CITY& COUNTY
News from San Marcos, Buda, Kyle and Hays County
QUOTEOFNOTE “DOES THIS PROJECT OFFER SOME THINGS THATWE DONEED? ABSOLUTELY. IT’S THE PAIN THRESHOLD; IT’S HOWWE GET THERE THAT IS ALWAYS THE CHALLENGE.” LEE URBANOVSKY, BUDA MAYOR ON THE MILESTONE DEVELOPMENT Williams announced his resignation Jan. 4 at a City Council meeting. Williams assumed his position as city manager in September 2008 and served for over 13 years. In his statement to the council he said that partnering with the city of Buda was the highlight of his career. The council authorized a motion to begin recruiting for the next city manager. KYLE The city of Kyle announced Feb. 1 the launch of Team Kyle CITY HIGHLIGHTS BUDA City Manager Kenneth Academy, a free seven-week program aimed at keeping residents informed about their city and community. Classes will be held Mondays from 6-9 p.m. from April 25- June 6, covering topics related to infrastructure, public safety, business growth and more. Citizens must apply online through the city’s website, and applicants are chosen on a rst-come, rst-served basis. SANMARCOS City Council tabled an ordinance on the regulation of pet sales from commercial pet stores Feb. 1 during its regular meeting. The new rule would have only applied to commercial pet stores, not individual breeders that raise dogs or cats in their home, according to the documents. The council referred the matter to the council’s newly formed animal services committee for further research and review. San Marcos City Council Will meet Feb. 15, March 1 at 6 p.m. 630 E. Hopkins St., San Marcos 512-393-8000 www.sanmarcostx.gov Kyle City Council Will meet Feb. 15, March 1 at 7 p.m. 100 W. Center St., Kyle 512-262-1010 • www.cityo yle.com Buda City Council Will meet Feb. 15, March 1 at 5:30 p.m. 405 E. Loop St., Buda 512-312-0084 • www.ci.buda.tx.us Hays County Commissioners Court Will meet Feb. 15, March 8 at 9 a.m. 111 E. San Antonio St., San Marcos 512-393-2205 • www.co.hays.tx.us MEETINGSWE COVER
775-acredevelopment inBuda, Austindraws criticism
BY ZARA FLORES
citizens have expressed concern about the development, citing safety, transportation and tra c increase considerations. Given that part of the develop- ment is outside the city limits, “some of the proposed uses may occur without the city of Buda’s consent,” according to a press release from the city. For the development to move forward, MileStone will need to bring the item before the Planning and Zoning Commission and City Council again for discussion and reevaluation prior to approval. If approved, construction would begin in March with the rst residential move-in around 2023, though construction would continue through the year. Road work would be completed in seven phases to the tune of $41 million.
MAPPING THE FUTURE
BUDA City Council held a workshop at a regular meeting Feb. 1 to provide feedback to developer MileStone Community Builders regarding their 775-acre residential and nonresidential development in Buda and Austin’s extraterritorial jurisdiction, or ETJ. Known as the Bailey and Armbruster tracts of land, the development sits along RM 967, which has been a contested location for new developments due to tra c and congestion. In total, approximately 40%-45% of the land sits in Austin’s ETJ with the remainder in Buda. Approximately 2,200 single-family homes and 300 multifamily units will be built on the development. Buda’s City Council, Planning and Zoning Commission, and various
The 775-acre development sits along RM 967, an already heavily congested area, and would be split between Hays and Travis counties.
45 TOLL
HAYS TRAVIS COUNTY LINE
1626
967
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SOURCE: MILESTONE COMMUNITY BUILDERS COMMUNITY IMPACT NEWSPAPER
TheVybe trail development slowly moving forward
INCREASING THE SAVINGS
NEW
CURRENT
Over 65 and/or disabled exemption
$35,000
$25,000
While the city’s property tax rate remains at $0.603 per $100 of taxable valuation annually, the city now o ers a discount or exemption on the rst $15,000 of value on a homestead and increased the 65-plus or disabled exemption from $25,000 to $35,000 in value. SOURCE: CITY OF SAN MARCOS COMMUNITY IMPACT NEWSPAPER
Savings per household
$211.05
$150.75
BY ZARA FLORES
Additional savings per household
KYLE Plans for trail-oriented development The Vybe are underway as the City Council approved subdivision updates at a special meeting Feb. 2. The Vybe is set to be a sprawling system of trails with adjacent shopping centers and restaurants spanning over 80 miles in Kyle and will feed into the Great Springs Project connecting Austin to San Antonio once completed. The concrete trails that will be constructed will be 12 feet wide, allowing golf carts on the paths. Part of the updates provided at the meeting are to allow 20% of all parking spots to be reserved for golf carts. Other amendments to ordi- nances were approved to include emergency call boxes along The Vybe trails. Police Chief Je Barnett said the department will be able to track the exact location of an incoming call.
$60.30
–
Homestead exemption Additional savings per household
$15,000
$0
$90.45
–
Residential property tax exemptions approved
BY ERIC WEILBACHER
this: to give relief to a small extent, to our residents, our taxpayers, but hopefully it’s not going to cost everyone else. That’s my goal,” Mayor Jane Hughson said. Other council members wanted to make sure once it is law the city e ectively communicates to the city’s residents how to access or apply for the exemption. Then-Finance Director Marie Kalka said new exemptions would provide an average of $90 a year in savings for each household and equate to an estimated reduction in revenue to the city of about $590,940 of the general fund.
SANMARCOS City Council voted unanimously Jan. 18 and again Feb. 1 to create a residential homestead property tax exemption of $15,000 and to raise the senior citizen and disabled persons exemption from $25,000 to $35,000. Under the ordinance, a senior cit- izen or disabled citizen could apply both the new $10,000 increase and the new $15,000 exemption avail- able to all San Marcos residents for a total exemption of $50,000 o the property valuation of their home. “Our tax base is increasing, and so this is a reason why I’m supporting
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SAN MARCOS BUDA KYLE EDITION • FEBRUARY 2022
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