by ANDY SEVILLA
From four candidates, down to three, then back up to four, and now, once again, down to three – the race for the Kyle Council District 3 seat has been shaken and stirred and is left, still, with enough time for more jumps in and out of the fray.
Candidate Bill Sinor said he planned to bow out of the race last week, though a change of heart finds him in the fight for the council seat once again.
“A few days ago I stated that I was not going to run for the Dist. 3 seat because I bought another new business and needed to focus on getting it launched and to make it a success,” Sinor said. “Since that time, I have talked with many people across Kyle and after explaining to them why I would wait a year to run I heard them telling me that I am needed on the council this year.”
Planning and Zoning (P&Z) Commissioner Michelle Christie joined the battle for the District 3 seat last week, but after a few days in the race decided to withdraw her candidacy to the seat being vacated by outgoing council member Brad Pickett.
Christie said Friday she would rather focus her time, at least for now, on the business before the P&Z Commission and would consider a run at council down the road.
Mobility Commission member Joe Bacon also threw his hat into the ring last week. Bacon helped the council take a second stab at a road bond that would improve five Kyle roads identified as priorities.
“I felt that it was important to step up and be willing to serve the citizens of Kyle,” Bacon said. “I want to work to continue to move Kyle forward.”
With the ins and outs of the council race, as of Tuesday, voters will see three names on the May ballot for the District 3 seat – Sinor, Bacon and Chad Benninghoff, whose candidacy has been constant since entering the competition two weeks ago.
“I have always had a commitment to public service and work to improve the community where I live,” Benninghoff said. “I have served my country in peacetime, conflict and war. I consistently support and participate in city activities. I have worked hard for the citizens of this country (and) I will demonstrate dedication to the residents of Kyle.”
Benninghoff said economic development and fiscal responsibility are paramount needs for the city, as well as protection and added value to Kyle’s financial interests and promoting safety and high quality of life.
And while all council candidates have voiced need for safety, specifically improving the deterioration of Kyle’s roads, Sinor said that for him, “it is a huge fear that one of our kids will be hit and killed due to there not being a safer place to walk or not having a bike lane.” An example of such a needed improvement is Lehman Road, from FM 150 East to the school.
Lehman Road is among the five roads the city council packaged into a $36 million bond that is to be put before voters in the May election. If approved, Bunton Creek, Burleson, Goforth and Lehman roads will be reconstructed, and Marketplace Avenue will be extended to Burleson Road.
And Bacon, who actively worked in the city’s mobility committee’s effort to produce a road bond package that council would approve for election, said the matter has been put off for eight years “and now the citizens will have a chance to vote.”
“The roads need to be safer for our citizens to drive on and we need sidewalks so our children are not walking in a drainage ditch,” Bacon said.
All the while safety was top priority, Sinor also advocated for the small businesses in Kyle.
“As we grow we will no doubt draw big business to Kyle, but we must also make sure that the small business owner always has a place and a voice in this town,” Sinor said.
And with Kyle’s expected growth comes “great opportunities,” Bacon said cautioning that if those opportunities are not managed properly, the city will struggle to reach its full potential.
“The success of local government is predicated on the dedication of everyday citizens wanting to help their neighbors in a way that benefits all citizens for years to come,” Bacon said.
Benninghoff, his wife, Larissa, and their two boys have lived in Hometown Kyle for seven years. Bacon and his wife, Michele, moved to Kyle 12 years ago and they have three grown children. Sinor, his wife and son have lived in the Waterleaf Falls Subdivision in east Kyle for three years, though they have lived in the city for almost ten years.
Benninghoff is currently a captain in the Army Reserve and is the head nurse at the Blanchfield Army Medical Center at Fort Campbell Kentucky. He works as a nurse practioner in the Central Texas Medical Center’s emergency room in San Marcos. Benninghoff said he also holds real estate broker’s licenses in Texas and California.
Bacon said he works in Austin and has “extensive business experience with a strong budget and financial operating background. Making a payroll and growing a company enables you to make clear decisions about costs and return on investment.”
Sinor said he’s a small business owner and has been a member of the Kyle Chamber of Commerce, at one point serving as the Ambassador Chairman. He said he was involved, for a short time, with the city’s mobility and transportation committee. He said he has been involved with the Kyle/Buda Relay for Life, as well as with the PTA, as an officer at a couple of Hays CISD schools, and he volunteers at schools, among other civic activities.
As of Tuesday, incumbent council member Diane Hervol was the lone candidate for her expiring District 1 seat.
The filing deadline for candidacy to either council seat is March 1.
