GOVERNMENT
Newly appointed county judge says he’s ready for the challenges
GEORGETOWN –– Williamson County’s fast-paced growth has gotten folks accustomed to head-spinning changes, yet one recent event surprised almost everyone: the sudden resignation of high-profile County Judge Bill Gravell followed by the appointment of educator Steven Snell.
Gravell, a Republican, announced his intent to step down with no advance notice during a Commissioners Court meeting March 11 after being tapped by the Trump administration for a key role in the U.S. Small Business Administration.
Commissioners promptly responded, accepting Gravell’s resignation March 14 and naming Snell — the superintendent of the Liberty Hill Independent School District — as his replacement less than two weeks later March 27.
“The choice has got to carry us into the future, and it’s coming at us hard and fast, and I think Steven Snell is ready to take us there,” said Precinct 1 Commissioner Terry Cook.
Cook and her colleagues narrowed the list of candidates to the top four and conducted hours of interviews in executive session.
Snell, 55, in a three-to-one vote emerged as the frontrunner and will fulfill the remainder of Gravell’s term, which ends Dec. 31, 2026.
Snell, a Republican, was sworn in April 21 in the historic Williamson County Courthouse and indicated he plans to run for a full, four-year term. His outlook is based on “conservative Christian values,” he has said.
“I’m very excited about serving the county and doing the work of county judge,” Snell said. “I plan to do it for a long time, which means I will be running for reelection next year and I plan to win and plan to continue to serve this great county to the best of my ability.”
Russ Boles, whose Precinct 4 includes Hutto and Taylor, was the only commissioner who did not champion Snell’s appointment. However, he has
We (family) just felt it was the right time and the right place and I have the right skill set and God opened the door.”
— Williamson County Judge Steven Snell since warmed up to Snell.
“We had several very qualified candidates submit their resumes to be our next county judge, so it was a very difficult decision,” Boles said later. “I have gotten to know Steve Snell well since his appointment, and I have been very impressed with Judge Snell’s understanding of the complexities of leading a large, government organization and his willingness to learn the things he doesn’t know.”
He added, “He has jumped in with both feet, which is a testament to his character and commitment to the position and residents of Williamson County.”
Under Texas law, a county judge is not a jurist on the bench overseeing high-level felony cases but instead is the chief executive officer of the county, sort of like a mayor. Snell will be involved in almost all aspects of county government, including the budget and emergency management. He will also be the top administrator supervising many of the county departments and senior department heads.
Observers say Snell has some big shoes to fill. During Gravell’s tenure, the county saw unprecedented population growth, major infrastructure projects such as the $80 million East Wilco Highway — the most expensive in county history — and the establishment of high-tech employers including Samsung Austin Semiconductor.
Snell — a 1995 graduate who holds Bachelor of Science and Master of Education degrees from Texas Tech University — also had to adjust to some quick life changes, going from being a veteran educator to county judge in less than a month.
He and wife Amy have a daughter, Madison, and a son, Will.
With 31 years of experience in education, 28 of which were in administration, Snell said he had been considering retiring within the next three years and was having conversations about what his next opportunity might be.
However, when Gravell resigned, Precinct 2 Commissioner Cynthia Long, whose district covers Liberty Hill, called Snell to ask if he was interested in the job.
He was. And then things started moving fast. “When I got the call to consider applying, it piqued my interest and we talked a lot about the role of a county judge,” Snell said. “But I had to sit down with my family, too, and make sure they were ready for me to not be a superintendent anymore and that they were ready for me to take on a more public role because it’s a family decision to do this.”
He added, “We just felt it was the right time and the right place and I have the right skill set and God opened the door.”
Snell spent six years heading Liberty Hill ISD. Before that, he was superintendent of Spring Hill Independent School District in Longview and prior to that, he was the assistant superintendent of the Hutto school district.
Billie Logiudice, a Hutto ISD trustee, was a board member when Snell came to serve the district in 2011. She remembers him as a personable, down-to-earth man who stays true to his word.
“He has always been a forward-thinker and very level-headed. Speaking from a school perspective, he had a heart for always doing what was right for the kids and sometimes that included hard decisions,” said Logiudice, who today is the school board president.
