Sept. 7, 2016 Hays Free Press

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SEPTEMBER 7, 2016 MOTO-X

PFLUGER

Participants, spectators get revved up at Kyle motorcycle festival.

Elementary school namesake remembers district origins.

– Page 1C

– Page 4B

Hays Free Press ©Barton Publications, Inc.

Vol. 120 • No. 24

HaysFreePress.com

Kyle budgets for swift water boat

Serving Buda, Kyle and Northeast Hays County, TX • 75¢

Lower property taxes may be coming

New municipal building being built in Buda

STAFF REPORT

BY RAFAEL MARQUEZ

news@haysfreepress.com

RESCUE BOAT, 4A

Will Kyle tax vote mean 5% hike? BY RAFAEL MARQUEZ

news@haysfreepress.com

The Kyle City Council Tuesday approved the city’s Fiscal Year 2017 $81.4 million budget by a vote of 6-1. The lone vote against the new budget came from councilwoman Daphne Tenorio. The council unanimously passed the new ad valorem tax rate for the new fiscal year at $0.5748 per $100 of assessed value.

BUDGET APPROVED, 2A

PHOTO BY MOSES LEOS III

Buda city officials, including (left to right) council member David Nuckels, City Manager Kenneth Williams, Mayor Todd Ruge, council member Wiley Hopkins and council member Angela Kennedy share a smile as they broke ground on the city’s new 54,683 square foot municipal facility and public safety building on North Main Street. The facility will house a new city hall, library and a public safety building for the police department. All facilities are part of the city’s $55 million bond initiative approved by voters in November 2014. The facility is projected to completion in Spring 2018.

20% more for Buda

Buda council considers budget increase for police training “It’s either spending the money to get it (training) right or spending the money on liability issues.”

BY SAMANTHA SMITH

news@haysfreepress.com

A 20 percent increase in the amount budgeted for Buda Police Department officer training could be a part of the city’s $87 million budget for the next fiscal year, if approved by city officials. The increase was presented to the Buda City Council during a special presentation by City Manager Kenneth Williams Aug. 30 at a special called meeting on the city’s upcoming budget. Buda Chief of Police Bo Kidd said the department’s budget for training in fiscal year 2016-2017 is a little over $16,000. Almost half of that amount consists of state-mandated continuing training for all officers. Buda Police spent just under $13,000 for officer training in 2016 out of a total departmental budget of $1.59

–Bo Kidd, Buda chief of police

million. The department’s total proposed budget for fiscal year 2017 is $1.89 million Kidd said “training is essential” due to the liability involved in police work. “It’s either spending the money to get it (training) right or spending the money on liability issues,” Kidd said. Some of the state mandated training courses include how to handle identity theft, use-of-force training, K-9, accident reconstruction, homicide and forensic training, among others. The length of each training course varies,

Kidd said. Some training courses can last up to eight hours, with the longest training course, accident reconstruction, taking two weeks. Kidd said the accident reconstruction course takes so long because of the meticulous nature of the reconstruction itself. According to Kidd, accident reconstruction is very complex because of the delicate procedures involved, such as gathering evidence and deducing the likelihood of what could have happened based on small clues. Additional training courses that are going to be added in the new fiscal year include

driving school and leadership training on all levels. Kidd said he added the driving school training course this year because of the increased amount of officers and cars in the department’s fleet. As far as the leadership training goes, Kidd said that he thinks it’s important for all officers to have leadership training so transitioning up to higher level positions is easier. “We take care of mandated courses first, then from there, plan out what we need for the year,” Kidd said of the overall BPD training budget. According to Kidd, ongoing training for police officers is essential because academy training isn’t enough to be successful in the field. “Investing in people and training is essential to having a successful department,” Kidd said.

COMING UP

Sept. 11 Remembrance Ceremony

The San Marcos Fire Department would like to extend an invitation to you and your family 8:45 a.m. Saturday at San Marcos City Hall, 630 East Hopkins Street in rememberance of the 15th anniversary of the terrorist attack on our country. The San Marcos Fire Department Honor Guard will raise the flag that was flying over San Marcos City Hall the morning of Sept. 11, 2001. Following the flag raising will be renditions of the Pledge of Allegiance and a performance from the San Marcos Fire Department Bagpipers. Mayor Daniel Guerrero will follow with a proclamation and moment of silent reflection. Flowers will be provided to place on the 9-11 Flower Memorial.

FIESTA

Buda’s Fajita Fiesta returns for second year. – Page 1D

INDEX

A $15,000 expenditure that would go toward a swift water rescue boat for the Emergency Services District No. 5 (ESD 5), which includes the Kyle Fire Department, was allotted by Kyle city officials within the 20162017 budget earlier this month. But city’s budget item doesn’t include personnel training, which would force ESD 5 to foot the bill. ESD 5 Chief Kyle Taylor said the need for the boat is created by not knowing if another

Holy Cross Festival

Santa Cruz Catholic Church will conduct its annual Holy Cross Festival on Saturday and Sunday. The hours will be from noon to 10 p.m. on Saturday and noon to 7 p.m. on Sunday. Admission is free. Come and enjoy rides and games for the kids, food, and musical entertainment for the whole family. The church grounds are located at 1100 N. Main street in Buda.

News …………… 1-4A Opinions …………… 3A Sports …………… 1-2B Education ……… 3-4B Community …… 1-4C

Best Bets ………… 4C Business ………… 1D Service Directory..... 2-3D Classifieds ………… ...2D Public Notices …… 2-4D

A slight reduction in Hays County’s ad valorem tax rate could be forthcoming for property taxpayers in the next fiscal year. As the county’s tax rate is proposed to go down by a little over a halfcent, county officials are also proposing a $179 million budget for 20162017.

PROPERTY TAXES, 4A

Buda votes to save tree $300K to relocate heritage oak BY SAMANTHA SMITH

news@haysfreepress.com

A 250-year-old, 53-inch wide heritage oak has a new lease on life after the Buda City Council Tuesday voted to save the tree by relocating it from the footprint of the city’s new municipal facility. By a 6-1 vote, the Buda City Council voted to relocate the tree, with an amendment to relocate it to a location on-site of the new municipal facility, which has a price tag of $324,000. Council member David Nuckels cast the lone dissenting vote. Council had tabled an agenda item regarding the tree at its last city council meeting. They directed city staff to try and find a funding source to relocate the heritage oak, which would cost the city upwards of $300,000. Originally council was torn on whether to save the tree or repurpose it. After hearing from City Manager Kenneth Williams that funding could come from the general fund, in addition to fundraising and possible grant funding, council was more in favor to move the tree. Buda Mayor Todd Ruge admitted that before the agenda item was presented he was not in favor of relocating the heritage oak, but the passion of residents and council changed his mind. A couple of Buda residents were in attendance

BUDA SAVES OAK, 2A


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