On October 15th, Southwestern’s Student Government Association hosted the mayor of Georgetown, Josh Schroeder. The meeting was open to all Southwestern students, but we at The Megaphone have prepared a recap in case you missed it!

After a short introductory speech from SGA president Andrea Abell, Mayor Schroeder started the meeting by telling us about his background before he was elected. 

He started as a real estate lawyer and quickly began to participate in the Georgetown community after joining the Rotary Club and the Chamber of Commerce. He’s also served on both the Planning and Zoning Commission and the Historic and Architectural Review Commission. Finally, he explained that he ultimately decided to run for mayor in the 2020 elections. He laughs, telling us how it was a “crazy year” to try and enter politics. His history in real estate prepared him perfectly for the position, as Georgetown was (and still is!) focused on improving its infrastructure, commercial opportunities, and quality of life. He is elected to three-year terms and claims that 2026 will be the “absolute last year” that he runs.

He then opened up the floor for questions. Of course, one of the first questions addressed was the fact that Georgetown was growing so quickly. He happily informed us that Georgetown had dropped from the fastest growing city in the nation to the 70th fastest–which elicited cheers from the audience. He explained the extreme traffic congestion and the consistency of construction, telling us that, to truly improve traffic, we first have to plan to live with large amounts of construction for a while. 

He was then asked about the recent flooding and how the city plans and reacts to disasters. He answered, “…we knew what had happened down south…[in Kerrville]… we were fortunate enough to have everybody evacuated. We had community members helping the homeless encampments…” He showered the city staff with compliments, explaining how every single person stepped up and had the ability “to do anything that needed to be done”. He related it to the 2021 deep freezes that affected the majority of Texas and threatened to shut down the power grid indefinitely. He explained that, although he was panicked, his staff was prepared and executed their jobs flawlessly. 

Following this, he was asked about the water crisis. He stresses that water scarcity is one of the major issues Texas is facing at the moment, and explains that it is a generational issue that we might struggle with “for decades”. Although he is working actively to find solutions, he recognizes that it will likely take multiple cycles of mayors to actually find a sustainable solution. 

He also got personal. When asked about his family and their relationship to his position, he says, “…what people think and say about you… it’s tough. I have a wife and kids… the internet is a cesspool.” He mentions how he used to criticize the council members during city council meetings until he joined himself and realized how difficult of a position it was. He says that now he has “nothing but respect” for people who work for the city or try to serve it in any way. 

Finally, he discussed the future of the 560 acres that Southwestern is currently developing. He hopes to utilize the land to provide some “relief” to the square by building boutique hotels, new shopping locations, and unique restaurants. They are also planning to build a corporate campus in the space to invite new businesses to Georgetown. The city of Georgetown also plans to focus on the importance of green spaces as it develops the land.

All in all, Josh Schroeder’s visit was an insightful one, giving students some insight into the duties and responsibilities of Georgetown’s mayor, as well as some up-to-date information on the ongoing developments in and around the city.