Logiudice has served on the board through four superintendents and believes the role of leading a school district translates well into being a county judge.
“They have to have a big picture view and the ability to drill down and prioritize things strategically. They need to be able to balance strategic planning goals with resources and think creatively to connect the resources with the needs,” she said. “I think Judge Snell is going to be a great partner as a county judge in bringing the different communities that he represents together and leveraging relationships to move the work forward. I think he’s a great fit.”
Snell said he knows there are plenty of challenges ahead. Williamson County, according to federal figures, is the 10th fastest-growing county in the nation, the eighth fastest-growing county in the state, and has a population of more than 700,000. That number is expected to double by 2050, analysts said.
Though Snell is still getting used to the new job, he does have a few priorities, which he shared during a recent interview:
ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
Snell worked with developers in Liberty Hill as his school district grew and has
served on the Liberty Hill Economic Development Corp. and on the Hutto Chamber of Commerce.
As new industries move into the area, such as Samsung, he said having good schools and solid infrastructure are crucial to attracting and supporting those businesses and employees.
“When your cities and communities bring in these large industries, they want to know what kind of life their employees are going to have and what kind of education the school district offers. In that frame of mind, I have spent time with industry leaders showing them what the world would look like for their families,” he said.
He and county commissioners want to help the new firms “find prime locations and to make sure we have their power needs, their water needs, their wastewater needs...those are the big things that every developer is looking for.”
He also will continue to strengthen the relationship with South Korea-based Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd., owners of the foundry in Taylor. It is not lost on him that his predecessor made trips to Korea to create business opportunities.
“As for South Korea, I think there will come a time when I will be invited to Korea and have that opportunity to connect,” Snell said. “We want to make sure the lines of communication stay open, and we want to make sure that we’re good partners to all of the businesses including (Samsung).”
WORKFORCEDEVELOPMENT
As superintendent of Liberty Hill ISD, Snell oversaw the expansion of one of the fastest-growing school districts in the state, with 1,000 new students enrolling each year.
“We want the high school pathways to align with the job market in Williamson County so if students choose not to go to a four-year college, or even if they do, we can filter them into skill development so they can do some of the high-wage manufacturing or labor-intensive jobs right out of school,” he said.
“Right now, there’s lots of opportunities for students even without a four-year degree to get plugged in to either a community college or Texas State Technical College in Hutto to get the skills and certifications needed to make a great living. So they grow up here, they get educated here, they work here and they can thrive with their family in Williamson County. That is the goal,” he added.
TRANSPORTATION
Williamson County has 1,400 miles of county-owned roads to maintain, with constant construction to expand the transportation system.
“I want to make sure we have things in place that make coming to Williamson County and living in Williamson County … a very enjoyable experience. We want the public to have confidence that we’re doing our diligence to put the roads in the right place, to make sure they’re safe roads, to make sure they’re well maintained,” Snell said.
He added, “Where those roads are going to go, that’s going to be a challenge but we’re up for that challenge. We don’t want people stuck on roads in bad traffic. We want people to get home to their families in time for dinner and we want them to get to work on time.”
UTILITIES
Texas is facing a water and energy crisis, Snell said.
“We’ve got to get (water) here. There’s plenty of energy in the state, but we’ve got to get it here. There’s a lot of great people working to make that happen,” Snell said.
He added, “Wastewater is an issue for both cities and the county, whether you’re talking about regional wastewater treatment plants, municipal WWTP, or package plants in a municipal utility district. The wastewater needs to be treated and that effluent needs to go somewhere. It definitely needs to be safe for everybody involved.”
Snell more study and consultations with experts is required.
SAFETY
Williamson County “is a safe county,” Snell said — and he wants to keep it that way.
“When you look at the role of a county judge, safety is a huge part of that. Emergency services are a huge part of that. So I’m taking what I did at Liberty Hill and it’s on a much larger scale now in Williamson County, but it’s an opportunity for me to spread my service net and take the skills that I have and really try to make a difference in the county,” the judge said.
According to Snell, “Our county emergency services do a phenomenal job.
The way we respond as a county and the way we inform people in the county to stay safe, I’ve been very impressed with. That includes our Sheriff’s (Office), our great city police departments and the school district police department(s) as well.”
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