Brittany Kelley
KYLE — Prior to the November election, the Kyle Area Chamber of Commerce hosted a candidate forum Oct. 21 for the public.
Although all candidates were invited, said chamber CEO Becca Hancock, Paul Hill, candidate for Kyle City Council District 2, and Andrea Villescaz, mayoral candidate, were unable to attend, due to work commitments.
Each district received a different question for the two rounds, along with the opportunity for an introduction and closing statement.
Mayor
Yvonne Flores-Cale
Flores-Cale is a 14-year resident and previous council member from 2020-23. She has a masters in legal studies and a bachelor’s degree in business and communications.
As a “resident advocate,” issues important to her include water and wastewater resources, restoring relationships between the city and residents and reviving the downtown area.
“Balancing economic growth with the resources that we have in the city is something I think that we currently struggle with,” said Flores-Cale in response to how the city can balance growth for conservation in regards to waste.
She feels the solution is by actually sitting down with staff, reviewing the information and attempting to find a regional company to build a wastewater facility.
In an effort to preserve the history of Kyle, while promoting economic development, Flores-Cale stated that this is something she has been active in, as she noted that, previously, when she was on council, she would often ask developments to create a monument of what the area looked like prior to construction or ask that a local business be included, to which all were answered with, “Yes, of course.”
“I encourage each of you to do your research,” said Flores-Cale. “You guys are in a really good place right now because we have three incumbents; you have myself, who has previously ran. So, there is history to each of our votes and ensuring that our votes match our words, [which] I think is an important part of choosing who you want to support.”
Donny Wills
The retired veteran and small-business owner explained that he is running “because I want the people of Kyle to have a voice, not a politician … There are 60,000 plus residents in this town; I know whose opinion matters to me the most.”
Wills explained that growth in Kyle is inevitable, but that the need for water can be reduced by ensuring that growth is smart, such as improving leak detection systems, installing smart meters, upgrading water lines and holding developers accountable.
The candidate explained that economic growth within the city needs to be with intention, not just expansion, which means focusing on projects that fit Kyle’s character by using locally-owned businesses, walkable neighborhoods and building parks, schools and infrastructures, rather than letting a developer negatively affect a resident’s quality of life.
“I wasn’t born in Kyle; I chose to live here. I chose to raise my family here. I chose to open up many businesses here and invest highly into this community and that’s exactly what I’d do as mayor. I want to take my experience of running large corporations and businesses and military units with massive budgets and be able to guide the city and the residents into what I would believe is a better future for everyone,” said Wills.
Robert Rizo
Rizo is a three-term council member and is now running for the mayoral seat. Some of his accomplishments include working on the Public Safety Center, increasing pay for the city’s police officers and working on the Mary Hartson Kyle City Square Park.
“If I’m elected as mayor, I’m going to take a hard look at our downtown and make sure we bring back the families I grew up with in Kyle,” said Rizo.
In regards to water, the current council member explained that he began advocating for Advanced Metering Infrastructure technology and smart meter systems in 2019 when he was first elected, so that residents could monitor their water usage in real time, which has since been implemented into the city. In addition to this tool, the city is looking at reclaiming water to ensure that no water is being wasted through programs, such as purple pipe.
Rizo emphasized creating spaces where residents can live, work and play, such as the Brick-and-Mortar district or the Plum Creek community centers, while incentivizing retail.
“I build trust with all our partners around us at the local level, the county level, the state level and the federal level, continuous partnerships are going to help bring funding to Kyle. You need a leader that’s going to be proven. Somebody [that] has experience to do this job and to be a good mayor and help council and lift these council members,” concluded Rizo.
District 1 - At Large
Bear Heiser
According to the District 1 incumbent, Heiser is running for reelection, “to finish what this council and this governing body has started in the past three years.” Additionally, he wants to continue to support projects that he has spearheaded over the years, such as the Small Business Initiative.
Regarding the budget process, Heiser noted that it has changed for the second year in a row, to prevent micromanaging from council and, instead, let council focus on the future of the city, while the staff members work on the details of the budget.
“We are [now] being brought fully-backed budgets to then provide feedback on. So, I think we checked that box. Can we get better? Absolutely, but only time and experience allows us to learn, so that we can get better for the future,” he said, further stating that the “only problem” the city has is how fast it’s growing, but that the council is doing its best to keep up with it.
Heiser’s stance on tax incentives is that it is a tool for the city that is necessary to collaborate and create quality products for the residents of Kyle. Recently, he shared, the city has hoped to use tax incentives to create mandates within companies for higher paying jobs. This would mean that a percentage of jobs would be required to go to a Kyle resident.
“I’m really proud of the record this council has accomplished over the last three years,” said Heiser. “I want to finish what the residents elected me to do three years ago and that is why, with the support of my wife and my two kids, that I’ve decided to do this again and to run it back for another three years. I feel like I have sunk as much as I possibly could — my heart and soul — into this and learned everything I possibly could about the city of Kyle and the challenges that are in front of us. So, I look forward to this opportunity.”
Kyle J. LeVell
LeVell stated that he would promote a government that uses predictive planning and data-driven resources for the future of the city.
Alongside the predictive planning, LeVell advocated for a multi-year forecasting model that would add dashboards for the residents to view data and understand how the city is improving on its infrastructure, water, sewer safety and other resources.
LeVell was also in support of tax incentives, if the return makes sense. It’s important, he emphasized, that the taxpayers are still being protected with these deals, while holding developers and corporate companies accountable.
