Mayor Todd Webster said today the passage Tuesday of the proposition to create an Emergency Service District 9 in Hays County relieves Kyle of EMS costs that have ballooned fourfold in just two years and that future city councils "may have an opportunity to reduce taxes and/or improve services in other departments with the resources that have been freed up."
The mayor also said the high turnout for Buda’s municipal elections justified the actions the city took earlier this year in amending its charter to move council/mayor elections from May to November while also warning the move "does increase the burden on candidates by increasing the amount of effort it will take to get elected."
Mayor Webster’s statements came in response to my seeking the reaction from Kyle’s elected officials on the direct ramifications of Tuesday’s election results in Hays County on residents of Kyle.
Both Webster and council member Travis Mitchell cited the improvements the passage of the second of the two Hays County bond propositions will mean for Dacy Road with the mayor saying that this "North/South thoroughfare on the East side of Kyle will improve mobility, address an insufficient road that is near three schools and create additional opportunity for commercial development."
I asked Kyle’s political leaders specifically what effects the passage of the bond propositions and the ESD had on Kyle residents and whether they thought the 70 percent turnout in Buda’s city council elections Tuesday not only justified Kyle’s decision to move its elections but also silenced, at least somewhat, the fear that too many voters in a bipartisan election would cast a straight-ticket vote and then not bother to vote in the city elections found much further down the ballot.
Here, unedited, are their replies, first from Mayor Webster:
"Regarding the Bond Proposals and ESD 9, I supported both bond proposals and ESD 9 and am pleased that the voters approved them. Proposition 1, which was the more controversial of the two bond proposals is going to benefit the City of Kyle by creating a joint operations center for 9-1-1 dispatching. Kyle's existing 9-1-1 dispatch operations are housed in a building that has inadequate space and is in less than ideal condition. Co-locating dispatch services provides an opportunity for both Hays County and the City of Kyle to more effectively collaborate, improving the quality of service that is being provided. The opportunity to be more efficient and share resources at the new facility should improve public safety and lower costs over time. Eliminating the need for Kyle to build a new facility to house our 9-1-1 dispatch department will also allow Kyle to avoid a future debt issuance that likely would have been needed in the near future.
"Proposition 2 will rebuild and expand parts of Dacy Lane to the north into Buda. Creating a North/South thoroughfare on the east side of Kyle will improve mobility, address an insufficient road that is near three schools and create additional opportunity for commercial development. Additionally, proposition 2 included partial funding for an important effort that Kyle has been spearheading to relocate the Union Pacific Rail Road siding that is the cause of FM 150/Center Street being blocked by stopped trains. While far from a sure thing, a successful effort to move the siding elsewhere on the track would improve emergency response times, reduce traffic backups and eliminate a situation that frustrates a large number of Kyle residents on a daily basis.
"The creation of ESD 9 will allow us to retain stable and high quality ambulance service in the city. Because of skyrocketing costs, the city's budget for EMS has grown from approximately $350,000 two years ago to an anticipated $1.4 million next year. If ESD 9 had not passed, the city would have had no choice but to look at other options for EMS, including contracting with commercial ambulance services. With the creation of the ESD, an expense that was increasingly driving the city's tax rate will no longer be carried in the city's budget. Future city leaders will not be faced with prospect of having to raise taxes to cover EMS service and may have an opportunity to reduce taxes and/or improve services in other departments with the resources that have been freed up.
"Regarding the November Election and turnout, the decision to move elections to November was motivated by a desire to improve turnout in city elections. My understanding is that the number of voters casting ballots in city elections in Buda has steadily increased once they moved to November. There are valid concerns about straight ticket voters not being able to cast ballots in non-partisan elections such as municipal elections. Our turnout in municipal elections has been so low that something needed to be done to increase participation. I believe that we will see increasing turnout and less under voting resulting from straight tickets ballots and that it will improve over time. Moving elections to November does increase the burden on candidates by increasing the amount of effort it will take to get elected. Candidates will have to communicate with more voters and through multiple means to get elected. In doing so, when a candidate does get elected, they will have a more thorough sense of the community and its expectations. Bringing that perspective into the city's decision-making will only serve to improve how we prioritize resources and plan for the future."
Here’s what council member Mitchell had to say:
"Leading up to the elections, several people asked my opinion of the bonds and ESD 9. I’ll tell you what I told them. I am grateful for the work that will be accomplished through their passage, and I simultaneously worry about the county’s growing debts. This is a classic risk/reward scenario where the risk is debt and the reward is better infrastructure for the future.
I voted for the bonds and the new ESD. I am grateful they passed because the City of Kyle will get several benefits. The Dacy Lane expansion will come alongside Kyle’s 2013 road bonds and further improve East Kyle roads. The UP railroad siding relocation will remove a 30-year burr from the saddle of our downtown. ESD 9 will ensure that those who need EMS service are getting it and paying for it through a dedicated and appropriate means.
"That said, I did not stump for the bonds or publically support them because I respect those who are concerned about our county debt. With the passage of Prop 1 and 2, Hays County will carry the highest debt per capita in Texas. We are also the fastest growing county in Texas, so the debt is not unreasonable or unjustified. It’s just risky. Of course, not investing in our infrastructure while simultaneously growing can be seen as impetuous. Whatever your perspective, the people needed to decide for themselves and I’m grateful for their optimistic view of the future.
As to moving Kyle elections to November, I view it simply as follows: the higher percentage of voters, the better chance for democracy. Also, the fewer elections in a calendar year, the less likelihood of voter fatigue. There is some risk of partisan politicking, but a straight ticket ballot will undervote city elections. Thus, to vote for a council candidate you will have to do it the old fashioned way — by selecting that person’s name.
"And let’s be honest. If a council candidate wants to play the partisan card, he or she may do so in May just as easily as November."
And, finally, this from council member David Wilson:
"I am happy with the Buda election’s 70 percent participation, but we must understand this is a Presidential election year. I expected when I made the motion to move our city elections to November that we would have greater participation. I am happy the voters agreed when they approved the charter amendments. I sincerely believe the voters will not get caught up in partisan issues but will focus on what is best for Kyle as city council positions are non-partisan by charter."
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