A glimpse into a Political Action Committee (PAC) supporting a $36 million road bond in Kyle’s May 11 election shows financial support for the cause has poured in from outside the city limits.
According to the first finance report for Keep Kyle Moving – the PAC supporting the road bond election that is slated to reconstruct Bunton Creek, Burleson, Goforth and Lehman roads, as well as extend Marketplace Avenue – the organization reported collecting $4,400 in total political contributions from developers, land surveyors and engineering and planning firms. A mathematical error was made and the actual amount reported, when adding up individual donations, is $4,900. The report covers all political contributions as of April 11. No political expenditures were reported.
While other area races also reported contributions, no other campaign has come close to raising the same amount of monies.
District 3 Kyle Council candidates Joe Bacon, Chad Benninghoff and Bill Sinor reportedly brought in $2,165.94, $89.34 and $100, respectively, according to their campaign finance reports.
District 5 Hays CISD school board candidate Marty Kanetzky reported no political contributions, while her challenger Debra Munoz reported accepting $2,584, according to their campaign finance reports.
For Keep Kyle Moving, the largest PAC contributions came from Halff Associates, an Austin engineering and planning firm, and Michael Nichols of Freese and Nichols, an Austin engineering firm, each donating $1000.
Cyndy Slovak-Barton, Hays Free Press publisher, and her husband, Jeff Barton of Gap Strategies, contributed $500 in-kind for newspaper advertising. Gap co-owner Kara Buffington, and her husband, Kevin, donated $500 in-kind for newspaper advertising. Cobb Fendley, who owns an engineering and surveying firm, contributed $500.
The PAC’s six remaining donors gave donations of $300 or less: John Landwermeyer, $300; Winton Porterfield, McGray & McGray, K Friese & Associates, MWM Design Group and Terracon, each contributed $250.
If approved, the road bond would increase Kyle’s $66.72 million principal debt by 54 percent. City Finance Director Perwez Moheet said that in his conservative estimate, the road bond could raise property taxes by almost 21 cents per $100 of assessed property valuation, if Kyle values did not increase at all over the next six years.
Kyle’s tax rate is presently 52.44 cents per $100 of assessed property valuation.
Kyle’s annually certified taxable property valuations have increased on an average of 3.7 percent over the last four years and sales tax collections have increased on an average 12.4 percent annually over the same period, city documents show.
In its road bond educational material, the city put forth estimated property tax impacts on homeowners depending on various tax base growth scenarios.
Ten Texas cities are holding bond elections in May, including Kyle, for a total dollar amount of $335,063,000. There will also be 63 school district bond elections totaling $3,694,395,000, including a $77 million capital improvement program for San Marcos schools.
The May 11 Kyle election will also decide a three-way race between candidates Joe Bacon, Chad Benninghoff and Bill Sinor for the District 3 seat and will return incumbent Diane Hervol to a second term in office after not drawing a challenger for the District 1 seat.
Hays CISD voters will also decide between Marty Kanetzky and Debra Munoz in the race for the District 5 spot on the school board.