The 28-year-old stated that he is young, yes, but that is exactly what the city of Kyle needs: “We need young, fresh blood on the council. That’s what we need. We need that energy and we need a new Kyle. Guess what? We’re going to support our local businesses. We’re going to propel the citizens of Kyle. We’re going to take care [of residents]. It doesn’t matter if you’re a Latina business, a Black business, all types of businesses will thrive for the new Kyle and that’s why I’m here. With my background in predictive planning, my degree in finance, being the [homeowners association] president, helping out my community, I have what it takes to help lead the city and you guys will see a level of efficiency like you’ve never seen before when I am elected.”
Ellen Ermis
Ermis’ low-budget campaign is indicative of the way she believes government should be run, as her four pillars are: transparency, low-cost solutions, inclusion and partnership. She currently serves on the Parks and Recreation Department Advisory Board and is the communications and grants director for the Kyle Area Senior Zone.
“The budget for the new fiscal year is almost double last year’s budget. According to the comprehensive plan that the city conducted, two criteria that all decisions need to pass are community support and affordability. I hear, as communications director for our nonprofit, a lot of complaints about the affordability, repeated thrust for open records, costs that are getting more expensive; I think it’s time to cut some of those costs in our budget process.”
“I hope that the winner is not the man with the most signs. Whatever stipend or salary would be connected to this position would not go into my bank account or it wouldn’t stay there. It’s going back to the local nonprofits. I’m running as a public servant, not as someone who needs extra money. I want to thank all these people who are trying to be more involved in our community. We each bring something special,” Ermis emphasized.
Courtney Goza
Goza has a bachelor’s degree in business and an associate certificate in contracting. She stated that her campaign focuses on transparency and better infrastructure, which she will be able to achieve, due to her prior experience.
“I also work in real estate as a commercial real estate agent. I’ve seen the gamut of how new developments are laid out, both commercial and residential. So, I would [bring] experience from my daily life in how I’m planning for the city,” said Goza.
Continuing with advocacy for transparency, she stated that the city should create a website that allows residents to look at spending for each department and flag items that they have questions about to learn more. Goza also supports a three-year projection for the budget.
She stated that tax incentives should be used sparingly, with the necessary guidelines and parameters to ensure that the city is being fair and consistent.
“I think for me, it’s important as a hopefully future council member, to bring my skills, my talents together to be able to support our businesses, support our residents and just asking for smart infrastructure, smart growth and a good business environment for everybody,” said Goza.
District 2
Melisa Medina
“Some of the reasons I’m running is to bring responsible growth and smart planning back in the city of Kyle,” said Medina. “We want to ensure that Kyle’s rapid growth that’s going on now is guided by development that protects the neighborhoods and preserves our community character.”
She also advocated for fiscal accountability and transparency.
Medina noted that when attracting new businesses, the city must make sure to focus on companies that align with the city’s growth plans and values. Additionally, encouraging collaboration between new and established businesses can aid in a stronger economy, she said. So, she would want to have businesses contribute to the city by building roads or aiding with the purple pipe project.
The candidate stated that she would work with local businesses, schools and training programs to understand current workforce needs and prepare for future needs. This would not only support employers, she continued, but keep the city’s workforce competitive and employed locally.
“Kyle is my home; [I’m] raising our family here and we want Kyle to succeed [and] thrive for generations to come,” said Medina. “I really want to focus on the infrastructure, the growth and the needs of our city and be that transparent city council person for us residents that you’re looking for.”
District 3 - At Large
Miguel Zuniga
Zuniga is the incumbent of this seat and explained that, for the past three years, he has “worked to continue to guide our city and I’d like to continue to provide that stability and leadership and thoughtful planning.”
He explained that his background in chemistry has given him a mindset of always looking toward the future and the best way to provide innovation for the city.
The incumbent’s vision for economic development is building a strong, diverse local economy in Kyle, whether that be allowing individuals to achieve their dream of opening a small business, putting more money in the water and wastewater systems, but also finding the ability to support this.
“We want businesses that pay very well and we want to be the leader on this IH-35 corridor. I think that is what we’re trying to achieve as a community,” said Zuniga.
Zuniga stated that part of attracting high technologies is tax incentives, but also looking at state funding and partnerships: “Part of bringing in those high tech, innovative businesses is we also have to have the skilled, educated workforce. So, we have to have those training programs [and] workshops to invest in our residents, our community, which are going to be our next generation of leaders,” he said.
“When I finished graduate school, I could have worked anywhere in the country … but I chose Kyle. I chose Kyle because for 40 years, I’ve lived here, I’ve been raising my kids here because this is where I felt — always in my heart — that I belonged,” Zuniga said. “If I’m elected, what you will have in me is a supporter, a collaborator, a partner for small businesses because, like I said before, this is about working to benefit our entire city … This is about our future together and that’s what I want to continue to uphold, honor our history, but also embrace the future.”
Claudia Zapata
The candidate began by explaining how she has seen Kyle change over the years. Her most pressing issues include road safety, water infrastructure, responsible growth and supporting local businesses by investing into their future and opportunities.
“My vision is going to be one that is community centered and focused. I really want to ensure that, for example, in our procurement policies, we include options that give extra scoring and higher scoring points to local contractors and local developers,” said Zapata, who emphasized the importance of zoning reforms.
She also stated that she would like to see the city working alongside developers to implement affordable workspace programs for small businesses.
Zapata discussed new market incentives, which is when a company brings in a market that is unique to the city, as well as developing incentives to create a welcoming environment for these companies to attract them. She also emphasized investing in a workforce for these companies that can keep up with the rate and expectations of growth.
“If there is one thing that I would like for you to take away from this forum is that I believe, fundamentally, collaboration in Kyle is at an inflection point in which we must be able to work together to create new solutions to the new problems that we are facing as we grow,” said Zapata.
Early voting began Oct. 20 and will end Oct. 31. The final day for voting is Tuesday, Nov. 4. For more information on the Kyle election and polling locations, visit bit.ly/4qodzd1.
