Concerns raised on Wimberley pipeline
Rehab center comes to Hays
Top picks for boys, girls hoops
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News-Dispatch Volume XXXIX No. 25
Serving Western Hays County, Texas since 1982
75¢ Thursday, March 28, 2019
New bills aim to improve election process STAFF REPORT
Happy Holi! PHOTO BY MOSES LEOS III
A volunteer passes out pizza to those waiting to vote at McCormick Middle School in Buda on Nov. 6, 2018.
New bills focus on misconduct, healthcare, internet STAFF REPORT Eliminating sexual misconduct in the workplace, as well as improving access to healthcare for young people, are part of a handful of bills authored by State Rep. Erin Zwiener (D-Driftwood) All told, Zwiener, who is in her freshman year at the capitol, has either been an author or joint author to more than 70 pieces of legislation prior to a March 8 deadline. Four of those proposed bills focus on ending workplace sexual harassment and improving the collection of sexual assault data. According to a statement, the bills present the “opportunity to create a shift in the workplace norms” and improve tracking sexual assaults and prosecution. “Many reports to law enforcement aren’t adequately investigated, and many cases do not make it to prosecution,” Zwiener said in a statement. “By compiling data by jurisdiction, we can determine where additional training for law enforcement officers and prosecutors is needed.” House Bill (HB) 2278 could increase the window of a sexual harassment claim from the current 180 days to two years, while HB 2279 could allow the Texas Workforce Commission to accept those
A handful of proposed bills aimed at improving elections across the entire state, as well as access to ballots, could soon be up for debate by state legislators. One of those pieces of legislation, House Bill (HB) 2276 authored by State Rep. Erin Zwiener (D-Driftwood), is in direct reaction to early voting difficulties experienced at
“Extending the window so people don’t have to reapply every year is a common sense fix.” –State Rep. Erin Zwiener (D-Driftwood)
a handful of polling sites in Hays County. HB 2276 allows entities to make changes to public notices to accommodate additional polling place locations, dates and hours
after the early voting period has begun. The idea of the bill came after Hays County leaders were forced to add early voting days at three polling sites, including one at Texas
State University, during the 2018 midterm election. A higher-than-expected turnout, mixed with limited days and times for early voting at several sites, led to long lines and allegations of voter suppression. The Hays Free Press reported just over 1,900 of the 4,100 registered voters in Pct. 334, which includes Texas State University and the surrounding area,
ELECTIONS, 6
Pound Town?
Dripping Springs locals seek town name change BY MOSES LEOS III Love it or hate it, few have been able to avoid an idea crafted by two Dripping Springs’ natives that’s gone from coast-to-coast and perhaps even a latenight talk show or two. Whether or not the attempt to change Dripping Springs to Pound Town comes to fruition, or is entirely serious, both Daniel McCarthy and Micah Archer enjoy bringing the national stage, and perhaps a discussion, to their small Central Texas town. “We enjoy the response to it,” McCarthy said. “I guess we were being a little controversial. Anytime you try to change the town name of 160-something years, people are going to have some qualms about it.” The idea behind the
POUND TOWN, 6 PHOTOS BY MOSES LEOS III
Texas 7th in nation for property tax payments
Bright colors and smiles were aplenty Saturday as hundreds took to the Radha Madhav Dham Hindu temple near the Hays and Travis county line to celebrate Holi, the festival of color and love. The annual celebration brings visitors to the temple from all over.
BY EXSAR ARGUELLO
BILLS, 2
Potential state bill causes hold on short-term rental regulations As more tourists book short-term rentals, city and state officials are looking at regulating the industry. Wimberley’s STR Committee was created in 2018 to study how to best manage the balance between STR and the city’s large lodging hospitality industry.
BY EXSAR ARGUELLO After what appeared to be steady progress to further regulate Wimberley’s lodging industry, an abrupt recommendation to delay further action on the ordinance change leaves officials in limbo. At the March 14 Planning and Zoning (P&Z) Commission meeting, commissioners took no action to recommend an ordinance change that has been discussed by the STR Committee since its conception in July 2018. The decision for no
action came after City Administrator Shawn Cox and the city’s attorney pulled the reins on the proposed ordinance change, citing proposed legislation at the capital could define the future of STRs. This includes allowing General Law Type A cities such as Wimberley to further regulate STRs. “Unless this law passes, I cannot issue a permit for an STR,” Cox said. “The cleanest way to be able to do this is for the city to require a permit...and in your permit you have to meet
RENTALS, 2
It’s a reality many Hays County residents already know too well – Texans are some of the highest paying property taxpayers in the nation. A recent study conducted by WalletHub ranked Texas as the 7th highest in the nation when it came to the amount of property taxes paid by its residents. According to the study, Texans pay an average of about $2,775 in property taxes per year, which is based on the median home value of $151,000. Jill Gonzalez, analyst at WalletHub, said states that don’t have a dedicated income tax, such as Texas, must get their funds from property taxes to fund necessary things such as salaries for government employees, public schools and infrastructure. Although Texas’ property taxes are high, the median home value in Texas is lower than the national average of $193,500. But, in Hays County, as prices of homes continue to increase, so does the
TAXES, 3