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September 3, 2026 Volume 61 l Number 153
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The Voice of Seguin
Budget approved: Guadalupe County Commissioners find common ground after marathon budget process
WEEKEND EDITION
TODAY
Guadalupe County dips into reserves to fund needs, reduces proposed tax increase
Cindy Aguirre-Herrera
Cindy Aguirre-Herrera
(Seguin) -- After nearly 12 hours of discussion, debate, budget adjustments and only two 10 minute breaks throughout, the Guadalupe County Commissioners Court on Tuesday unanimously approved its budget for the 20262027 fiscal year. The budget process is also being described as one of the most challenging ever faced by the court. That’s according to Guadalupe County Judge Kyle Kutscher. Kutscher says the final spending plan looks considerably different in some areas than the initial proposed one brought forth by commissioners --with the court ultimately finding room for additional public safety resources, employee compensation adjustments and other departmental needs. Kutscher, who is completing his final budget process as county judge, says the most significant takeaway was not any single line item, but the willingness of commissioners to move away from their initial positions and find compromises. Budget, pg. 2
(Seguin) – While it wrangled the various line items of its budget for the 2026-2027 fiscal year, the Guadalupe County Commissioners Court not only took a dip into reserves to fund needs, but it also reduced its proposed tax increase. That is according to Guadalupe County Judge Kyle Kutscher who is helping to break down the numbers. He says the number crunching came after nearly 12 hours of budget discussions in which commissioners revisited spending requests, moved money between existing budget lines, removed a planned $2 million capital allocation and ultimately agreed to use fund balance and reserves. He says the end result is a budget that provides more flexibility for several county departments while reducing the proposed tax increase from 5.65 percent to 4 percent. Kutscher says he was reluctant throughout much of the process to use reserves because of the county’s long-term financial position. Reserves, pg. 3
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Budget, continued. “This budget process proved to be one of the most difficult we’d ever seen,” said Kutscher. “Previously, I think commissioners court members, including myself, had pretty strong opinions on not pulling money out of reserves and being very careful and conservative, really having that based in the concern for the future financial position of the county and all those issues that could potentially happen.” But as commissioners worked through the requests brought forward by county departments, Kutscher says he was proud of the discussions. “When we went through further discussions, had a lot of good interaction with the court talking through all the needs, trying to balance everything, I think a majority, and ultimately at the end, the entire commissioners court felt like that was a solution to address some of the specific needs our departments are saying to be able to respond to the public, but also try to reduce the amount of tax liability or increase to the taxpayers,” said Kutscher. Overall, Kutscher says he believes the court ultimately placed a heavy emphasis on public safety. Among the changes approved were three additional patrol deputies for the Guadalupe County Sheriff ’s Office, additional firefighters for Guadalupe County Fire Rescue, emergency funding for volunteer fire departments, additional resources for the county’s four constable offices and the fire marshal’s office, as well as adjustments within
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Environmental Health, which is dealing with increased development throughout the county. Kutscher like other county officials say many of those requests had remained uncertain throughout the budget process. “A lot of these things were very uncertain throughout our budget process if we were going to be able to address them,” said Kutscher. “But ultimately the court decided that these are the most important issues surrounding our citizens and the people we serve and that public safety needs to be the focus and priority, and that’s the decision that was made.” More importantly, he says commissioners also worked to address some departmental needs without simply adding new spending. “When we got down to the final stages of making budget decisions, we were trying to, like any budget process, limit spending as much as possible while also addressing some of the issues,” said Kutsche. “We looked at a tremendous amount of line items, spent so many hours looking through everything, but also took parttime positions, made that full-time, moved from other expense lines to try to, again, limit that amount of increase, just trying to find any way to address the issues our departments are seeing so they can better serve the public.” Employee compensation was another area where commissioners made changes. Budget, pg. 4
