained in Taylor for the rest of their lives are buried in the Taylor City Cemetery along with their parents.

Martha Kritser’s mother’s maiden name was Easley. A few years ago I discovered an interview with Miss Elizabeth Easley, also from the Jonah area, who began teaching elementary school in Taylor in 1892. One of her students was little Dan Moody, the future governor of Texas. I just know Mrs. Kritser and Miss Easley are related, and one of these days I’ll figure out exactly how they are related and add that to this story.

I found a total of two Cotton Boll interviews with this Taylor pioneer published in 1940. This one in March, and another in October with student reporter E. H. Lawhon. Two different interviews, different stories told each time.

Martha Kritser passed away shortly after that in January 1941.

I would have loved to have met Mrs. Kritser. I would have loved to have interviewed her.

Thankfully, student reporters in 1940 took the initiative to learn about their local history and interviewed her while she was still here to tell her story.

I treasure the conversations that I’ve had with some of our local legends. A few were in their 90s at the time of their interviews and one was 100 years old. Videos of some of those interviews are on the Taylor Independent School District YouTube channel at youtube.com/@taylorisd/ featured.

If you are fortunate enough to still have your grandparents or greatgrandparents, or if you know older residents from the community, talk to them while they are still able to tell their stories. You’ll be glad you did.

Join me here in a few weeks as we learn about another story from the Kritser interviews. Until then, be proud of where you’re from.

Crow is a longtime Taylor resident and retired from the Taylor Independent School District after 40 years of service. For a topic or suggestion, reach out to Crow via jason.chlapek@granitemediapartners.com.

The celebration included a fashion show, live music, vendors and activities. Black Families of Hutto sponsored this year’s event along with the city’s Parks and Recreation Department.

“This is the second year that we’ve done this with Black Families of Hutto. We enjoy this great partnership, and to be able to bring this event and all the things it represents to the citizens of Hutto,” said Jeff White, director of the city’s parks and recreation department.

White said the city provided logistical support and resources for the festival, as well as some financial support.

This year the festival centered on the theme “Fashion and Resistance since 1865.” Onnesha Williams, founder and director of Black Families of Hutto, represented the flower child era of the 1960s and 1970s wearing peace signs, hearts and a flower headband.

“Fashion and Resistance is us telling our story of how, since 1865 when emancipation happened, we always as a culture of people have created our own ways to resist,” Williams said.

Williams said from the Regency Victorian clothing of the country’s Gilded Age through zoot suits and hip-hop, Black fashion was a way of pushing back against social oppression.

“We’ve seen a shift since (the 2020 murder of) George Floyd, when we had the first March to now,” she said. “We are seeing that there are legal efforts to actually take away some of the Voting Rights Act and take away the Civil Rights Act and erasing some of our culture. So, it’s very significant for us to keep reminding ourselves where we came from and the power that we have to resist.”

Choyce Elam, entertainment coordinator for the event, said working on it is a labor of love, not only because families celebrate but also because of its significance to all generations. “It is important for every adult to know their history, and the reason why Juneteenth is so important for Texas,” Elam said. “And it is so important that the youth today know. You don’t let them get off, you explain to them what slavery is. You show it to them.”

The festival also gave local vendors a chance to interact with the community. Joseph De Las Nieves with Renewal by Andersen said about half of his company’s window and door business involves people who live in older, established communities including historically Black areas.

“We love to empower people, because having good windows and doors … increases the quality of your life,” he said.

Deandre Wheeler Sr. brought his nonprofit horse therapy company, Rein & Restore Foundation, to the Hutto Juneteenth festival to offer horse rides and discuss mental health and healing with the community. Manor-based Rein & Restore provides healing through nature in partnership with the African American Youth Harvest Foundation and the Harvest Summer Recovery Center.

Wheeler said the Black community is underserved in mental health care, partly because of a natural reticence to seek help.

“When we think about healing in the African American culture, we don’t want to heal. We do other things besides healing, so what this service does right here is to show people that it’s okay to hurt, it’s okay to heal,” he said.

Wheeler also uses his horses to tell the combined history of Black cowboys and horses.

“A lot of people forget about our Buffalo Soldiers. So, I think it’s very cool for me to be here to show the younger kids that this was our culture,” Wheeler said. “At one point in time this was the way of living. It’s keeping the history alive.”

Juneteenth, a play on the date June 19, celebrates the day the Union Army arrived in Galveston in 1865 to announce and enforce that all enslaved people in Confederate states were free.

Tyler Bybee and LaShon Gros have both been appointed assistant city managers, according to a release from Taylor City Hall.

Bybee is the former Parks and Recreation Department director, who has recently been serving as the interim assistant city manager.

Gros, pronounced “grow,” most recently served as the town’s managing director of administrative services, officials said.

Betsy Schultz stepped in as interim Parks and Recreation director after Bybee, but she is now the permanent leader of that department, according to the release.

Former communications director Daniel Seguin becomes the executive director of Community Services after an interim period.

Ruby Fisher has been promoted to Main Street Manager from her previous position as special events coordinator.

“These five individuals exemplify a commitment to public service,” said City Manager Brian LaBorde in a prepared statement. “Their promotions highlight the talent and leadership we have developed within our organization, allowing us to continue delivering the highest level of service to our residents.”

The results echoed the May 2 election, where Reynolds received the highest number of votes from among four candidates, and McCool garnered the secondhighest number, but neither claimed more than 50% of the ballots cast.

A total of 597 ballots were counted for the runoff by June 14, according to the Williamson County Elections Department.

Potentially 73 more provisional or email votes could come in, but even if they favor McCool, it likely will not change the results.

Reynolds won by 74 votes, garnering a 55.54% majority.

The results remain unofficial until the votes are canvassed during a June 24 special-called Council meeting.

The new council member will be sworn in at the July 2 meeting.

Reynolds replaces Councilman Charles Warner, who chose not to run for reelection. Warner was appointed in January to fill the few months remaining on the term of Place 1 Councilman Brian Thompson, who stepped down in December.

