Ashley Kontnier
KYLE — Road bonds, animal services and water rates were among the topics discussed at Kyle City Council member Michael Tobias’ Third Annual Town Hall Gathering, with special guest Mayor Yvonne Flores-Cale, Saturday, Aug. 15, at the Kyle Public Library.
Following introductions, the floor was opened to attendees for questions, concerns, feedback and ideas.
“Okay, so we had a massive road bond project that was approved and my understanding is we're $53 million over budget,” began one local resident. “I'm hearing that we're looking at another road bond project in order to cover this deficit. As you are aware, I am extremely skeptical of bond packages because of the lack of transparency and financial responsibility and management of our city. So, I'd like to know: Is this, in fact, something that is being looked at?”
Flores-Cale was the first to answer and clarified that the costs are closer to $55 or $56 million over budget and that the city has discussed an additional bond, which would potentially also include a minimum of $100 million for the completion of Chevo Pastrano Senior Parkway, which was formerly South Goforth Road.
“For anybody who didn't follow the 2022 bond, it was approved in August and put on the ballot in November. So, we had exactly August, September, October [and] November to put our information together,” the mayor explained. “I think only one road had the 30% schematics or it might have been further along … All the rest we had no schematics for. We didn't have 30% and they say at 30% is when you know the true cost.”
Because of this, the city plans to implement an 18- month planning process for future bonds, so that it can have more accurate numbers.
In follow up to this response, Hays County Treasurer Daphne Tenorio highlighted the importance of being considerate of the future generations that would be affected by potential bonds.
“We have issued, at the county level, hundreds of millions of dollars in bonds recently. So, when you're looking at these bonds, I would like you to be mindful of the fact that us as taxpayers have already been hit here and so, every additional bond that you're doing is creating additional debt,” Tenorio emphasized. “It's not my debt; it's the debt of our children. It’s the debt of our grandchildren and we've got to stop.”
Further along the topic of potential bonds, a local trap, neuter, return volunteer questioned the future plans for an animal shelter for the city.
“My question is for the shelter: If a [general obligation] bond is put to the community and it does not pass for the shelter, what is going to be Plan B,” she asked.
“Well, I would say if it didn't pass, it would be a conversation with the county,” Flores-Cale said. “I feel like this is a county issue, not just a city issue … So, for me, I feel like if it doesn't fall on the shoulders of the city, it should go to the county and the county can build the shelter and we can work together.”
At this point in the discussion, Hays County Judge Ruben Becerra briefly took the floor to discuss his perspective on the county’s plans, following the Hays County Commissioners Court vote to end the contract with Austin Pets Alive! for the Pet Resource Center in 2025.
“For political reasons, it was killed. We were going to turn dirt in a few weeks from the moment it came to the court — don't hear the word court and think all truth is there because court members literally lied in court,” he alleged. “They literally lied in court to make Austin Pets Alive! look like they were misrepresenting and they were lying about the work and it was not true. Austin Pets Alive! was duped erroneously, mischaracterized and lied about, simply to kill this countywide project.”
The next concern came from a resident in the Six Creeks subdivision, which is located in the city’s extra-territorial jurisdiction (ETJ), who explained the hardship her family is facing, due to their water bill being in excess of $400 each month.
As previously reported by the Hays Free Press, residents in the ETJ were subjected to a 77% increase in water rates for 2025.
In response, Tobias explained the backstory about how he found out about the rate increase last year.
“Every month last year, I would meet with our former city manager Bryan Langley and I'll never forget. It was sometime in July of last year, where I had my meeting and we began to discuss about the budget,” the council member recalled. “He came to me and he says, ‘I'm just letting you know, Tobias, that these water rates are going to go up.’ And I'm like, ‘Well, what are you talking about? They're going to go up? I mean, by how much?’”
It was at this point, Tobias said, that Langley told him city residents would have a 20% rate increase, while ETJ customers would have a 77% increase.
After gathering information from residents at a previous town hall, the council member explained that he went back to the former city manager to ask for alternative options, such as a tiered system.
“He goes, ‘Well, I'm sorry, but we're running out of time. You’re not going to get council support on that,’” Tobias said. “And I thought about, ‘Well, which council are we talking about?’”
For these reasons, he later voted against the annual budget and the water rate increase, to no avail, as he was outvoted and both items passed.
“To the Six Creeks folks that are here, we're still advocating for you. We're still working on that,” he concluded. “I know the mayor and [council member Courtney] Goza and all the others are. We want to find a solution because we know that these water rates are very high.”
Following Tobias’ story, Flores-Cale confirmed that, due to reanalyzing and reconsidering the capital improvement plans for 2026-27, there is no proposed additional increase for water rates for the upcoming year.
To watch the full video of the event, visit bit.ly/3S0ojC9.
