by BRAD ROLLINS
Former trustee Joe Muñoz fell short in his bid to return to the Hays CISD school
board, drawing 164 votes (31.4 percent) to Marty Kanetzky’s 358 votes (68.6 percent).
Meanwhile, Diane Hervol won 337 votes (64.4 percent) to Jason Welch’s 186 votes (35.6 percent) for Kyle City Council, settling for now the composition of a governing body that has changed dramatically in recent months. That seat was held by Michelle Lopez who lost a special election for mayor in February to Lucy Johnson, who in turn had to vacate her seat to run for mayor.
Brad Pickett, a financial manager running unopposed for the District 3 seat, won 396 votes. He will fill the seat currently held by David Salazar, who did not seek re-election.
All told, the seven-member Kyle council will have four new members and a new mayor when the most recent crop are sworn in. Only David Wilson and Becky Selbera have served in their current capacity for more than three months.
Muñoz served for more than a decade as a school board member representing District 2 until he resigned in September when he moved residences. He tried to regain a seat in District 5, which includes much of the western part of Hays CISD including Driftwood, Mountain City, Plum Creek and Buda’s western neighborhoods around Garlic Creek. The area was represented by board president Chip Dupont, who did not seek a fourth term.
After Muñoz’s resignation, the board appointed Willie Tenorio to fill his position. Tenorio ran unopposed in Saturday’s election as did Meredith Keller, who was the only one to sign up for the District 4 seat being vacated by Ralph Pfluger. Pfluger is finishing his second tour of duty on the board, serving since 2004 and also as a founding trustee when the Hays district was formed in 1967.