After the election, Reynolds thanked McCool in a social media post, saying, “Running for office is not easy, and anyone willing to put themselves forward in service to Hutto deserves respect and appreciation.”

In a statement to the Taylor Press before the election, Reynolds said his focus is on accountability, infrastructure and responsible growth.

“If responsible planning allows for a no-new-revenue (tax) rate, I would support it. My priority is making sure residents are not carrying the burden alone, while also ensuring they are not left unprotected as our city grows and infrastructure demands increase,” Reynolds said.

He has accepted a position as deputy executive director of the Texas Department of Motor Vehicles, according to officials.

Gaddes’ replacement appointed by the Williamson County Commissioners Court will hold the spot until the general election Nov. 3, and the winner of that race will serve out the unexpired term ending on Dec. 31, 2028.

Gaddes, a Republican, was elected as tax assessorcollector and started work January 2017. From 2010 to 2016, he was the chief deputy for the office.

“I am honored for the opportunity to serve the citizens of Williamson County, immensely proud of the work of our office and deeply grateful to have served with such an amazing staff,” said Gaddes in a release.

In Texas, a tax assessor- collector holds an elected position charged with calculating and billing property taxes and leads the local agency for vehicle titles and registrations.

According to officials, under Gaddes’ leadership the Williamson County Tax Assessor-Collector’s Office was one of only three in Texas to win the state’s highest award for motor-vehicle processing, the Gold Level Recognition, in 2025.

The Gold Level honors county offices for accuracy, compliance and customer service. Williamson County, with more than 250,000 residents, received a 99.56% customer satisfaction rating, state officials said.

Other key statistics for the county related to the award include 140,000 processed vehicle titles and more than 580,000 registered vehicles.

Annette Quintero, director of vehicle titles and registration for TxDMV, told commissioners during a meeting the Tax Assessor- Collector’s Office stood out for its operational excellence, focus on customer satisfaction and consistent compliance.

“Their commitment to accuracy, timely remittance and fraud awareness sets a high standard for motor vehicle offices across the state,” Quintero said.

After several meetings to hammer out suggested City Charter changes, a committee presented seven recommendations to City Council intended to improve transparency and limit terms.

Also brought to the council’s attention: A request to allow voters to hold recall elections for members on the dais.

The Charter Review Commission after three months of sessions introduced the suggested amendments during the June 11 council meeting, with the hope to see them go before voters in the Nov. 3 general election.

The council now will consider each recommendation and decide by mid-August which ones will be on the ballot.

Charlie Zech of Denton Navarro Rodriguez Bernal Santee & Zech PC acted as the review commission’s legal counsel. He noted the seven amendments received the group’s unanimous approval.

“In today’s environment, finding a group of nine people who have different opinions and ideas about things to be kind to each other is a very unique situation to be in,” Zech said.

Officials said 57 suggestions originally were submitted, boiled down to 21 and then seven were finally approved, including:

• Filling a council vacancy at the next regular election rather than calling a special election when there is less than a year left on the term.

• Establishing a fourterm lifetime limit on combined service as mayor and/ or council member, applying only to full terms, not partial terms.

• Allowing every council member to place items on the agenda. Currently the mayor and city manager control agenda topics.

• Requiring matters previously discussed under a project designation or code name to have the company name revealed before the council takes final binding action.

• Requiring periodic charter reviews every 10 years.

• Clean up redundant language.

• Delete “constitutionally problematic” language.

In addition, a heavily debated topic submitted by commission Vice Chairman Gary Gola would have added a mechanism for a public petition to recall council members.

Gola’s suggestion failed by one vote, though a commission member later said he misunderstood the action and would have supported it, the council heard.

“The issue of recall is so fundamental to public trust and voter confidence that it warrants consideration,” Gola told council members.

He cited data from the Texas Municipal League showing 93% of Texas home-rule cities have recall provisions in their charters.

“Taylor is not being asked to considered (doing) something unusual or radical. We’re being asked to consider a tool that has become standard practice,” he said. “A recall provision is not about personalities. It is a safeguard that recognizes public office as a public trust.”

Gola asked the council to consider adding the power of recall as an eighth amendment on the ballot.

“ “The issue of recall is so fundamental to public trust and voter confidence that it warrants consideration.”

— Gary Gola, Charter Review Commission

Taylor’s own Ancira Salsa is spicing things up with an appearance on “Get Down to Business with Kevin Harrington” airing on Fox Business Network.

Helmed by Jesse “Trey” Ancira III, Ancira Salsa will premiere on TV sets across the country sometime this summer.

“Stay tuned for the watch party,” Ancira said.

Harrington was an original member of “Shark Tank,” a competition-style reality series where entrepreneurs pitched their products in return for investment capital, but Ancira didn’t sign up for Harrington’s newest TV show.

“It’s kind of a random story,” Ancira said. “One of the former producers of ‘Shark Tank’ reached out to me on LinkedIn and said the outreach team had been looking at Ancira Salsa, seeing what we were doing and liked what they saw.”

Nothing more came of the conversation until several weeks later when producer Brandon Adams reached out to notify Ancira the company had been chosen as a finalist on Harrington’s TV show.

“(Adams) said, ‘We really want you on the show. Our producers want your brand,' Ancira said. Next week, Ancira flies out to Fox’s production studio in Florida where he will take part in a two-day whirlwind event, beginning with Harrington’s famous “Mastermind Day.”

Mastermind Day is an invitation-only workshop where entrepreneurs receive personalized feedback on their companies’ business strategies by industry experts and professionals.

“Some people pay $5,000 to $7,000 to attend events like this,” Ancira said, but through his invitation, Ancira Salsa benefits from the financial knowledge and expertise for free.

The second day is a one-on-one interview with Harrington. Unlike the competitionstyle “Shark Tank,” Harrington’s conversation is an individual business chat about the product that will air on the show.

Follow Ancira Salsa online at ancirasalsa. com and on social media @ancirasalsa on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, X and YouTube for updates.

Ancira Salsa is a family-owned business using recipes from Ancira’s grandparents, Jesse Sr. and Josie Ancira.

