By Moses Leos III Buda city leaders are contemplating a five percent pay bump in the fiscal year 2016 budget. The first in three years, the measure would increase salaries for all city staff with the exception of the city manager. Why now? “We looked at our pay scale, part of the pay versus retentio...

By Kiana Poorford It is now illegal to use any handheld device while operating a motor vehicle or bicycle within Buda city limits. The ordinance will allow for usage of such devices during a complete stop, which Police Chief Kidd defined as any time the vehicle or bicycle has ceased all motion, such...

By Paige Lambert Buda may follow suit of its northern neighbor and prohibit the use of mobile devices while driving. The ordinance was approved 5-1 on first reading Tuesday night, with council member George Haehn dissenting. Council member Angela Kennedy was not present. “A day doesn’t go by that yo...

By Moses Leos III The process of turning treated effluent into potable water through the Direct Potable Reuse (DPR) method could be on the horizon for Buda.  While a feasibility study is ongoing, Mayor Todd Ruge said he supports an idea that would make Buda only the third city in Texas to have such ...

By Moses Leos III The Buda City Council amended its permitting process after a neighborhood requested a permit to hold a Fourth of July fireworks display.  By a 7-0 vote on June 2, council green-lighted a permitting process for fireworks displays in the city’s extraterritorial jurisdiction. It’s an ...

By Jessica Breger As Buda City Council debates enacting a drainage utility fee, Mayor Todd Ruge told the 20 or so residents who attended a recent public meeting, “It’s not a money grab.” At the May 27 session, the first of two planned public meetings, HDR Inc. project manager Grady Reed told audienc...

By Moses Leos III For the third straight year, San Marcos tops the list as the fastest growing city in the country with a population of 50,000 or more.  The information, released as part of the Census Bureau’s 2014 population estimates, shows San Marcos’ population increased by 7.9 percent from last...

By Moses Leos III  Is the city of Buda trying to wipe its hands of a controversial water deal with Electro Purification (EP)?  It may appear that way to some who are watching as the city seems to be backing off its contract with EP. Mayor Todd Ruge said in a recent interview the city has been trying...

By Kim Hilsenbeck The cross-county water fight between the Wimberley/Driftwood area and Buda heated up this week as Hays County Commissioner Will Conley used his Facebook page to call out Mayor Todd Ruge in an open letter, calling the city’s testimony at the capitol Monday “a disgrace.” Buda’s Assis...

By Andy Sevilla In an unprecedented move, State Representative Jason Isaac filed a bill Thursday that removes eminent domain authority from the Goforth Water Special Utility District outside of its boundaries and service area. If approved, a private water mining project looking to extract 1.9 billio...