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Reserves, continued. “The court ultimately decided to use some of the fund balance and reserves to address some of the public safetyrelated items within the budget, some of the positions we’ve talked about,” said Kutscher. “That was a total of about $2.15 million.” Those expenditures include three additional patrol deputies for the Guadalupe County Sheriff ’s Office, additional firefighters for Guadalupe County Fire Rescue, emergency funding for volunteer fire departments and additional resources for the county’s four constable offices and fire marshal’s office, along with other departmental adjustments. At the same time, he says commissioners removed a $2 million allocation that had been included in the general fund for a future building purchase. He says that change helped offset much of the additional spending approved during Tuesday’s meeting. “Ultimately removing the $2 million out of the fund balance for the building purchase helps offset that allocation of the $2.15 million that we use to add the additional changes,” said Kutscher. The proposed tax rate adopted earlier in the budget process was $0.3549 per $100 of taxable value, representing a 5.65 percent increase. Commissioners voted Tuesday to use approximately $1.145 million in fund balance to lower that rate to $0.3493, which represents a 4 percent overall increase in the proposed number. Kutscher says despite the action, it should be noted that it did not eliminate the tax increase. He says the “distinction is important because commissioners did not reduce the tax rate below the county’s current rate. Instead, they reduced the size of the increase that had been proposed.” Kutscher says the court’s reasoning for using approximately $1.145 million in reserves to lower the tax increase was tied in part to how much money typically remains unspent by county departments at the end of a budget year. “We were talking about that going with unspent funds,” said Kutscher. “We’ll typically see about $1 million to $1.5 million return from departments. You’ve got $100 million total budget, 1 percent to 1.5 percent across the board typically go unspent.” He says those dollars do not necessarily represent money that departments failed to need. “Sometimes you have projects earmarked and those funds are used already, and sometimes that comes into fund balance, and that’s part of what you see in those reserves,” said Kutscher. “So the court kind of offset that, I think, in that discussion going, ‘Look, let’s use that to decrease the tax rate increase,’ knowing there’s a very good chance we’re going to see that $1 million or $1.1 or $1.2 come back,” said Kutscher. Still, the use of reserves was not a decision Kutscher says he took lightly. Throughout the budget process, he had repeatedly warned commissioners about the importance of protecting the county’s financial position and avoiding
the temptation to treat reserves as an unlimited source of money. “I feel like I had to be the gatekeeper for so many years and even in this process about reserves because it’s easy to dip into that bucket,” said Kutscher. “But if you just, if it’s easy, people will want to continue to do that.” Kutscher says he struggled with crossing that threshold during his final budget process, but ultimately believed the circumstances warranted a limited use of reserves. “It was hard for me to cross that threshold to do something I really didn’t want to do,” said Kutscher. “But at the same time, I felt like there was enough caution in the conversation that people knew how serious it was, that it created a different conversation as opposed to, ‘Oh, there’s just a pot of money there we don’t think we’re ever going to need. Let’s go do this.’” Respnsible for the financial pressure facing the county was a major factor throughout the budget process. The county’s taxable property value fell from approximately $21.98 billion in 2025 to about $20.90 billion in 2026. New property added to the tax roll also declined, from approximately $921.5 million last year to about $864.2 million this year. Kutscher from the very beginning described the county’s financial environment as one of the most challenging it has faced in recent years, citing slowing revenue growth, declining taxable values, additional stateauthorized exemptions and increasing costs for mandated services. Meanwhile, Kutscher says the decisions made Tuesday should not be viewed as an indication that the county has unlimited financial flexibility. “None of us have to stick around. We’re trying to do the right thing. And the last thing I want to do, even though, especially since I’m not going to be there, is to leave a problem,” said Kutscher. Again, the final tax rate for Guadalupe County is $0.3493 per $100 of property valuation. This represents a 4 percent increase and an overall decrease from the original proposed tax rate.