In the last year, the company has branched out from its Taylor roots, hitting the shelves in more than 150 H-E-B grocery stores across the state.

Last week, the Taylor Press reported on the salsa company's venture with Pedro “Chingo Bling” Herrera, a Texas comedian and musician who added an Ancira Salsa remix into his hit song “Chips N Salsa.”

THRALL – The Stiles Farm Foundation this month continued a 63-year tradition with an annual field day featuring fun activities for kids and educational opportunities for all ages.

The June 6 event saw children enjoying a trampoline, a water slide and a zip line while adults attended a John Deere demonstration and presentations on soil pH management and pasture mealybugs.

Tours of the 3,000-acre farm, 5700 FM 1063, were provided and Texas A&M AgriLife Extension set up booths covering topics such as water conservation and pest management.

“I wanted this field day to be a great family event where producers could gain timely educational information, kids could have a great time and everyone could share a good meal,” said Ryan Collett, farm manager.

Officials were pleased with the turnout this year.

“It was a great crowd,” Collett said.

John Selking of Two Happy Children Farm was named “Agriculturist of the Year.” His produce is sold every Saturday at the Wolf Ranch Farmers Market in Georgetown.

Steve Vrabel and Tommy Filla of Precision Ag Repair were awarded the Ag Business Professional of the Year Awards.

Stiles Farm Foundation is an experimental farm managed by the AgriLife Extension Service. The farm researches sustainable, profitable farming practices and serves as a test location for new equipment, such as Deere's autonomous tractors.

Businesses looking to spruce up their exteriors can apply to the Taylor Economic Development Corp. for beautification funding, officials said.

With a $200,000 overall budget, the Building Infrastructure Grants are donated to local businesses to help with outside improvements.

“The Building Infrastructure Grant is what the Taylor EDC has to offer as a matching grant,” said Regina Carlson, vice president. “It’s up to $30,000 and is available to anyone in downtown Taylor or the corridors.”

Downtown retailers, restaurants and cafes, servicebased businesses and commercial property owners are the biggest beneficiaries of the funding.

At the moment, the EDC has approved 15 businesses for BIGs and nine of those have completed their projects. The total amount for approval is $158,183.

According to Carlson, the grants cover painting, awnings, signage, windows, doors, murals or anything that beautifies and helps make a structure’s appearance more appealing.

“We have an application and it’s an easy process as far as filling it out and setting up a meeting,” Carlson said. “The process consists of filling out the application at the EDC building or on the website and submitting it with the amount you’re requesting. From there, it’s reviewed and you get a notice to proceed upon approval.”

The website is tayloredc.

org/ and the office is at 111 W. Third St. The window to submit a grant application and use it ends Sept. 30.

A year ago, 16 businesses benefited from grants totaling $130,116 total.

However, the EDC was not allowed to carry over the remaining $69,000 from the $200,000 available.

“It’s use it or lose it,” Carlson said.

Businesses benefitting from the grants during the previous fiscal year, 2024-25, included Best Caliber Rental, Donuts 95, Taylor Nails, Texan Café and Pie Shop, Texas Bay Seafood and Steak, Lake Drive Shopping Center, Barbie Salon, Sky & Co. Jewelry, New Orleans Shaved Ice, Monarcas Mexican Restaurant, Sweet & Southern Finds, Roadrunner Charters, the Hawt Spot, and businesses located at 404 E. Fourth St., 200 E. Fourth St. and 316 Elliott St.

Businesses receiving BIGS and finishing projects for the current 2025-26 fiscal year are Taylor Tea House, McCleery’s, Vintique Mall, Vintique Collective, Haciendo Coffee, and businesses located at 104 W. Fourth St., 119 E. Third St., 121 E. Third St. and 311 N. Main St.

“It’s amazing with everything that’s happening. Good things are happening here in Taylor,” Carlson said. “We want the jobs here to be beneficial to our residents. There’s so much here and we need to get the word out.”

The EDC, created by voters in 1994, is a quasigovernmental agency funded by one-half percent of the annual sales tax in Taylor. Though separate from the city, the City Council appoints the five EDC board members for three-year terms.

• 135,000-square feet

• Three-phase project with a $1 billion investment

• Closed-loop water cooling, on-site electricity station, backup generators

• Company purchased land from Taylor Economic Development Corp. for $10 million

• Could pump millions in revenue back into the local economy, officials say Source: Taylor Press files and other media accounts

A grassroots coalition demanding tighter controls on data-center growth delivered a petition with 1,400 signatures Thursday urging the City Council to take action.

If the city does not adopt the recommendations, the coalition wants to see the item on the Nov. 3 general election ballot.

Members of the Halt Taylor Data Center Coalition oppose the Blueprint Projects Data Center planned for Taylor’s South Side on land they say was originally intended for a park.

The petition was turned over to City Clerk Lucy Aldrich during the citizens’ comment portion of the council meeting.

Critics of the data center say they collected 1,400 signatures from residents concerned about the lack of city regulations governing the industry.

The signature drive was celebrated with a free community dinner at Heritage Park pavilion directly before the council meeting.

“My heart is so happy. This shows Taylor people are coming together, working as a whole community, not half a community. It’s not just the South Side or the North Side,” said Pamela Griffin, one of the founders of the coalition. “This will help us continue the fight because it shows them we’re sticking together. Together means a whole lot.” CITY RESPONSE

City officials said they respect the public’s right to weigh in on municipal issues and issued this response, as reported by Austin’s Fox 7: 'The city of Taylor respects and welcomes the public's participation in their local government. Our residents have the right to express their views on issues before the community, including through speaking before City Council, petitions, and other lawful processes, and we encourage civic engagement from all members of the public. Any materials submitted to the city will be reviewed and handled in accordance with applicable law and city procedures.”

Also according to the statement, “The developer has not advanced the project with the city beyond the Employment Center Plan, which was approved in 2025. To break ground, the developer would still have to secure the city’s approval for platting and building permits. This process has not yet been initiated.'

Neighbors say they are worried about noise, electromagnetic issues, light pollution, air and water contamination, draining the power grid and lowering property values.

