Of Cabbages and Kings
by BOB BARTON
Kyle voters, facing the possibility of a large tax increase for next year’s budget, have the tough job of selecting a new mayor and two city council members this Saturday. It is the first of two elections that could bring as many as four newcomers to assume leadership roles in the financial affairs of the city before the end of spring.
Saturday’s vote will choose a new mayor as well as two council members who will serve until May 2011. The two council members resigned to run for other offices. Then this May we will come back and choose a couple more council members to fill regular three year terms.
Our town has been through a period of boom over the past 10 years that has resulted in more than quadrupling our population. We have invested large sums in infrastructure that was crucial to this growth and supported by a majority of our citizens, and those actions played a pivotal role in our progress from a town of slightly more than 5,000 when the 2000 census was computed. We are almost certain to hit somewhere close to 25,000 residents when the Feds finish our 2010 compilation.
However, there are sizeable dark economic problems on our horizon. Our city, like most of us, is faced with the hard economic realities of today’s world. There are economic storm warnings all across the land and Kyle must take heed.
Our city manager has been warning for more than a year that our tax rate must be increased substantially to pay for debts already incurred. Despite this, it has taken the current council nearly a year to finally whittle down a wish list of more than a dozen expensive capital projects to a realistic level. There are still days when some council members push for expensive new endeavors that involve roads that were formerly maintained by the county and are still used predominately by non-city dwellers.
Finally this past week, Councilmember Lucy Johnson successfully negotiated a decision that calls for limiting new construction over the next two years to the new library and a larger police station, relegating some expensive road extensions and the $20 million recreation center proposal to back burners where they will simmer until the local economy again flourishes.
Johnson, a Kyle native, is a Hays High School graduate who worked in New York City in the design industry for a number of years after graduating from the Parsons School of Design there. She has deep roots in Hays County, and several years ago chose to come home to stay. A Plum Creek resident, she has immersed herself in the intricacies of city finance and has pushed hard for accountability and caution when it comes to city expenditures.
Voters will decide Saturday whether she or fellow councilmember Michelle Lopez will become our next mayor. I enthusiastically endorse Johnson’s candidacy. I am convinced she has the ability to take the leadership role during a period of economic uncertaintly when caution needs to be shown concerning capital expenditures.
In the race for the council spot being vacated by Johnson, the best choice is Jaime Sanchez, a Kyle native who is an engineer by avocation and training. His professional background will greatly strengthen the city council in the tough times that lie ahead and he has the intellect and drive to make a top-notch leader of our city.
For those of us who live in the council district that represents the area of town east of the Union Pacific Railroad, I enthusiastically recommend Russell Huebner, a banker in nearby Dripping Springs who has displayed a strong ability to analyze and dissect complex monetary issues relating to Kyle’s financial condition. This special talent will be particularly handy in a year when economic and financial problems have to be addressed.
This town needs energetic and knowledgeable leadership at a time when governments of every size and condition need steady, experienced people at their helm. Electing Johnson as our mayor and Sanchez and Huebner to our council will strengthen our city’s ability to weather these economic storms in today’s stressful world.