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Budget, continued. The budget already included a 3 percent cost-of-living adjustment for county employees. However, during Tuesday’s deliberations, commissioners also added $1,000 in longevity pay. Kutscher explained that the originally recommended budget had contained a $2,000 longevity payment but no COLA. That proposal was changed during the process to include the 3 percent COLA, and commissioners ultimately added $1,000 in longevity pay on top of it. The court also approved individual salary adjustments in some departments by reallocating existing funds. Kutscher cited Environmental Health and the County Attorney’s Office as examples where vacancies or existing funding could be used to address employees who had taken on additional responsibilities. “There are so many needs across all the county departments. Of course, in a tight year like this, we could not address so many of them,” said Kutscher. “But I think the court did an overall really, really good job of trying to go through and pick some of the most important and address most of the things that we needed to.” The court also revisited salary grievances filed by three elected officials seeking additional compensation. Despite a salary grievance committee recommending the requests be considered just the day before, commissioners ultimately voted not to increase those positions. Kutscher says the decision was not a rejection of the grievance process. “Had a very good salary grievance committee hearing. Definitely respect those individuals who took time out to come listen to those concerns, and appreciate that,” said Kutscher. “But after more discussion, I believe the majority of the court felt like, even though they followed the process, you have 20 other elected officials not receiving a raise and it creates discrepancies.” He also pointed to the county’s four justices of the peace and four constables, who currently receive the same base salary within their respective offices, as examples of the disparities that could be created by approving an
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increase for only one position. Ultimately, Kutscher says, the budget process demonstrated the value of commissioners being willing to challenge one another. “From my perspective, this absolutely was the hardest budget we’ve ever had to go through and work through to try to find answers and make decisions,” said Kutscher. “Of course, not completely happy with every decision that was made, but at the end of this process, I feel very encouraged that people were willing to talk and work together and spend a lot of time going through the details and ultimately compromising to try to do what’s best for everybody.” He says that kind of cooperation is what the process is supposed to produce, even if it does not always happen easily. “I mean, I’m absolutely grateful for commissioners, for the department heads, all the county employees that work really hard, and ultimately the taxpayers, who we represent,” said Kutscher. “It was a process. It was not smooth. I think it’s a budget that really nobody wanted initially because of how strapped we were for revenue and funds, but to see the whole process play out where everybody came together to do what we all thought was best for the public, I think it was a very successful process at the end of the day.” Kutscher acknowledged that commissioners were pushed outside their comfort zones during the marathon meeting, particularly when it came to using some of the county’s reserves. “It’s good to get people out of the comfort zone to try to, like you said, find an answer when there’s no easy one,” he said. “I think that’s a lot of what happened yesterday too.” It should be noted that at least 12 if not more members of the public attended the public hearing to voice their position regarding the budget process. It should also be said that a majority of them were on hand to support the Guadalupe County Sheriff ’s Office and area fire departments who were seeking additional funding. Tuesday’s meeting, which began at 10 a.m., ended with the court voting unanimously for the budget --12 hours later -- at 10 p.m.
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10 VITAL STATISTICS
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SANCHEZ
Sylvia Cisneros Sanchez was called Home to the Lord on August 26, 2026 at the age of 58. She was born on April 26, 1968 in Lockney, Texas. The family will receive condolences on Tuesday, September 1, 2026 at Palmer Mortuary and Cremations from 9 A.M to 10 A.M. The recitation of
TIJERINA
Teresa Ann Landry Tijerina, age 65 of Seguin, passed away on August 30, 2026. Teresa was born on June 25, 1961, in El Paso, Texas to Dedia Marie (Le Blanc) and Floyd Joseph Landry. Teresa is preceded in death by her loving husband of 36 years, Danny Tijerina, her daughter, Amanda Margarita Tijerina, her parents, and her brothers, Allen Landry and Jesse Landry. Survivors include her children, Aimee TijerinaLara and husband Jeanko, and Daniel Aaron
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the Holy Rosary will begin at 10 A.M. Graveside service will follow at Our Lady of Guadalupe Catholic Cemetery. Funeral arrangements are entrusted into the care of Palmer Mortuary and Cremations located at 1116 N. Austin Street, Seguin, Texas 78155; 830.379.9430. Please log on to www.palmermortuary.com to sign and view the guest book Tijerina and wife Emily; step-daughter, Anna Perez and husband Ramses; grandchildren, Chase, David, Victoria, Sara, Olivia, Sebastian, Octavius, Perla, Bailey and Wolfie; brother, David Landry and wife Naomi; sisters, Patricia Bennett and husband William “Bill”, and Lorelia Lemm; numerous nieces, nephews, other loving family members and a host of friends. Visitation will begin on Thursday, September 3, 2026, at 9:30 a.m. at Our Lady of Guadalupe Catholic Church followed by the recitation of the Holy Rosary at 10:00 a.m. and the Mass of Christian Burial at 10:30 a.m. Interment will follow in Santo Tomas Cemetery. You are invited to sign the guest book at www.treshewell.com. Arrangements are under the direction of Tres Hewell Mortuary, 165 Tor Dr., Seguin, Texas, 78155, 830-549-5912.
