Travis Mitchell will face off against and for the Kyle mayoral seat. The Hays Free Press asked Kyle City Council candidates the following questions. Answers are printed below.
1. What is the biggest issue the city faces and how do you plan to address it?
The challenges facing Kyle are many and they are all interconnected. For example, I routinely hear that our roads and sidewalks need improvement. But I also hear frustration over high taxes. Obviously, tax relief and infrastructure spending sit in stark contrast to each other. You can’t address one without straining the other. And that’s what I love about serving on the city council. We are asked to manage the budget in such a way that we provide meaningful headway on both objectives. I want to give my time and energy finding creative ways to invest in our city while relieving the taxpayers as much as humanly possible.
2. What do you bring to the table that your opponents don’t?
The mayor should be a leader both in the community and among the council. He or she should be the most informed member of the dais. Of my opponents, I am the only one who currently serves on the council. There will be no “break in” period because I am up to speed on the issues facing our city, and I am actively working to bring new items before council in the coming months.
3. Do you think Kyle is a fiscally responsible city?
In 2015, when I decided to run for council, the city had approximately $98,000,000 in debt as well as the unfortunate title of the highest municipal tax rate in Hays County. Since my election, we have reduced our debts to $85,000,000 and lowered our property tax rate by over 7%. We have also had a budget surplus in both years I have served while receiving the highest award available for excellence in accounting from the Government Finance Officers Association.
4. What are your thoughts on the current state of Kyle roads?
Kyle roads are improving, but there is work to be done. The challenge with any growing city is what to do with annexed county roads not designed for city traffic. Unfortunately, the city did not do well to maintain some of those roads in the late 90s and early 2000s. Now, instead of maintenance, we are forced to consider complete road reconstruction. But we are making headway. The 2013 road bond projects are finally being completed and we have simultaneously increased our road maintenance budget to help increase the lifespan of our good roads.
5. Is Kyle managing its growth responsibility?
I believe Kyle has turned the corner in terms of growth management. For too long Kyle allowed developers to build sprawling tract-house developments where they wanted and when they wanted because “that’s what sells.” No longer. We are now asking developers to pay their fair share and diversify their product type with respect to architecture and affordability. Furthermore, Kyle is in great shape with our plans for sourcing water and handling wastewater, which is something we haven’t always been able to say.
6. Does Kyle have a diverse housing market? If not, how can that be fixed?
Kyle has not cultivated a diverse housing market because for decades developers in Kyle only wanted to build one thing – inexpensive densely populated single family detached homes. To address this problem, the council recently changed its ordinances to reflect a commitment to smart, sustainable growth. One of those changes is called the “Style Guide” which lays out how development proposals must demonstrate a commitment to the long-term resiliency of our housing market.
7. What are types of industry should Kyle focus on bringing to town?
The Kyle Economic Development Department is focused on three specific sectors for recruiting and incentivizing commerce – class A office/flex space, high tech manufacturing, and medical services. In many ways, Kyle’s medical district is the jewel of Hays County. With new interest coming to our region daily, we must maintain that edge. We have also been working with developers to build spec projects for office space because I’ve learned that businesses aren’t necessarily interested in building from scratch. They can’t wait that long and won’t locate somewhere unless there is a building on the ground. We need to keep these projects going.
8. Does Kyle have a problem with its utility billing system?
As I type this, our billing department is undergoing a major system upgrade. The new system promises to allow for our departments to integrate with each other faster so that we can send out invoices faster. One problem I recently pointed out was that our utility billing cycle is 33 days in the hottest month. That creates an imbalance because water rates are tiered based on use, meaning water usage on day 33 is billed at a higher rate. I have asked staff to change the billing dates so that longer cycles are in the winter, not summer.
9. What was your favorite TV show growing up?
I was a big fan of “Saved by the Bell” and have that show pretty much memorized.
