Developments in Dean murder case
A former Austin Police Department officer suspected in the murder of Kyle Victim Services Coordinator Samantha Dean was flown back into country earlier this week and was charged with Capital Murder in her death. Last Wednesday, VonTrey Clark was flown from Indonesia to Texas, where he was booked into the Bastrop County Jail. Clark, who had fled to Indonesia in August, remains in the Bastrop County Jail without bail. Read the full story on the update to the Samantha Dean story online here.
Kyle adopts budget, property tax rate
The Kyle City Council Tuesday formally adopted its 2016 budget and property tax rate by a 5-1 vote on second reading. Council member Daphne Tenorio voted against the budget.
Kyle’s vote sets the city’s property tax rate at $.5848 per $100 of taxable valuation. The city also approved its budget of $78.9 million, which was reduced by roughly $589,000 on Sept. 1.
But Tenorio disapproved of the budget and tax rate.
“I’m disappointed in this budget and wish we could have been better servants to the city,” she said on the dais.
Mayor Todd Webster said finalizing the budget was an important step.
“There are extremely high expectations for the staff, for the departments, to deliver on what we’ve funded,” Webster said. “I hope to see a significant increase in the quality and level of service to the people that live here.”