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9-11 Cancer Cases Continue To Soar (New York, NY) -- The number of 9-11 related cancer cases continues to climb with the 25th anniversary of the terror attacks next week. The New York Post got hold of fresh World Trade Center Health Program data that’s raising new concerns. For the first time, it shows that the number of cancer cases in people who worked, lived or attended school near Ground Zero is higher than cancer cases among emergency responders who helped at Ground Zero. Overall, there were more than 32-hundred cancer cases in 2015 but that number shot up to more than 57-thousand earlier this year. The World Trade Center Health program serves people from all 50 states. 1 Clinical Trial Now OK For 70% Of New Drug Approvals (Silver Spring, MD) -- It takes just one clinical trial to clear about 70-percent of new drugs by the Food and Drug Administration these days. That’s the bottom line of a new study published in the journal PLOS One. Ten years ago the standard was three or more clinical trials for most approved drugs. The latest findings point to many approvals stemming from industry-sponsored research. Emory Physician Helps Train AI Early Warning Tool For Sick Kids (Atlanta, GA) -- Artificial intelligence may one day help ER doctors catch dangerous septic shock in kids earlier. Working with records from hundreds of pediatric ER patients, an Emory University doctor helped develop software using several routine health measurements. The program catches subtle warning signs that an infection is worsening before blood pressure crashes. Doctors say the system tells teams when IV fluids are failing, letting them start aggressive drugs to raise blood pressure before vital organs shut down. Halloween Candy Recalled Over Undeclared Milk Allergens (Washington, DC) -- Halloween candy sold at popular retailers in over a dozen states is being recalled over undeclared milk allergens. According to a company announcement posted by the FDA, Crystal Temptations is recalling its Halloween Chocolatey Eyeballs. It was sold under the brand at Marshalls, TJ Maxx, Homegoods and Sierra Trading Post. The notice warns that those with an allergy or severe sensitivity to milk could face a serious or life-threatening allergic reaction.
Expert Gastro (GI) Care. Right Here in Seguin. ACCEPTING NEW PATIENTS
Gabriel Gonzales, DO Board-Certified Gastroenterologist
Watch Dr. Gonzales’ YouTube Video
Expert Care For: • Colon Cancer Screening & Colonoscopy • Heartburn & Acid Reflux • Crohn’s Disease & Ulcerative Colitis • Liver Disease
CALL 830-420-6770 TO SCHEDULE AN APPOINTMENT 1339 E. Court St., Suite 230, Seguin, TX 78155
• Abdominal Pain • Digestive Disorders • Preventive GI Care
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15 COMMUNITY
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Geronimo Lions First Friday Feast The Geronimo Lions will host its First Friday Feast from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Friday, Sept. 4, at the Red Barn. Grilled steak or fried fish plates with sides, a drink and dessert are $20. The Wyatt and Bill Show will provide live entertainment. Proceeds benefit the Geronimo Volunteer Fire Department. Meals will be served while supplies last.
All-You-Can-Eat Breakfast from 8 to 11 a.m. Saturday, Sept. 12 at the VFW Post, 275 Gallagher Road in McQueeney. Veterans and first responders eat free. The cost is $10 for everyone age 10 and older. The event will also recognize Patriot’s Day and remember the events of Sept. 11.
