AUGUST 14, 2019 Ha 201 ys 9 P Co rop un e ty rty Di Em Tax str er ict gen Rate No cy s in . 9 Se rv ice s
Th vic is no t rat es D ice c i e Th is t stric once h co is ye e ac t No. rns 2 mp ar ’ tua 0 9 tax are s e l r . It 19 p In rate pro ffect ate th prese rope i ba each the t perti ve ta e tax nts i rty ta e s a n Th e (th case xing s tax x rate ing u form x rat e er e t ate tota hese unit ed in wou nit u ation s for La s sa lv c l st alu rates an s both d im ed to abou Hays re ye e g y e a ive ar of re f t be ear pose dete t thr Cou ’s n s f t pe axa oun ore . Th the rmi ee ta nty La tax r r$ n d s s 10 ble p by taxp is ye ame e pr x rat Eme La t ye ate: a o 0 o ro d rg e a st y ar ’ f p per ividi yers r ’s r total perty s. L enc La s y as rop ty) ng can oll ta t st y ear ’ ope b ert wit the La a xes axe t y Ser s ea s d rat yv ha s Th tot tart t ck ta as l s las ear’s La t ye r ’s t ebt t ing t a d a a x a t is y t l s j l x a a o u st y r ’ tal xes axe e. ustm am rol rate t ye year ax ea s s e o a . t lb i ar ’ ax tax r’s en ts a unt o ack s the r if y s to ba es La effec s r f ta pro hig ou tal se st y tiv eq tax ( uir xes b cedu hest ÷ after ear ’ e ta rat ed r y Th e su s ad x ra by the es. $2 ju te sta tax ( is y bt ,60 te = after ear ’ ractin sted : $ 9 0 law Th s , $ 2 .00 957. is y subt adju g tax taxes . 78 Th ear ract ste es (M $ 4 ,609 is y ’s e ing d ta on , ax lo ea x $ 0 ,347 957. im ffe va r’s um cti lue base st pr .06 ,55 78 ve op ro 00 2,2 rat ert llb tax of ne /$1 73 eu La y) ac 00 .00 rat w p nle s kt e rop (af t ye ss ax a $2 un ert ra an ter su r ’s a i , y t 6 te: ) d pu 08 bli tax adj btrac djust ,53 u $4 she 1.3 jus incr sting ting ed op sn 6 $0 ,711 e oti .05 ,50 he tice m men for taxes erati ces alt 6,2 53 h c and t fina any t on l ng ta an / 8 $ ÷ 1 o r x dh are ate nc an 00 1.00 st p es Th i , s o n e f a lds r g = xp e Th is ye en nd/o , sta rred oper he a dit r e t t ari x 1 is ye r ’s a ure nh e cri func y ng a + s) anc min tion s.) Th .08 = r ’s e djust ed al , = i e f Sta s t f d h i e nd Th ye i ige is y ar ’ s yea ctive tax b If H tem sd nt a en r o e ’ s s a a p e to to ys r ’s ebt e m t tot rat axim ratin tax he e Cou f Inc e al $2 um g ra es ffec nty rea rol ,60 by op te E s t lba Sc 8,5 era $7 ive r mer e/De ck he tin 9 a 31 g $4 rat Th du ,88 te en cre g .36 o e c , a e l r 7 2 ate $0 11 .38 f $0 y S se the fol e A , . e l – 0 .05 rv $0 553 506. de end owin Un i 5 c . 2 3 p es bt 05 e /$1 81 $ D ob of th g est ncu 9 e 0 .00 0 8 r$ i 0 lig m e i 10 stric $0 .00 /$10 0 ati fisc mate ber t 0, .05 0 on tax No. 98 . al ye d ba ed F Ty e 9 / l a u $ a s r . T nce nd 10 wo ado Ge pe of 0 he uld pts se s wi Bala ne inc a 2 ral Prop ba ll b nc lan rea 019 e e ert ces left s se tax yT c i are n t om ra ax no he pa te e Fu red qu t e uni nd nc to al um t’s pr 20 be ope 18 red by rty ta xa a co Ba rre ccou l a spo nts $9 nc 00 e nd a ,00 ing t 0.0 0
TAKE NOTICE
Local municipalities advertise information regarding tax rates.
– Pages 2-5
75¢
CLOD DEBUT
Kyle native debuts his first short film about farm life.
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Hays Free Press © Barton Publications, Inc.
Vol. 124 • No. 20
HaysFreePress.com
Serving Buda, Kyle and Northeast Hays County, TX
Landowner wins $230K Kinder Morgan settlement BY MOSES LEOS III
From the moment he purchased 53 acres of property in Blanco County two years ago, Matt Walsh knew that’s where he wanted to build his dream home. Those dreams quickly turned into a nightmare
when Walsh fought Kinder Morgan’s attempt to carve part of its 420-mile Permian Highway Pipeline (PHP) through his property. It was one of the first condemnation hearings involving the PHP in the Hill Country, a project that could impact Blanco, Hays and Caldwell counties.
