Megan Navarro
HAYS COUNTY — There are several elections that are set to take place on the Nov. 4 ballot in Hays County.
State constitutional amendments
Throughout the state of Texas, a special election will be held for voters to adopt or reject 17 constitutional amendments proposed by joint resolutions, as submitted by the 89th Texas Legislature.
The propositions for the joint resolutions will appear as follows, according to a proclamation through the governor’s office:
Proposition 1: "The constitutional amendment providing for the creation of the permanent technical institution infrastructure fund and the available workforce education fund to support the capital needs of educational programs offered by the Texas State Technical College System."
Proposition 2: "The constitutional amendment prohibiting the imposition of a tax on the realized or unrealized capital gains of an individual, family, estate or trust."
Proposition 3: "The constitutional amendment requiring the denial of bail under certain circumstances to persons accused of certain offenses punishable as a felony."
Proposition 4: "The constitutional amendment to dedicate a portion of the revenue derived from state sales and use taxes to the Texas water fund and to provide for the allocation and use of that revenue."
Proposition 5: "The constitutional amendment authorizing the legislature to exempt from ad valorem taxation tangible personal property consisting of animal feed held by the owner of the property for sale at retail."
Proposition 6: "The constitutional amendment prohibiting the legislature from enacting a law imposing an occupation tax on certain entities that enter into transactions conveying securities or imposing a tax on certain securities transactions."
Proposition 7: "The constitutional amendment authorizing the legislature to provide for an exemption from ad valorem taxation of all or part of the market value of the residence homestead of the surviving spouse of a veteran who died as a result of a condition or disease that is presumed under federal law to have been service-connected."
Proposition 8: "The constitutional amendment to prohibit the legislature from imposing death taxes applicable to a decedent's property or the transfer of an estate, inheritance, legacy, succession or gift."
Proposition 9: "The constitutional amendment to authorize the legislature to exempt from ad valorem taxation a portion of the market value of tangible personal property a person owns that is held or used for the production of income."
Proposition 10: "The constitutional amendment to authorize the legislature to provide for a temporary exemption from ad valorem taxation of the appraised value of an improvement to a residence homestead that is completely destroyed by a fire."
Proposition 11: "The constitutional amendment authorizing the legislature to increase the amount of the exemption from ad valorem taxation by a school district of the market value of the residence homestead of a person who is elderly or disabled."
Proposition 12: "The constitutional amendment regarding the membership of the State Commission on Judicial Conduct, the membership of the tribunal to review the commission's recommendations and the authority of the commission, the tribunal, and the Texas Supreme Court to more effectively sanction judges and justices for judicial misconduct."
Proposition 13: "The constitutional amendment to increase the amount of the exemption of residence homesteads from ad valorem taxation by a school district from $100,000 to $140,000."
Proposition 14: "The constitutional amendment providing for the establishment of the Dementia Prevention and Research Institute of Texas, establishing the Dementia Prevention and Research Fund to provide money for research on and prevention and treatment of dementia, Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease and related disorders in this state, and transferring to that fund $3 billion from state general revenue."
Proposition 15: "The constitutional amendment affirming that parents are the primary decision makers for their children."
Proposition 16: "The constitutional amendment clarifying that a voter must be a United States citizen."
Proposition 17: "The constitutional amendment to authorize the legislature to provide for an exemption from ad valorem taxation of the amount of the market value of real property located in a county that borders the United Mexican States that arises from the installation or construction on the property of border security infrastructure and related improvements."
City of Buda
The city of Buda will hold a joint special election with Hays County for the consideration of proposed amendments to the city’s charter. There will be seven propositions on the ballot, including the following:
• Amend Section 3.05 to compensate the mayor $300 and each city council member $200 per city council meeting
• Amend Section 5.02 to provide that the city council appoint the city attorney
• Amend Section 6.03 to specify that notices of city council action on a proposed budget will be in compliance with state law
• Amend Section 6.05 to require that the annual budget be structurally balanced so that the total proposed expenditures shall not exceed the total estimated revenue and fund balance reserves
• Amend Section 6.11 to clarify that the city council shall appoint a certified public accountant to make a complete audit of the books and accounts of every city department and present a report to the city council at the close of every fiscal year
• Shall outdated transitional language, non-substantive grammar and typographical errors be removed from the charter?
• Shall the city council be granted the power to make a non-substantive amendments to the city charter by ordinance to correct typographical errors, grammatical errors, references to laws which have been changed or which references are, for any reason, Incorrect and to neutralize all gender references, provided that no such amendment shall change the meaning or substance of the charter?
Additionally, the city of Buda will hold a general election to fill the position of council members At-Large Position 1, currently held by Matt Smith, and Single Member District C, currently held by Terry Cummings, for a term ending November 2028.