Goodbye Summer Art Show Entries The Seguin Art League is accepting entries for its Goodbye Summer Art Show from 10 a.m. to noon Saturday, Sept. 5. The show is open to artists ages 18 and older, with cash prizes awarded in several categories. Entry forms and complete details are available at the gallery during regular hours. The reception and awards ceremony for its Goodbye Summer Art Show from 6 to 8 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 9. Refreshments will be served, and prizes will be awarded. The artwork will remain on display and available for purchase through Saturday, Oct. 10. Greater Pilgrim Rest Baptist Church Men and Women’s Day Greater Pilgrim Rest Baptist Church will celebrate its Annual Men and Women’s Day on Sunday, September 6, at 2 p.m. Special guests will be the Rev. John Saunders and Rising Star Baptist Church of Nixon. Texan in Blue” Book Signing and Presentation The Seguin Heritage Museum will host a book signing and historical presentation on Francis A. Vaughan, a Guadalupe County resident who fought for the Union during the Civil War. The free event will be held Tuesday, Sept. 8, from 5 to 7 p.m. at 114 N. River St. Refreshments will be served. White House with Blue Curtain Watercolor Class The Seguin Art League will offer a beginner watercolor class with artist Cat Bollinger from 1 to 4 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 9. Participants will learn impressionistic architecture and shadowing techniques. The class is limited to four people, and all materials are provided. The cost is $45. Register and pay at the gallery during regular hours or call 830305-0472. McQueeney VFW All-You-Can-Eat Breakfast McQueeney VFW Post 9213 will host an
Mid-Texas Symphony Announces 2026-27 Season The Mid-Texas Symphony has announced its 49th concert season, featuring seven performances in Seguin and New Braunfels. The season opens with “Anton Nel Plays Beethoven” Sunday, Sept. 13, at Jackson Auditorium in Seguin. Additional concerts are scheduled for Nov. 8, Dec. 13, Jan. 31, Feb. 28, April 11 and April 25. For concert details or tickets, visit mtsymphony.org or call 830-463-5353. Seguin Chamber Annual Banquet & Awards Presentation The Seguin Area Chamber of Commerce will host its 2026 Annual Banquet & Awards Presentation from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 16 at the Seguin Coliseum. This year’s theme is “Prosperity Through Partnership.” The event is presented by Guadalupe Regional Medical Center. Tickets and sponsorship opportunities are available through the Seguin Area Chamber of Commerce. Mini Mats Cheer Clinic The Seguin High School Cheerleaders will host the Mini Mats Cheer Clinic from 8:30 to 11 a.m. Saturday, Sept. 19, at the Seguin High School Student Activities Center. Registration/check-in begins at 8 a.m. Cost is $35 by Sept. 11 or $40 Sept. 12-19. Registration includes the clinic, a T-shirt and participation in the SHS Community Pep Rally on Sept. 23. For more information, email awiatrek@seguin.k12.tx.us. Judah First Volume 4 Musical The Greater Refuge Choir presents Judah First Volume 4 on Saturday, September 19, at 3 p.m. at Greater Refuge Church, 410 N. Guadalupe St. in Seguin. The afternoon will feature fellowship and worship with the Seguin community and surrounding area. Attendees are encouraged to dress casually and represent their church by wearing a church T-shirt. Admission is free. Additional parking will be available behind the church,
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across from the Seguin Police Station. Clothesline in the Country Watercolor Class The Seguin Art League will offer a beginner watercolor class from 1 to 4 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 23. Participants will learn to create soft-edge backgrounds and use tape-resist techniques to build layers of paint. The class is limited to four people, and all materials are provided. The cost is $45. Register and pay at the gallery during regular hours or call 830-305-0472. Scarecrow and Skeleton Window Contest Destination Seguin and the Seguin Main Street Program are accepting entries for the 2026 Scarecrow and Skeleton Window Contest. Businesses, organizations, clubs and individuals may create family-friendly displays in downtown Seguin. Entries are due Friday, Sept. 25, and displays must be installed by Wednesday, Sept. 30, and remain through Saturday, Oct. 31. For an application or help securing a downtown window, email cmclain@ seguintexas.gov or visit the Seguin Visitor Center, 200 S. Austin St. Mammos & Mimosas at GRMC Join Guadalupe Regional Medical Center for Mammos & Mimosas, a free community event dedicated to breast cancer prevention, early detection, and awareness. Bring a friend and enjoy a fun and educational morning featuring complimentary mimosas, exciting giveaways, local vendors, breast health education, and tours of GRMC’s state-ofthe-art Women’s Imaging Center. Attendees will also have the opportunity to learn about breast cancer prevention and schedule a screening mammogram. Don’t miss this special event on Saturday, September 26, from 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. in the GRMC Central Entrance Lobby. For more information about this event, please visit https:// www.grmedcenter.com/mammos/ To ensure non-profit organization’s meetings and events appear in this calendar, send information to: communitycalendar@ kwed1580.com, or drop off the information at the Seguin Daily News/KWED offices located at 609 E. Court St. in Seguin. For best results, submit information at least two weeks prior to the event.
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