While Walsh eventually won a $233,500 settlement Aug. 6 allowing Kinder Morgan to use the land – 11 times more than the firm’s initial appraisal – he is now looking to chase his dreams elsewhere. All the while, Walsh remains frustrated with Kinder Morgan, with whom he
felt lacked transparency in the process. However, Alan Fore, Kinder Morgan Vice President of Public Affairs, refuted claims of a lack of transparency, adding the company plans to appeal the settlement.
“It was so unrealistic on how they (Kinder Morgan) determined compensation and they don’t take into account how many trees you lose, or a creek that might be destroyed or dealing with construction for two years.”
LANDOWNER SETTLEMENT, 2
–Matt Walsh, land owner in Blanco County
Buda says bye to 2019 Budafest
County spends $1.5M to outsource inmates
BY MOSES LEOS III
BYE TO BUDAFEST, 4
BY EXSAR ARGUELLO
Kutz for Kids
PHOTO BY MOSES LEOS III
Area barber Matt Hernandez (left) makes sure he keeps a steady hand as he trims the hair of Jacob Priest during Sunday’s Kutz for Kids event at the Pete Krug Activity Center in Kyle. Read more about the event on Page 8.
The continued practice of outsourcing Hays County inmates to nearby counties will continue even as the county so far has spent $1.5 million this year alone. Approved by the Hays County Commissioners Court on Aug. 6 in a 4-0 vote, a new agreement will now outsource prisoners to neighboring Travis County. Currently, Hays County houses inmates in Bastrop, Bell, Burnett, Caldwell, Fort Bend, Guadalupe, McLennan and Walker counties.
INMATE OUTSOURCING, 4
Art center coming to old city hall BY MOSES LEOS III
A fine arts-focused activity center could be coming to downtown Buda after elected leaders gave the green light for a group’s proposal to reuse its old city hall facility. By a 6-0 Aug. 6 vote, the Buda City Council approved a proposal from Inspired Minds Art Center, a Buda-area group, in collaboration with the Hill Country Theater, to turn the vacant building into an art center and community theater. Officials with Inspired Minds (IM) hope to get the center up and running by early 2020, pending approval of an agreement with Buda city staff. Micah Grau, Buda deputy city manager, said Inspired Minds expects to spend $63,500 to remodel and renovate the interior of the old city hall building for its use. Officials with IM plan to incorporate three art classrooms, an art gallery, as well as leasing a community theater to Hill County Theater in what was once used as the city council chambers. On the opposite side, IM is asking Buda to
Inspired Minds plans to incorporate three art classrooms, an art gallery, as well as leasing a community theater to Hill County Theater in what was once used as the city council chambers. maintain heating ventilation and air condition (HVAC) units and landscape on the exterior, which could be negotiated at a later date. Grau said IM’s plan had ties to both the city’s Downtown Master Plan and 2030 Com-
FARMERS MARKETS
Local area farmers markets help generate $3.3 million in sales.
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Kyle looks into small scale emergency plans BY KATIE BURRELL
INDEX
Silver and gold will be replaced with reflective orange in Buda this holiday season. Interference caused by impending construction on Main Street forced Buda city leaders Tuesday to pull the plug on Budafest celebration for 2019. That move was made via a 4-1 decision from the Buda City Council with council member Evan Ture dissenting. City leaders and officials now hope the 16-plus month delay leads to a bigger and brighter 40th Budafest in 2020. Lysa Gonzalez, Buda tourism director, said staff recommended cancelling Budafest due to the amount of construction that will be taking place around downtown during the first week of December, which is time the event is usually held. Work includes fixes on north Main Street from Cabela’s Drive to Railroad Street, which should be completed by June 2020, as well as improvements to the Main Street and FM 967 intersection. Buda is also in the midst of improving City Park, which will not be completed until spring 2020. In April, Buda’s Tourism Department and city staff began the search for alternative sites for the festival. Some potential sites included Stagecoach Park, areas near Cabela’s, Buda
prehensive Plan and could have an economic impact to the area. Roughly 720 students each week are expected to go to the facility. A second proposal, offered by Austin Angels, an area nonprofit assisting those in the
foster care system, called for Buda to pay $100,000 to remodel the interior, but did not have ties to any city plan or the ability to bring in revenue or tourists. Sinead Whiteside, co-owner of IM, said the facility is expected to be an anchor for culture in the downtown sector and could help Buda become a destination city. The center could also be a hub for artists who often don’t
Kyle city leaders could be looking into working with first responders to develop short-term action plans for small-scale emergencies following a handful of minor incidents this summer. On Aug. 3, Kyle City Council member Alex Villalobos announced an initiative to develop action plans. The move comes on the heels of a July 2 gas leak and the July 4 fireworks malfunction. Currently, the city uses Hays County’s emergency plan to handle a natural disaster or mass emergency incident. However, first responders have no official manual for smaller-scale, but equally dangerous events. Villalobos was concerned about response times and organization in regard to emergencies and
BUDA ARTS CENTER, 5
EMERGENCY PLANS, 11
News………… 2, 4, 5, 12 School………………… 6 Community………… 7, 8 Business……………… 9
Classifieds…………… 10 Service Directory…… 11 Public Notices…… 10, 12