City of Kyle Mayor candidates discuss growth, infrastructure
There are four candidates vying for the position as mayor of the City of Kyle.
KYLE, Texas (KXAN) --- There are four candidates vying for the position as mayor of the City of Kyle.
It's a place that's listed as the third fastest growing city in the country according to the U.S. census.
The current mayor is challenged by a current city council member, a former city council member and a retired engineer.
On the ballot are:
- Yvonne Flores-Cale
- Travis Mitchell
- Robert Ferguson
- Linda Tenorio
Dealing with growth
In a place that's expanding so fast, keeping up with infrastructure is top of mind for the candidates.
Current Kyle Mayor Travis Mitchell said he'd prioritize road projects.
"My third and final term is all about completing the infrastructure projects that we have on our books," Mitchell said. "We just passed a historic $294 million roads bond. It's important that the people who put that project together, see it through to completion."
While others like retired engineer, Robert Ferguson, want to slow down the growth.
"I would try to minimize the number of building permits that were issued, or delay them or stretch out the time where the build cycles go on," Ferguson said. "So that we would have sufficient water and infrastructure to be able to handle it."
Both current Kyle City Council Member Yvonne Flores-Cale and former Kyle City Council Member Linda Tenorio mentioned they'd be in favor of a development moratorium.
"I think we need to really allow our city the opportunity to catch up and make a solid plan of what our future is going to look like," Flores-Cale said. "Whether that be for permitting or the water or developments."
Tenorio said she'd like to see things slow down a bit.
"It cannot stay like this. It's hard on the people that live here forever," Tenorio said. "How can we supply water if we have all these new neighborhoods?"
Top priorities
When it comes to priorities, candidates ranged in their answers.
Mitchell discussed focusing on 12 to 15 road projects, along with other initiatives.
"Complete the road projects from the 2022 bond, construct the Hays County City of Kyle partnership Regional Sportsplex and fulfill our responsibility to expand our water system that is coming online next year," Mitchell said.
Tenorio mentioned she'd like to focus on affordability and cost of living for residents.
"We can work on property taxes. I would like the families to live here to be affordable and pleasant," Tenorio said. "Where they don't have to move because the mortgage has gone up."
Flores-Cale said she'd like to see more recreational centers, including a YMCA. She also discussed the need to balance resources across the city.
"I don't want to get to the point where we over developed one side, and we under development another," she said. "Maybe having a report that says this is where we're at as a city, you know, this is what we have over here. This is what we need over here."
Ferguson said he's prioritizing water infrastrucure.
"We need more resources of our water. We need to restrict our water usage," Ferguson said. "I would say it's better to have xeriscaping and maybe the city could contribute to the people in the community. We'll reduce the cost of doing this type of landscaping to cut down on our water usage."
Another priority of Ferguson's is creating a community center that would have a new library, physical fitness center and senior center.
Ultimately, the future of this race and the city is in the hands of voters.
The race for mayor is not the only position up for a vote. There are also two city council member seats on the ballot as well.