Incumbent Smith is running for reelection and is the only candidate who has filed for the At-Large Position 1 seat. The Texas native, raised in Manchaca, moved to Buda in 2012 and was elected and sworn-in to office in 2020.
According to his council bio, Smith is a graduate of the city of Buda Citizen’s Academy, former city of Buda Parks & Recreation commissioner, chair of the city of Buda Amphitheater Committee and member of the Baylor Scott & White Buda Development Advisory Board. Formerly, Smith was co-chair of the Whispering Hollow HOA-Festival Committee and he continues to support local events bringing families together from all around Buda. He and his wife, Vanessa, have two sons and, according to them, Buda has everything they desire in a community to foster a positive and meaningful life for their family.
For Single Member District C, there are three who are vying for the seat: Kimberly Goodman, Jeffrey Morales and Emily Jones.
Goodman has lived in Buda for more than 20 years in Cimarron Park and Cullen Country, enjoying serving the community and loving the small-town vibe of the city, according to her bio. She has been a nurse for 24 years with an emergency room nursing background and she was the manager of the emergency room at St. David’s Hospital in downtown Austin for several years before transitioning to her current role of chief nurse executive for Austin State Hospital. She has two children, Taylor, who is the program director for Austin Angels, and Jace, who is attending college and working full-time.
For Goodman, if elected, she plans to: protect the small-town feel and prioritize local, small businesses; manage growth to minimize impact on water, traffic and schools; provide a seat at the table for neighborhoods and homeowners; continue the sound fiscal policy of Buda and “hold the line on taxes”; create more mental health awareness and resources; and increase fentanyl education and Narcan availability for the public.
Morales has lived in Buda since 2014, after moving from Kyle. He has a 25-year-old son who is a Hays High School graduate, a 20-year-old son who is a Johnson High School graduate and a 12-year-old daughter, who attends Dahlstrom Middle School.
According to his website, the veteran shared that he brings a disciplined perspective to community service. He has been involved in the community in various ways, including serving on the board of the Hays County Food Bank, graduating from the city’s and police department’s citizen academies, serving on city boards, participating in donation drives and acting as the Garlic Creek Homeowners Association president.
He is running for city council to represent the concerns of Buda’s citizens, driven by his love for the community and a strong work ethic, with goals to address project management and traffic, ensuring fiscal health and preserving the small-town feel and historic charm of Old Buda.
The third candidate, Jones, is a 12-year Buda resident and fifth generation Texan with 28 years of experience in the construction field. She has served on the city’s Planning & Zoning Commission for five years — with three of those being the chair — and the 2024 Comprehensive Plan Committee and has completed the Buda Citizens Academy. She also worked in the strategic planning of the city, served on the 1626 Corridor Sub Committee and on the Hays CISD GT Advisory Board.
Jones is also a former business owner and supports other small and local businesses, along with the local school district as she is a mother herself.
City of Kyle
The following candidates have filed for a place on the November ballot for their respective positions within the city of Kyle.
District 1
Incumbent Bear Heiser was elected to his position of District 1 Kyle City Council member in 2022, with his term expiring in November 2025, and is seeking reelection. According to his application, he has been residing in the district he represents for more than four years.
Courtney Goza, who also ran for a seat on the council last year, is seeking the District 1 seat. According to her, if elected, her focus would be on issues that residents continue to voice, including infrastructure and traffic concerns, transparency in city government and “ensuring that Kyle’s rapid growth doesn’t come at the expense of the people who call it home.”
“This campaign will be about listening, responding and correcting the issues that matter most to the citizens of Kyle. Together, we can make Kyle a better place for all of us,” Goza said in her candidacy announcement.
Ellen Ermis, who works with the Kyle Area Senior Zone, is also vying for a place on the city council. She has lived in the state of Texas for 37 years and in the district she would represent, if elected, for more than seven years.
The last candidate for District 1, according to the applications filed on the city of Kyle’s website, is Kyle LeVell, who has lived in the district for two years.
District 2
Melisa Medina, who also ran last year, is one of two candidates who have filed to run for the District 2 seat, and has lived within the district for 15 years. According to Medina, she believes that residents deserve better with their city government and, if elected, she will lead with transparency and fight for decisions that benefit the community.
“We have a rare opportunity to replace two council seats and the mayor — positions that, for too long, have been held by those more interested in serving themselves than serving Kyle,” she said. “We also have the chance to keep a good, community-focused representative in his seat — someone who’s been fighting the right fight. If we want real, positive change for Kyle, it starts with electing the right people — leaders who are here for the people, not personal agendas.”
For Paul Hill, even though he grew up in San Marcos, he watched Kyle grow from a small town with a Dairy Queen to a city with an estimated population of more than 65,000 people. Once he established his career as an attorney, he decided to make Kyle his home.
