Propositions on May 2026 Ballot

The City of Round Rock zoning and development does not currently allow privately-owned billboards that display off-premises advertising to protect the beauty of our community and provide standards for appropriate design.

Proposition A would shift control to privately-funded entities to sell and control billboard ad content. Owners of these 24 billboards (12 double-sided Electronic Messaging Centers) would be allowed to contract rolling digital ads to customers who could choose to project sexually oriented, politically divisive, or offensive content throughout Round Rock.

While Prop A would require EMCs to be able to display emergency alerts, it does not require the private billboard operators to provide routine public-service messaging or guaranteed space for announcements. And despite claims that EMCs would improve public safety, there is a lack of evidence, studies, or data to support that claim.

The City of Round Rock already utilizes TxDOT-controlled electronic signs along IH-35 that display AMBER Alerts, Silver Alerts, and other urgent traffic messages for drivers. And Round Rock residents can already receive IPAWS, Wireless Emergency Alerts, and Warn Central Texas alerts directly to their cellphones in the event of local AMBER, Silver, weather, or safety emergencies.

Beautification of Round Rock and high quality of life are top priorities for our businesses and residents alike. We currently hold a gold-rated “Scenic City” designation through Scenic Texas, which takes into account sign regulation and prohibition of new billboards.

Proposition A could jeopardize Round Rock’s gold Scenic City designation and drive down property values, while contributing to light pollution and obstructed views of our skyline.

While fire department staffing is currently determined locally, based on our city’s needs, Proposition B would require implementation of the “[National Fire Protection Association] 1710 minimum staffing levels and performance objectives for alarm answering, alarm processing, turnout, and travel times” and would turn over control to the International Association of Fire Firefighters to determine if these standards are met.

Those nationally-determined staffing levels are higher than Round Rock’s current need, and hiring additional staff would place undue strain on the City’s budget, which already spends 51% on fire and police.

Through a deliberate, safety-focused planning process, the City of Round Rock’s give-year operating plan already adds 33 new firefighter positions, at a cost of $14 million, through 2030, on top of 7.5-9% pay increases over the next three years, two new fire stations with two additional planned; and upgrades to the Public Safety Training Center.

The Prop B petition comes outside of the normal, transparent budget and planning process, where the Fire Chief, his administrative staff, and Round Rock firefighters negotiate pay, benefits, and working conditions. All 125 members of the local fire association voted unanimously just months ago in September 2025 to approve their agreement with the City. The interim president of the association’s said: “This outcome reflects compromise, respect and a shared commitment to doing what’s best for everyone involved. We’ve proven that collaboration can lead to solutions that work and benefit everyone. This is a great city to work for, and I can’t wait to see what the future holds.” 

Round Rock’s General Fund operating budget totals $180.8 million, with public safety already consuming 51% of that, at $92.5 million for fire and police. While this budget is set locally based on our city’s needs, Prop B would set in stone permanent and costly fire department staffing obligations — regardless of our needs — forcing every other budget priority, including roads, police staffing, parks, and quality of life services to take a back seat to meet mandated fire department needs.

A community where police staffing could be reduced to satisfy a court-enforced formula is not a community where businesses, employees, and families feel safe and confident. The Chamber will not support any measure that puts safety at risk.

And because Texas recently passed a law limiting local government’s ability to set tax rates, Round Rock officials would be forced to either go back to voters repeatedly for tax increases (elections the City would also have to pay for) or cut city services or to ensure Prop B’s fire department mandates are met. Neither outcome is good for Round Rock businesses or residents. Public safety investments should be decided annually through a transparent budget process by locally-elected officials, not permanently locked into the City Charter by outside mandate.

Local businesses that choose to start, expand, or move here rate city services, safety, and quality of life at the top of their priority lists. Protecting those investments is vital to our healthy economy.

Proposition B’s NFPA 1710 staffing standards were developed with structure fires as a primary focus, with requirements rooted in firefighter safety on fire scenes. In 2024, only 0.3% of Round Rock’s 15,656 calls for service were structure fires, compared to the national average of 3.9%. The overwhelming majority of calls are medical in nature.

Round Rock already sends 20 to 23 firefighters to structure fire scenes, meeting or exceeding NFPA benchmarks.

Applying a one-size-fits-all national standard as a permanent Charter mandate does not account for Round Rock’s actual public safety needs.

Proposition B requires the City to waive its sovereign immunity, a foundational legal protection that shields municipalities from being sued for budgeting and policy decisions. If the City falls short of any staffing benchmark at any point, the IAFF, the same organization that wrote the proposition, would conduct the compliance review and hold the authority to pursue enforcement action in court.

Because these requirements are permanent Charter obligations, this legal exposure does not expire after the 2037 compliance deadline. It is ongoing, indefinite, and entirely outside the control of Round Rock’s elected leadership.

Legal defense is expensive. Settlements are expensive. And every dollar spent managing litigation is a dollar diverted from the roads, infrastructure, and public services that Round Rock businesses and residents depend on every day.