by SEAN BATURA
The Hays County Commissioners Court on Tuesday voted 3-2 to redistrict the county in a way that splits Kyle into three commissioner precincts and removes from Precinct 1 almost all its current territory west of Interstate 35.
The court voted for Plan M2 which was among four plans under consideration after commissioners whittled down the field of possible redistricting maps from 10 last week. At that time, Jones and Pct. 3 Commissioner Will Conley lined up behind Jones’ Plan M2 while Pct. 4 Commissioner Ray Whisenant and Pct. 1 Commission Debbie Gonzales Ingalsbe lined up behind Whisenant’s Plan O or P. All that remained to be seen was where County Judge Bert Cobb stood and he picked Plan M2.
In Kyle, the new map moves the Hometown Kyle and Arroyo Ranch subdivisions from Precinct 2 to Precinct 4 and moves the Steeplechase and Amberwood subdivisions from Precinct 2 to Precinct 1. In Buda, Precinct 2 keeps subdivisions west of FM 1626, including Ruby Ranch, that would have moved to Precinct 4 under Whisenant’s plan.
Of the 14 residents who spoke during the public hearing, none expressed support for Plan M2 and 12 spoke in favor of Plan O, most of them Kyle residents opposed to splitting the city into three precincts to the extent Plan M2 does. One critic of Plan M2 pointed out that only one Kyle city council member, David Wilson, will continue to live in Precinct 2, which has traditionally included Kyle. The others will live either in Precinct 4 (Brad Pickett, Jaime Sanchez and Becky Selbera) or Precinct 2 (Russ Huebner and Diane Hervol).
“Kyle’s going to continue to grow and generate money for the county, we’ll continue to pay our city taxes and our county taxes. However, our voice will be split three ways on how to spend that money,” said Joel Kirby, who lives in Hometown Kyle.
Jones, a Kyle Republican, said he chose a redistricting plan that would retain as many of Precinct 2’s unincorporated areas as possible. He has also argued that he needs to keep the western Buda boxes to keep road projects like the FM 1626 widening and construction of SH 25 SW moving.
“Residents that live outside incorporated areas depend on the county for more of their services than the citizens of the cities. ...I have to make a choice between the unincorporated areas or the incorporated areas. I know you disagree with that. If I lived in Hometown Kyle, I’d feel the same way. But I have to be responsible for the community of Precinct 2 as a whole.”