Supporters note data centers provide cloud storage, banking transitions, artificial intelligence and many other functions critical to maintain a digital society.

Taylor currently has two data centers planned near residential neighborhoods: KDC Project Comal on CR 401 near FM 973 and the Blueprint Projects Data Center on Southwest Carlos G. Parker Boulevard near East Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard.

The Blueprint facility is being built behind the properties owned by Griffin and her family members. Griffin is part of a lawsuit trying to stop Blueprint from building on the land because it had originally been donated for parkland by the previous owner.

A state district judge ruled the project could proceed, but critics have said they are considering further legal remedies.

COALITION GOALS

The petition aims to get a city ordinance passed that coalition members said will protect Taylor residents from some of the reported effects of data centers on people and the environment. If successful, the ordinance would remove data centers from all existing zoning districts and prohibit approval of data center development until the city adopts a dedicated digital infrastructure zoning district.

The proposed zoning district would ideally have regulations protecting Taylor’s water, electric grid and quality of life, according to the group. Volunteers combed Taylor neighborhoods advocating for regulations on datacenter development and collecting petition signatures.

Signing stations were set up in coffee shops, at events, and inside and outside businesses. Social media posts and regular appearances at council meetings helped keep awareness on the issue, organizers said.

Carrie D’Anna, a community organizer and founder of the coalition, told the council the petition represents an opportunity for the elected representatives to “meaningfully” represent their constituents and support the will of the community.

“We’re really, really hoping that our council members look out at the people in the audience and realize that we’re asking them to stand up for the people and not for corporations,” she said.

WHAT’S NEXT

Now that the petition has been submitted, the city clerk must verify that at least 1,000 of the signatures are from currently registered voters living within Taylor citylimits. Then, the petition goes before the council. If members on the dais do not adopt the ordinance as written, Taylor’s city charter directs that the petition will be submitted to Taylor voters at the next uniform election date, which is Nov. 3.

Volunteering with an assistance project is part of the six-week program, a company representative said.

Last year, Taylor High interns helped at Shepherd’s Heart Food Pantry and Community Ministries in Taylor.

“Volunteerism is a core element of the company’s culture, corporate responsibility and vision of being a good neighbor in Central Texas,” said Samsung spokeswoman Michele Glaze in an online post.

She added, “We coordinate opportunities for all of our employees, including college and high school interns, to participate in giving back to the communities that help make Samsung successful.”

“

“Volunteerism is a core element of the company’s culture.”

— Samsung spokeswoman Michele Glaze Samsung’s “We Chip In” philosophy views community engagement not just as a corporate box to check, but as a “vital investment” to nearby neighborhoods and its own workforce, company officials said.

Since Samsung broke ground on the Taylor site in 2022, the company has looked for ways to be a good neighbor to the community, including partnering with Shepherd’s Heart, company officials said.

In addition, more than 80 of the South Korea-based company’s full-time employees volunteer at Shepherd’s Heart on a regular basis.

In August 2022, the company made a one-time $250,000 gift to Shepherd’s Heart and three other area nonprofits, but the assistance didn’t end with a single check, officials said.

In 2025, Samsung’s support of Shepherd’s Heart distributed almost a million pounds of food, serving more than 25,000 households, officials said. According to a news release, Shepherd’s Heart secretary JoLynne Williams said, “It is simply not possible to communicate the full impact of Samsung’s generous contributions to Shepherd’s Heart over the years.”

Other funding from Samsung covered basic operating expenses for the food-pantry operation.

“We’re so grateful for (Samsung’s) ongoing support,” Williams said.

The 2026 Taylor High interns begin their program June 15 and are learning that one of Samsung’s core values is people, “which includes supporting the communities we call home,” Glaze said. Samsung recently hosted a “Canville” competition at its Taylor campus, where two departments competed in a friendly competition to build elaborate displays from canned goods.

One department constructed a cruise ship beach scene and the other built a 7-foot bonfire utilizing more than $1,500 in cans.

The canned food items will be donated to Shepherd’s Heart.

The Taylor campus, which is planned to go operational this year, is at 1530 FM 973.

The Austin site, which opened in 1996, is at 12100 Samsung Blvd.

The county obtained its certificate of occupancy last week for the office at 1848 Texas Trail, and June will see different departments relocating to the larger space on a staggered schedule.

Offices on the move include:

• Wednesday, June 10: County Auditor’s Office

• Monday, June 15: Public Affairs Office and Treasurer’s Office

• Tuesday, June 16: Budget Office and County Judge’s Office • Monday, June 22 – Wednesday, June 24: Georgetown Tax Office

• Thursday, June 25: Purchasing Office

• Friday, June 26: County Clerk’s Office Officials said the move for the Legal Department and County Manager’s Office took place June 8, followed by the Risk Management Office on June 9.

The Tax Office at 904 S. Main St. will be closed during the relocation, but the Taylor Tax Assessor-Collector Office, 412 Vance St. in Taylor, will remain open, as will the Cedar Park office at 350 Discovery Blvd., Suite 101, and the Round Rock office at 1801 E. Old Settlers Blvd.

The County Clerk’s Research Library will be closed during June to accommodate the transition, officials said.

A grand opening for the new administration building is set for July 14.

The Williamson County Commissioners Court will hold its first session in the new building at 9:30 a.m. the same day after the debut.

Commissioners also approved an agreement to send bodies for autopsies or other forensic examinations to a facility three hours away, southwest of Houston.

The county’s four justices of the peace — who oversee death investigations — were not in favor of either measure citing financial reasons.

Meanwhile, county purchasing agent Joy Simonton noted as counties grow, so do expenses, but the annual price tag of more than $250,000 to convey deceased individuals sent up a red flag.

Afterwards, the commissioners approved the “discretionary exemption” for the non-contracted firm.

The approval allows the justices of the peace — Rhonda Redden, KT Musselman, Evelyn McLean and Angela Williams — to continue the non-contracted work with Tranquil Mortuary Service of Hutto.

The JPs argued it could be costly to find another transport service if it’s not local.

“We have one provider in Williamson County. There’s no one else. All roads lead back to Tranquil,” Redden said.

