Williamson County, Texas, is on a trajectory to double its population from roughly 760,000 today to 1.6 million by 2055 and 3 million by the end of the century. Managing that growth falls largely on County Judge Steve Snell, who recently appeared on the Rock Solid: Round Rock Business Leaders Podcast to explain why his role is less about presiding over a courtroom and more about serving as the county’s chief executive and emergency manager.
In the episode, titled “Judge Steve Snell | Williamson County's Explosive Growth,” Snell tells host Bryan Eisenberg that he oversees roughly 30 to 35 departments, from fleet services and animal shelters to the juvenile justice center and the Sheriff’s Office. He arrived at the interview with a three-ring binder tabbed with budget lines, policies, and responsibilities—a habit he credits to 31 years in public education, including leadership roles in Hutto ISD and as superintendent of Liberty Hill ISD.
The conversation covers the county’s response to historic July floods and lessons observed from Kerr County, as well as economic development wins tied to Dell, Samsung, Compal, Apple, Firefly, Kalahari, Nebraska Furniture Mart, and the incoming Scheels in Cedar Park. Snell also details long-range transportation, water, and energy planning across cities including Round Rock, Georgetown, Cedar Park, Liberty Hill, Florence, and Jarrell.
On the growth challenge facing unincorporated neighborhoods and municipal utility districts, Snell tells Eisenberg: “When you build 1,000 homes next to an old two-lane road and all the construction trucks tear it up, we need to come and fix that for mobility and safety, or we need to expand it.” He also reflects on service, saying, “at the end of the day, it's not about me. It's about service and it's about Williamson County.”
Snell points to the county’s designation as a spaceport in partnership with the City of Cedar Park, its geographic position between Fort Hood and joint commands in downtown Austin, and Firefly Aerospace as the current anchor of a rapidly expanding space sector. He and Eisenberg also discuss trade education, workforce development, veteran employment as service members transition out of Fort Hood, and entrepreneurship classes in Liberty Hill high schools, where a chamber president now teaches students. Snell praises Round Rock ISD, Leander ISD, Cedar Park’s Plug and Play, and partnerships with Precinct 2 Commissioner Cynthia Long on land acquisitions for future schools and parkland.
The episode, published September 15, 2026, is available wherever podcasts are heard. For more information, visit Rock Solid.
