Managing what’s been called the fastest growing city in Texas was the message from Buda Mayor Todd Ruge in his state of the city address June 14.

While the city continues to grow in population, with the increase comes the prospect of providing necessary infrastructure and services to meet the demand.

“We are growing at a rapid pace. There’s good and bad that comes with that,” Ruge said. “With more people here, we can keep the tax rate low, but there are some struggles, too.”

Ruge centered on the high growth rate Buda has experienced over the past seven years. According to recent Census Bureau estimates, Buda now has just over 15,000 people. The population is a 105 percent rise in population from the 2010 Census figures.

Buda is “probably a little more well off than some of our neighboring cities,” Ruge said. Buda residents, with a median age of 33, have an average income of $96,000 per year. The average household size is 2.95, Ruge said.

Ruge said that the city has a abundance of parkland, making it attractive to newcomers. Buda currently has 366 acres, which is “unheard of for a city our size,” he said. Recent legislation now makes it easier for cities such as Buda to “free up money” to increase city park space.

“We are growing at a rapid pace. There’s good and bad that comes with that … With more people here, we can keep the tax rate low, but there are some struggles, too.”
Todd Ruge, Buda mayor

That option includes the Buda SportsPlex, which the city can now use Hotel Occupancy Tax (HOT) dollars to install lighting at sports fields.

“We’re able to not only have parkland, but be able to maintain them,” Ruge said. “We want to have places where not only our citizens can go to, but have attractions that bring people out of town.”

Financially, times are “good right now,” which hasn’t always been the case, Ruge said. Currently, the city’s expenses are coming in under budget and revenues are meeting projections.

Ruge said the Buda council takes a “conservative approach” when it comes to budgeting. He said the city projects 5 or 6 percent growth, instead of 10 percent, which is what some cities project.

“We’ve done an excellent job in not doing that,” Ruge said. “I’m proud of our staff of holding us back and pulling us in when it comes to not overspending.”

Ruge lauded the success of the downtown corridor, which has seen an explosion of growth in the last year. Several new business have opened on Main Street, including at the Buda Mill and Grain site.

Buda City Manager Kenneth Williams, Buda Mayor Todd Ruge, Jennifer Brooke-Davidson and John Crain listen as Texas First Lady Cecilia Abbott discusses Main Street at the April dedication of Buda’s Main Street.
(photo by Samantha Smith)

Earlier this year, Buda was selected to be part of the Texas Main Street Program, which allows the city to apply for grants to help improve the downtown sector.

Ruge said the downtown area is “important to me” and there has been a renaissance in the downtown area.

“These are the types of businesses that we need to patronize and we need to spend our money locally,” Ruge said. “They are truly our neighbors.”

The city’s staff has also worked hard to have clean audits for the past two years, Ruge said.

Several big projects are on the horizon, including a proposed wastewater treatment plant expansion in the near future.

In addition, the city continues to progress on finishing projects under the 2014 bond.

Buda’s new city hall, located along north Main Street, is projected to open in late Spring 2018. The city’s new police station will open by October or November of this year.

“Our staff takes to heart that we want to keep our small town feel and we want to be a beautiful city,” Ruge said.