Brittany Kelley
KYLE — The city of Kyle is launching a new way to support its residents through the Utility Customer Assistance Program (UCAP).
According to assistant director of Finance Joshua Chronley, the idea for the six-month pilot program began last year when several former council members were “very interested in just trying to help people as the economy was going through some unknowns.” Then, $60,000 was allocated inside of the fiscal year (FY) 2025-26 water utilities budget for the program.
Although council had expressed a need to help residents, it wasn’t until Chronley brought forward UCAP earlier this year that the program began to form.
Originally, staff looked for a partnership to do verification for need for applicants, but the cost was going to exceed the amount of relief that the city was going to be able to provide. So, the city is instead doing it itself.
“The idea is that residents can get assistance on any of these utility bills tied to [the city of] Kyle. So, if they are a Kyle water user, if they are a wastewater user, if they use us for storm water or their trash and they’re experiencing financial hardship, they could be eligible for some short-term relief,” explained the assistant director. “That relief can come in the form of [paying] an outstanding balance. We can apply up to $600 per individual or per account holder of relief to try to help them. That’s usually about three or four months worth of a utility bill, depending on the nature of how many services they have and what their utilization levels are.”
Those using Kyle utility services can apply through a self-attestation model, meaning that customers certify themselves that they are experiencing financial hardship. Each account holder that is approved is able to utilize the entirety of the $600, whether it is all at once or throughout the year, meaning someone on a fixed income could use $50 a month to make bills more manageable over a period of time. This information would be explained in the application to better inform staff on what type of aid is needed.
Mayor Yvonne Flores-Cale stated that although limited, a program like this can positively impact the lives of residents: “I’ve heard from water users who have had to make difficult choices, like deciding between paying their water bill and buying medication or thinking twice about having friends and family visit, due to the water cost burden … Even a temporary program like this can provide a little breathing room for families who are doing their best to stay current. Water is not optional, and when costs rise or times get tough, that small measure of support can be the difference between staying afloat and falling behind.”
Although $60,000 was budgeted, only $30,000 is being used for the time being, but Chronley stated that if more funding is needed before the six months are up, then staff would ask council for approval.
After the pilot program ends, he stated that statistics will be brought back to council to determine if the aid should continue.
“[We’ll ask] of the roughly 19,000 customers we have, what does our application rate look like? What type of relief is being requested during this pilot period. Are applications mostly coming from people who have existing balances, who are already behind, or are they coming from customers who are just experiencing short-term interruptions to their income supply,” he said. “Then, for the budget discussions for FY 2027, we will be including [the option of] potentially doing this full time.”
Though the future of UCAP will be determined at a later date, Flores-Cale stressed that she hopes to create an environment where residents do not need to depend on aid.
“The goal is to build a city where people can afford to live, work and raise their families without that kind of strain,” said the mayor. “When times get tough, we should be there to lend a hand. That’s part of who we are. That’s also why we should support our nonprofits, who fill a gap. But our focus must be on the bigger picture, making sure this is a community that works for everyone, from students finding their footing to families putting down roots.”
To learn more information or to apply for UCAP, visit bit.ly/4mQZS54.