He has been involved in the community from serving as the vice president of the Hays County Bar Association, his work with the city of Kyle Ethics Commission, volunteering at PAWS and more. His priorities, if elected, are: fix the roads and address infrastructure in areas where it has fallen behind; transparent, responsive government; preparing for continued growth; and fix issues that District 2 has inherited.
District 3
District 3 Incumbent Miguel Zuniga, who was elected in 2022, is seeking reelection to “keep building a better Kyle — together,” he said in his announcement. According to Zuniga, in his term, he has worked with colleagues, community leaders and city staff to adopt budgets and programs that:
• Expand public safety resources by growing the police force and enhancing emergency management technology
• Support first responders through meet-and-confer agreements
• Invest in critical infrastructure — from roads and wastewater systems to sustainable water resources
• Protect the environment and expand community spaces, like Lake Kensington, Dacy Lane (Senior Community Center) and Republic Drive
• Elevate arts and culture with Public Art and Parks Master Plans
• Champion small businesses through targeted workshops, incentives and downtown revitalization efforts
His November 2025 campaign, according to Zuniga, is about finding solutions for housing, affordability, infrastructure and smart growth.
“Your voice matters. Your involvement is vital. Kyle is home — for all of us. For our families. For our future,” he said. “With smart planning, collaboration and open communication, we can continue building a Kyle that reflects the best of who we are.”
Claudia Zapata, who also ran in 2023 for the District 4 seat, is vying for the District 3 seat. To her, the campaign is about more than a seat, rather it’s about “building a Kyle that works for everyone with honest leadership, community-driven priorities and the experience to get things done.”
Mayor
Two individuals — Robert Rizo and Yvonne Flores-Cale — have filed applications for the mayoral seat as of Tuesday, Aug. 26, according to the city of Kyle’s election website, as there will be a special election held after mayor Travis Mitchell submitted his formal resignation from office this summer.
Rizo, who currently serves on Kyle City Council in the District 2 seat and has had three total terms on the council, is seeking the mayoral seat. The longtime Kyle resident has lived in the city for 54 years, according to his application.
His goals and priorities if elected as mayor would be to prioritize public safety, expand road improvements, support local businesses and grow historic downtown. But, most importantly to him, he is dedicated to keeping Kyle affordable for families and future generations.
“How do you make a city better? It starts with one small, good deed at a time. With over 30 years of volunteer service in our community, I have a deep love for Kyle, a proven record of results, and a vision to lead us into the future,” Rizo said. “Together, we can continue building a stronger, safer and more connected Kyle.”
Additionally, Flores-Cale, who served on the city council 2020-23 and then, ran for mayor against Mitchell in 2023, has also submitted an application for mayor.
“After careful reflection and with the support and encouragement of my family, I am ready to return and run for mayor once again. It is time to continue the work we started and build a future that benefits the residents in Kyle,” Flores-Cale said in her announcement. “As mayor, I will commit to working closely with residents, landowners, and businesses to truly understand and address their needs and concerns. I will strive to be the leader who listens.”
While Districts 1 and 3 had their filing period end Aug. 18, candidates for District 2 and the mayoral seat in the city of Kyle still have until 5 p.m. Sept. 3 to file for a place on the ballot.
Hays County Municipal Utility District No. 12
Also on the ballot is a special election with six propositions related to the Hays County Municipal Utility District (MUD) No. 12.
According to the order calling for the election, alongside confirming the creation of the MUD, the other five propositions include the following, which all have a tax increase:
An operation and maintenance tax for the district not to exceed $1.20 per $100 valuation of taxable property.
The issuance of $220,475,000 bonds for water, wastewater and drainage system facilities and the levy of taxes sufficient to pay principal of and interest on the bonds.
The issuance of $82,460,000 bonds for roads and the levy of taxes sufficient to pay principal of and interest on the bonds.
The issuance of $330,712,500 bonds for refunding water, wastewater and drainage system facilities bonds, including refunding bonds issued therefor, issued pursuant to Section 59, Article XVI of the Texas Constitution and the levy of taxes sufficient to pay principal of and interest on the bonds.
The issuance of $123,690,000 bonds for refunding road bonds, including refunding bonds issued therefor, issued pursuant to Section 52, Article III of the Texas Constitution, and the levy of taxes sufficient to pay principal of and interest on the bonds.
Voters will also be asked to elect the permanent directors of the district. The ballots used in the election for the permanent directors shall have the names of five temporary directors appointed by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, or their replacements as follows: Laura Anderson, Malcolm Young Brian III, Karen Hernandez, Debora Licon and Minda Lopez.
The voter may vote for none, one, two, three, four or five people for director. If the district has received an application by a write-in candidate, the ballots shall have blanks after the names of the temporary directors for a voter to write in the name of any write-in candidate, according to the order.
More information on Hays County elections can be found at www.hayscountytx.gov/elections.