Williams said she asked for the discretionary exemption to be placed on the court’s agenda so the work with Tranquil Mortuary Service could continue.

“(The transportation of the deceased) is a necessary service to preserve and protect the public health and safety of the residents in Williamson County,” Williams said.

She also questioned why the transportation budget was flagged at $250,000, but the postmortem budget, about $2 million, has never produced comments or concerns.

Neither Simonton nor commissioners had a response.

Redden said several years ago the JPs could call any funeral home in the county to transport bodies where they needed to go, whether that was for an autopsy or other postmortem examination or to a funeral home.

“One of the JPs discovered, however, that the funeral home was calling a transport service to pick up that body, take it to its location and then adding an extra 10% to the county’s bill … So the JPs cut out the middleman and went straight to the source,” Redden said.

Precinct 4 Commissioner Russ Boles said he supported entering into a contract with Tranquil, but Precinct 1 Commissioner Terry Cook said she was concerned other companies could sue the county for not having the opportunity to bid.

Earlier in the June 9 court session, commissioners approved the interlocal agreement with Fort Bend County to perform postmortem exams.

The next meeting is 9:30 a.m. June 16 at 710 S. Main St.

Sessions can also be viewed online at wilcotx. gov/331/Commissioners-Court.

“

“We have one provider in Williamson County. There’s no one else.”

— Rhonda Redden, Precinct 4 justice of the peace

A Residence Inn by Marriott has been in the works for a 3-acre tract behind Home Depot since 2024. The developer needed special approval for the variances.

In other business, the city continues to oppose disannexation efforts and council members are exploring the development of a new fire station.

In the matter of the planned hotel, Chris Nichols, attorney for the developer, said in the beginning they were told they needed to have a “planned unit development” to get the variance requests approved, but current city staff suggested an alternative.

“We’ve been going through that (PUD) process. We’ve never been told to stop. It’s only been as we’ve gotten toward the end and in front of Planning and Zoning (Commission) and in front of council that it’s being suggested that we should scrap all the work that we’ve done, start over and go a different route,” Nichols said. “We’re really trying to maximize the size of this parcel with the very best project that can go on it.”

The four-story building at 328 Ed Schmidt Blvd. in the Hanson’s Corner expansion would be about 10 feet taller than allowed by the Unified Development Code, coming in at 55-feet high instead of 45.

While council members took no issues with the proposed building height, they were divided about the request to reduce the number of parking spaces.

City code would require about 44 more spaces than the hotel has designed. Hotel developer Navid Karedia of SITX Capital said his company has worked on many properties and the trend is hotels no longer need as many parking spaces because people are using alternative transportation such as ride sharing and public transit.

Twenty-four of the spaces the city requires are due to the hotel’s conference room. Karedia said the small conference room is intended only for hotel guests, so no additional space is needed.

“We’re restricted to this site to build a hotel that fits our pro forma and our budget. We understand that there is a parking variance and also a height variance. If we were to scale back, the pro forma doesn’t work, the numbers don’t work,” Karedia said.

Councilwoman Corina Zepeda said the shortage of meeting spaces in Hutto could mean the hotel’s conference room will be in demand, necessitating more parking.

“If there is an opportunity to have a hotel come in that does have a banquet meeting space, it would be an attractive addition to the city. It would be something people would want to use...so then they would need more space for parking,” she said.

Mayor Mike Snyder countered that in his experience when he attends conferences, the hotel guests have already left for the day and there is plenty of parking.

He said the amount of parking is a business issue, not a government issue.

“If you don’t have enough parking spots, you’re going to limit your business. That’s for you guys to figure out,” Snyder said.

City continues to fight disannexation Council members went into a closed-door session for legal advice regarding another state Senate Bill 2038 petition, which allows properties in a city’s extraterritorial jurisdiction to ask for removal. After returning to open session, they voted to deny the request from owners of 150 Mustang Drive, and to direct the city clerk to deny all such petitions based on the belief they are unconstitutional.

Removal from the ETJ gives developers freedom from following most city development standards.

Hutto has continually denied SB 2038 petitions. Earlier this year, owners of 420 Hyview Lane and 460 Hyview Lane requested and were denied disannexation. The city then reversed its decision and allowed the disannexation because Hutto’s infrastructure would not be ready to serve the developments within an acceptable time frame.

SB 2038 went into effect in September 2023. In October of that year, Grand Prairie filed a lawsuit against it. Hutto was among many other cities that joined Grand Prairie in the legal action.

Two properties in Taylor that fought annexation have received favorable judgments, but there may still be challenges.

Hutto Fire Department progress

A Hutto Fire Safety subcommittee including Snyder and council members Jim Morris and Evan Porterfield met with representatives from Samsung Austin Semiconductor in Taylor last week to discuss how the development of city-owned Hutto Fire Station No. 1 would be able to serve the fabrication plant.

Although the city of Hutto would own the fire station, it is close to the Taylor facility.

Snyder said Samsung representatives told the group specialized training is important, including knowledge about the semiconductor industry and other high-tech firms coming to the area.

Hutto Fire Station No. 1 will be built in the Hutto Megasite, an area near Samsung and other planned industrial developments as well as the Cottonwood Properties.

Meanwhile, Snyder asked the city clerk to add an executivesession item to a future council meeting for legal advice regarding the release all legal memos related to Emergency Services District No. 3, an area first-response entity that is supported by property taxes.

The mayor wants to make public “everything from the money owed, the sales tax owed, to chapter 775 legal memos, all of it. The people want the truth.”

Moody, who was the state’s youngest governor at age 33 in 1927, is also remembered for leading one of the first prosecutions in Texas targeting the Ku Klux Klan.

The sculpture depicting Moody at his 6-feet 1-inch height was designed by Texas sculptor Joe Kenney, who attended the ceremony with other dignitaries including Williamson County Judge Steven Snell and Sheriff Matt Lindemann.

A large crowd packed the lawn Jan. 6 at the museum, 114 W. Ninth St., to witness the debut of the sculpture, a project several years in the making.

