By Brittany Anderson
Kyle and Buda officially have a new city council member each.
Following the Dec. 7 runoff election, Daniela C. Parsley won with 553 votes for the Kyle City Council District 5 seat, beating incumbent Mayor Pro-Tem Rick Koch. LaVonia Horne-Williams won with 437 votes for Buda At-Large Position 3, beating Emily Jones.
The results come from 1,747, or 4.65%, of registered Hays County voters.
Following the general election on Nov. 2, a runoff election was called as no candidate met the Majority Vote Requirement of 50% plus one vote. When the runoff was called, Koch had 643 votes while Parsley had 489. Horne-Williams still led with 635 votes over Jones’ 439.
Parsley, who was sworn in during a special city council meeting on Dec. 16, told the Hays Free Press/News-Dispatch that she believes the city will ‘win’ when citizens are engaged and informed — a huge benefit of her campaign and ability to connect with residents as a city councilor.
“I am thrilled to be representing my fellow Kyle residents,” Parsley said. “I look forward to listening to the citizens’ concerns and helping in any way that I can. I know that I am new at this and I have a lot to learn, but I will undertake this endeavor with an open mind and a willingness to truly listen to the wants and needs of all Kyle residents and learn from the experience of my fellow council members.”
Horne-Williams told the Hays Free Press/News-Dispatch that her time campaigning and eventual victory has taught her the “value of perseverance and determination.”
“This experience has been a huge undertaking of time, dedication and hardwork,” Horne-Williams said. “A sweet friend said to me after the campaign, ‘We have to know the sadness of defeat to understand the humbleness of winning.’ I’m looking forward to continuing to have face-to-face conversations with Buda citizens, and to provide accountability and transparency in our community.”