Taylor’s Juneteenth commemoration will be a citywide Freedom Day celebration June 20 in honor of the city’s 150th anniversary, organizers said.

The observance of the historic emancipation event already kicked off with an exhibit of archival photographs called “Soul Circuit, Juneteenth Rodeos in Texas.”

It’s free and runs through July 15 at The McCrory Timmerman Gallery, 112 W. Second St. The exhibit showcases Black rodeo stars.

“Essentially, this is the Dickey Museum’s first act as a museum. We are hosting this photography exhibition via a grant from Humanities Texas,” said Nakevia Miller, executive director of The Dickey Museum & Multipurpose Center.

The museum, 500 Burkett St., originally was the childhood home of humanitarian and civil rights activist James Lee Dickey, a pioneering Black physician. It was destroyed by a fire in July 2022.

Miller said the nonprofit center has completed the interior designs for the rebuilding and reconstruction efforts are progressing.

The local Juneteenth event June 20 is a collaborative effort between the Dickey Museum and the city.

Juneteenth combines the words June and nineteenth to honor June 19, 1865, when the U.S. military arrived in Galveston after the Civil War to let enslaved African Americans know they were free.

Texas made it an official holiday in 1979 and President Joe Biden authorized a nationwide observance on June 17, 2021.

Officials said the plethora of events planned for June 20 fit right in with Taylor’s series of sesquicentennial milestones planned during the year to honor the town’s birthday.

“The city officially adopted the Juneteenth Freedom Day Festival, Parade and Brunch event in 2023. In that time, the city has partnered with the Taylor Juneteenth Committee and The Dickey Museum & Multipurpose Center to help bring this fun-filled, community event to the residents of Taylor,” said Parks and Recreation Director Betsy Schultz.

The parade starts at 9 a.m. and begins at City Hall, 400 Porter St., rolls down Main Street, turns left on Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard and continues to the Dickey-Givens Community Center, 1015 E. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.

After the parade there will be a free soul food brunch and parade entry winners will be announced. Free line dancing lessons will be offered under the pavilion about 11:15 a.m.

The festival begins at 5 p.m. on the same day in Fannie Robinson Park, 1009 E. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd., with youth activities, vendors, free barbecue and music. Gospel music is scheduled for 5-6 p.m.

A special performance by the African Safari Program is 6:15 p.m. Live music by Myke and Deuce With The Fellas starts at 7 p.m.

A big part of the Juneteenth celebration involves the community gathering for food, according to Juneteenth Committee member Lucille Wright.

“You know, when we give back to the community, everybody’s welcome. The free barbecue at Juneteenth, or when we do our free meals for Thanksgiving, anything we give out is for everybody in Taylor, not a specific race,” Wright said. “And we love everybody. But they need to come to the South Side because that’s where our heritage is.”

Miller said it is important for people representing various ethnicities to stand together in solidarity.

“All are welcome. We want to see you, and we want to know that our fellow citizens support us. Because the way things are trending it could be illegal in the next couple of years to have this Juneteenth celebration,” Miller said. “So, we want to invite all our fellow citizens in Taylor and surrounding areas to join us, to come celebrate freedom, to come and support the vendors and just have a good time and be in community with us.”

Soulbrain TX LLC, the U.S. subsidiary of South Korea’s Soul Brain Co. Ltd., is spending as much $600 million for its headquarters, first U.S. plant and an eventual expansion in the RCR Taylor Logistics Park.

The company first announced its location two years ago and has since secured several million dollars in property-tax abatements from Williamson County and the city in exchange for job creation and investments that will increase the taxable value of the property for decades to come.

Soulbrain’s production of high-purity phosphoric acid will play a major role in the creation of advanced semiconductors for the Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd. foundry nearing completion in Taylor and for other semiconductor- manufacturing clients across Texas and the country.

That initiative earned the company $11.6 million from the Texas Semiconductor Innovation Fund created in 2023 through the Texas CHIPS Act.

“Texas remains a national leader in semiconductor manufacturing as we further build a strong and resilient semiconductor supply chain,” said Gov. Greg Abbott in announcing the grant. “The Taylor facility produces new high-skilled jobs and meets industry demand for specialized materials essential to the production of next-generation chips and electronic components produced in Texas.”

Abbott added, “Through this grant, Texas will further solidify our dominance across the full semiconductor supply chain.”

The state incentives for Soulbrain “demonstrates, not just to Texas and the U.S., but to the world, that Taylor is a major component of the semiconductor ecosystem,” said Ben White, CEO of the Taylor Economic Development Corp.

The company’s acids are used in the sensitive etching and cleaning process that are part of the production of advanced semiconductors, such as the ones Samsung Austin Semiconductor will be making for electric vehicle and robotics company Tesla.

The terms of the grant call for the creation of at least 20 jobs and $120 million in capital expenditures. Samsung is so far the only other company in Taylor receiving a grant from the fund.

Phase 1 entails annual production capacity of 28,800 metric tons of high-selectivity and high-purity phosphoric acid, also known by the symbol H3PO4.

The manufacturing and engineering jobs numbers aren’t great in number, but are considered high paying and critical to the supply chain that supports thousands more jobs in the area.

“With this partnership, we will expand advanced materials capabilities in Texas, strengthen the domestic semiconductor ecosystem, and create highvalue manufacturing and engineering opportunities for Texans,” Soulbrain President Jon Park said in a written statement thanking the governor and the state.

White lauded Soulbrain as a great company to work with and hopes that the state’s financial support will serve to hasten the implementation of Phase 2, which comes with an even greater capital investment and more high-paying jobs.

A $2 million tax abatement from Williamson County was granted in October 2024 for the first phase with an expectation of creating jobs and $175 million in capital spending resulting in facilities and equipment with a taxable value of at least $100 million in the first phase.

A second 10-year property tax abatement, which is based on paying no taxes on 25% of the improved property value, will kick in for Phase 2 if the company meets job totals of at least 50 high-paying jobs, additional capital investment of $400 million and implementation of an internship program for local residents.

Taylor weighed in with a similar deal in early 2025.

“Today, we see another example of how this tool is being used to spur job creation, domestic manufacturing and further technological innovation right here in our own community,” said state Rep. Caroline Harris Davila, whose district includes Taylor. “I look forward to seeing the innovation, job creation and positive economic impact that this allocation will create for the city of Taylor and Williamson County.”

The arrest June 3 stems from the slaying of Alfred Olguin Flores, 48, whose body was found about 5 p.m. May 3 outside his residence at 1004 Pierce St.

Devin Olguin, 30, of Taylor, remained in the Williamson County Jail in Georgetown Friday charged with murder, smuggling of persons, theft between $750$2,500 and evading arrest in a vehicle.

A bond amount was not set, according to county records. Olguin is a cousin of the victim, police said.

Olguin was taken into custody in Georgetown by a federal marshal’s task force, according to Taylor officials.

According to an arrest affidavit, a fight broke out between Flores and another man between the latenight hours of May 2 and the early morning hours of May 3 at the victim’s residence.

During the scuffle, Flores tackled the other man before the latter grabbed a hammer and hit the victim in the head with the object, according to the affidavit.

After the altercation, the assailant called an associate and requested a ride to a hotel in the 2000 block of West Second Street, where he reportedly took a shower and changed clothes, according to court records.

Following a brief stay at the hotel, the attacker asked to be taken to his brother’s residence in Georgetown.

According to the affidavit, the man put his previously worn clothing in a plastic bag and requested an acquaintance to take the items to an undisclosed location and burn them.

The victim’s body was discovered under a tent-like structure outside the home, according to investigators.

In addition to Taylor police, federal marshals and Williamson County Emergency Medical Services, other agencies assisting in the case included the Texas Rangers, the Williamson County Sheriff’s Office Crime Scene Unit, the Williamson County District Attorney’s Office and the Travis County Medical Examiner’s Office.

Williamson County Associate Judge John McMillin signed the warrant.

Flores’ funeral was May 11 at Providence Funeral Home.

Jesse “Trey” Ancira III and Pedro “Chingo Bling” Herrera III have cooked up a social-media sensation built around a south-of-the-border sauce on fire with consumers.

In addition to both being the third in line in their direct-descendant legacies, Ancira and Herrera are business professionals with marketing backgrounds.

It was only natural the two eventually did business together, joining forces to promote Ancira Salsa, a line of condiments perfected by Ancira’s Taylor-based family.

The condiment is featured in a remix of one of Chingo Bling’s hit songs, “Chips N Salsa.”

The Ancira Salsa remix is featured on social-media outlets.

“I received a variety pack via mail about six months ago after connecting with Ancira on X and I had the mild, green, habanero and pineapple habanero salsas,” Herrera said. “Some accounts I follow on X were talking about Ancira Salsa and I had to see what the hype was about.”

Both Ancira and Herrera said they met via social-media channels. After a few conversations, Ancira approached Herrera about working together.

“I reached out to (Herrera) and he said to keep him in mind for potential collaborations or sponsorship opportunities,” Ancira said.

“It’s been really smooth working with Chingo. I’m impressed by his professionalism. He is a strategist about how he promotes himself and who he collaborates with.”

Herrera was happy to accept the offer to work with Ancira.

“When Trey and I spoke about a social-media collab, it was a natural idea to include a jingle as part of the collab,” Herrera said. “I actually had a song called ‘Chips N Salsa’ already, so this was like a remix spinoff of that where I cooked up custom lyrics and a fresh beat with one of my producers.”

Herrera said he and his family – wife and three daughters – have their favorite types of Ancira Salsa. “The pineapple habanero is a hit with my wife and I, but I go through the green a lot with chicken tacos, eggs and nachos,” he said. “My kids like the mild.”

Herrera, who has been in the entertainment industry for more than two decades, adopted the stage name, “Chingo Bling,” initially as a rapper. The Houston-based entertainer has added comedy to his performances.

“My comedy tour keeps me busy, but I stay consistent in the studio and releasing music and even mixing in a few music shows here and there,” Herrera said.

Ancira, a self-confessed fan of the Houston hip-hop scene, listens to Chingo Bling songs. In addition to “Chips N Salsa,” the rapper’s other hits include “Like This N Like That,” and the parody “Taco Shop,” a spin on 50 cent’s “Candy Shop.”

Herrera performed comedy routines in Georgetown and Bastrop last week. There’s a chance he could visit Taylor.

“Hopefully soon, but nothing final yet,” Herrera said.

According to Ancira, his brand of salsa is sold in about 200 stores in Texas, including more than 150 H-E-B grocery stores.

“We’re also in some United Supermarkets in West Texas and Brookshire Brothers in East Texas.

We’ve been in Central Market for close to four years,” Ancira said.

“The area we’re in the most is the Austin area. San Antonio is catching up. The immediate goal is to get in more stores across the region.”

And Herrera plans to help promote the Taylor product.

“We are releasing a few more videos on social-media outlets, but overall just telling people and helping spread awareness and word of mouth,” he said.

The song can be found on YouTube at https://www.youtube. com/watch?v=nGlZq9QWmD4 &list=RDnGlZq9QWmD4&sta rt_radio=1.

To learn more about Ancira Salsa, visit ancirasalsa.com.

HUTTO — More than $300,000 in stipends recently approved by the Hutto Independent School District board should sweeten the pot to keep staffers from leaving, trustees are hoping.

The funding is earmarked for Hutto ISD police officers and the special education department, primarily therapists and speech-language pathologists, officials said during the May 29 school board meeting.

The total cost for the special education staff was more than $300,000 and individually up to $7,000 per officer.

In other action, a new board member got sworn in and trustees revealed the name of a new high school.

Regarding the stipends, Hutto ISD’s actions align with other Central Texas schools seeking ways to strengthen the retention of teachers and other staff, officials said.

Interim Police Chief Robert Gauvin and Gaye Rosser, executive director of talent management and personnel support, made presentations concerning their two departments to trustees during the session last week.

“We are here this evening about expanding strategies that attract and retain high-quality talent, and this is where these compensation requests are coming from,” Rosser said.

She joked they would borrow or steal talented teachers from other districts, but they needed to provide ways to keep them at Hutto ISD.

She also pointed out the special education department has never received any stipends.

Gauvin said many of the more senior police officers have left the district in search of higher pay.

Unlike several surrounding school districts, Hutto ISD has its own police force. “I know we’re like the square peg in the round hole. It’s hard sometimes to marry what we do with the educational side,” Gauvin said.

He presented an incentive allotment system for Hutto ISD officers based on a similar system used for teachers and staff.

“The purpose of the policy is to create a clear, fair and measurable incentive program for school-based law enforcement officers,” Gauvin said.

The program promotes reliability, professional growth, physical readiness and more, the chief added.

Trustee Billie Logiudice thanked Gauvin for his presentation but said she was struggling with it.

“Isn’t this already what you should be doing in your job?” Logiudice said.

Superintendent Jeni Neatherlin intervened. She noted incentive allotments are a “work in progress” for the district and stipends highlight a cost-effective way to reward teachers and staff.

“Just like with the teacher incentive allotment, everybody’s getting paid and everybody’s teaching, but when they show a mastery of their skills, that’s a piece of (the financial award) too,” Neatherlin said.

Trustees approved stipends for both the special education department and Hutto ISD law enforcement officers.

In other school business, the district welcomed a new trustee, April Adams, who was sworn in prior to Thursday’s meeting. Adams replaces Shara Turner, who did not run for reelection.

Incumbent Felix Chavez won his seat and, with a reshuffling of the members, he replaced Amy English as board president.

Hutto ISD announced Creekside High School as the name of the district’s second secondary campus, which will open August 2027.

School board meetings are held in the Administration Building Board Room at 200 College St. The next meeting is June 25.

The open meeting begins about 7 p.m. after the board’s closed session at 6 p.m. Sessions can be streamed live or watched later at huttoisdtx. new.swagit. com/videos.

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“The purpose of the policy is to create a clear, fair and measurable incentive program for school-based law enforcement officers.”

— interim Police Chief Robert Gauvin

GEORGETOWN — The rising cost of healthcare benefits for county employees and the installation price for ballistic windshields on law enforcement vehicles headlined this week’s Commissioners Court meeting.

In addition, a Taylor High School standout received a commendation from the Williamson County Commissioners Court for her achievements both on and off the tennis court.

During the June 2 session, Williamson County commissioners approved changes and updates to the county’s healthcare program, but no decision was made regarding the windshields.

Instead, commissioners asked Williamson County Sheriff’s Office truck commander Craig Griffin to return with more information.

“I think this is something we can all get behind, but I need a little more meat on the bones before I’m ready to vote on it,” said Precinct 2 Commissioner Cynthia Long.

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“I need a little more meat on the bones before I’m ready to vote on it.”

— Precinct 2 Commissioner Cynthia Long The other commissioners agreed with her. Their concerns revolved around the storage of the standard windshields removed from the vehicles.

When the older models are sold, the bullet-resistant windshields must be replaced with the original glass.

In addition, parking and protecting county vehicles without a windshield came up.

“What’s the overall cost going forward with this?” Precinct 3 Commissioner Valerie Covey said.

She projected the price tag to remove and replace windshields, to store them and possibly law enforcement cars could tally around $40,000.

In other court business, eight unused field training officer stipends were transferred to the Sheriff’s Office before they expire in four months.

Meanwhile, Human Resources Director Shelley Loughery presented updates and changes to the county’s fiscal year 2027 healthcare benefits plan, including a rate increase up to 42% for some employees.

Covey pointed out that while that number sounded shocking, the county had gone four years with no rate increase.

Acknowledging no one was going to like it, she said, “We have to. We have to make sure we have the money to pay for our benefit plan.”

Other changes to the plan include getting employees to take part in the county’s wellness program.

“We have really ratcheted up our focus on the wellness (program)…Some (illnesses) are not preventable, but 80% of the reasons we go to the doctor generally are,” Long said, urging department heads and officials to promote participation in the wellness program to their employees.

Another update to the healthcare program is a change affecting nicotine users.

The county had tried to persuade smokers to quit by requiring attendance in nicotine programs and adding a $100 insurance surcharge to smokers.

“It hasn’t worked,” Loughery said. “We can’t force behavior change.”

Moving forward, nicotine programs are offered on a voluntary basis and the extra surcharge to smokers will be removed.

Meanwhile, Rylee Michna of Taylor was also awarded a proclamation in her honor by the Williamson County Commissioners Court.

Precinct 4 Commissioner Russ Boles read the proclamation, followed by pictures with Michna and her parents, Buddy and Monee, the commissioners and County Judge Steven Snell.

Commissioners will next meet at 9:30 a.m. June 9 at 710 S. Main St. Sessions can also be viewed online at wilcotx.gov/331/ Commissioners- Court.

In recognition of Mental Health Awareness Month, the office hosted a free community support night May 28 designed to connect residents with local resources, support services and organizations focused on mental health, wellness and community care.

“This was our first time and we’re very excited to have our organizations come here and present for our community,” said Stephanie Teinert, juvenile case manager for the JP4 court. “It’s hard to find resources in our community, so it was good for our people to know what’s out there. It’s also hard to find resources in this area at a good price who can handle not taking insurance.”

About 25 individuals attended the seminar, where they learned about mentorship programs, veterans assistance, resources for those with special needs, school programs and summer camps, trauma-informed therapy services, family support programs, caregiver self-care, aging and dementia resources and more.

“In honor of Mental Health Awareness Month, we are proud to bring valuable information and resources to our community,” said Precinct 4 Justice of the Peace Rhonda Redden. “We recognize the importance of support services for residents of all ages and hope this event provides helpful connections, information and encouragement.”

Centers represented at the seminar offering mental health services include Ride On Center for Kids, or ROCK, and AGE of Central Texas, which caters to older adults and their caregivers.

ROCK provides equineassisted therapy for children and grownups.

“We were able to bring these centers out into the community to let people know what’s out there,” Teinert said.

The court is at 211 W. Sixth St.