Michelle Lopez for Mayor

Working together for Kyle

May Kyle election to take shape after Saturday vote

San Marcos Local News
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| February 11th, 2010 | Category: KyleBuda, Top Kyle Buda, Top Mail |

When Kyle Mayor Mike Gonzalez, left, announced his run for Hays County Commissioner, he started a change of events that stands to transform the Kyle City Council between Saturday’s special election and the general election in May. Financial consultant Bradley Pickett, right, has already announced his run in May for the seat being vacated by Councilmember David Salazar.

STAFF REPORT

As Kyle political initiates await the outcome of Saturday’s loaded special city council election, the dominoes already are starting to fall for the general election involving two council seats scheduled for May 8.

Kyle Councilmember David Salazar, whose Place 3 seat represents the city at-large, has decided to pack it in after two terms. Financial consultant Bradley Pickett, recently named to the city’s Planning and Zoning Commission (P&Z) has already announced that he will run for the seat.

“I’m giving myself a term limit,” Salazar said. “I’m thinking that two terms is plenty. Six years is a while. There are plenty of people who want to do more for the community, and I couldn’t stand in their way.”

One other seat is up for election in May, but that race won’t begin to shape up until after Saturday’s election, which includes a mayoral contest between two sitting councilmembers — Michelle Lopez of Place 1 and Lucy Johnson of Place 5. Both places represent the city at-large.

Both councilmembers have technically resigned their positions, though they will remain seated until their replacements are chosen. Johnson’s seat will be filled in Saturday’s election between four contenders. Lopez’s seat will be filled in the May election, which is when her term was scheduled to expire. Even if Lopez loses the mayoral election Saturday, she will remain on the council until May, and she could stay on if she wins a May election. No candidates, including Lopez, have announced that they will run for Lopez’s seat in the May election.

Hays County Elections Administrator Joyce Cowan said 483 voters cast early ballots in Kyle — 479 in person and four by mail. With a young population of approximately 27,000, Kyle has about 12,000 registered voters. Cowan said it’s unlikely the Kyle vote will reach ten percent.

The four candidates for Johnson’s Place 5 seat, which represents the city at-large, are Kyle firefighter Mike Fulton, artist Jon Claeton, Hometown Kyle resident John Simmang and long-time Kyle resident Jaime Sanchez, who won a lawsuit against the city concerning a piece of downtown property in 2008.

The other Kyle city council election pits Planning and Zoning (P&Z) Commissioner Rhonda Cox against local banker Russ Huebner for Place 6, which represents the eastern portions of the city. The seat came open when Councilmember Ray Bryant announced his run for Hays County Precinct 2 commissioner as a Democrat. Bryant is unopposed in the March 2 primary.

The mayor’s seat came open when Mayor Mike Gonzalez announced his run for Precinct 2 commissioner as a Republican. Gonzalez is opposed by Hays CISD Trustee Mark Jones in the March 2 primary.

Pickett has lived in Kyle for four years after receiving his masters of business administration (MBA) in finance in 2003. He has worked for four Fortune 500 companies in his 20 years of experience with various financial management roles.

Pickett said the city’s indebtedness of $73 million could have been at least reduced by utilizing different financial approaches before borrowing. The city has borrowed in the last eight years for more than a dozen big ticket items, including the construction of Kyle Parkway, a new city hall, an east side fire station, a re-alignment of SH 150, infrastructure improvements to facilitate the Seton Hospital development and projects for the original part of town such as downtown streetscaping and sewage upgrades.

To pay debt service, the city has raised its property tax rate more than 50 percent in the last two years, from 27.07 cents to 42.4 cents per $100 of taxable value. Of that 42.4-cent tax rate on the current budget, 24.1 cents goes towards debt service. In the last two years, the maintenance and operations (M&O) side of the city’s tax rate has increased from 15.07 cents to 18.3 cents, while the interest and sinking (I&S) side has increased from 12 cents to 24.1 cents.

“We are at that critical moment in our city’s development; with a slowing local economy, borrowing that is out of control, spiraling property taxes, and a need for infrastructure spending,” Pickett said. “We must be diligent about long-term planning in how we approach the future.”

Kyle’s growth, debt has council candidates concerned

View original article from the Austin American Statesman

Six people are running for two open spots on the Kyle City Council this Saturday.

SAN MARCOS — With one council member leaving to run for mayor and another for a county commissioner seat, Kyle will see a big shake-up on its City Council after Saturday’s special election.

Six people are vying for two open council spots: Four are running for the District 5 seat, vacated by mayoral candidate Lucy Johnson, and two are running for the District 6 seat, vacated by Ray Bryant, who is running as a Democrat for a spot on the Hays County Commissioners Court.

As the city has experienced tremendous growth — it is the fifth fastest growing one in Texas — it has accumulated about $73 million in debt, faces rising taxes and has many pending infrastructure projects.

District 5 candidate Jaime Sanchez isn’t happy with the debt. The Kyle native wants to use his experience as a construction engineer to determine what projects are needed now and what can wait.

“We have some guys who want to put a moratorium on all new projects, but we do have some that need to proceed,” Sanchez said. He also said he wants to examine city operating costs and hiring practices with an eye toward making things more efficient.

Mike Fulton, who moved to Kyle from Las Vegas and works in information technology for an armored car company, criticized Kyle’s roads as “horrible.”

“We need to raise taxes for infrastructure, not silly little projects,” Fulton said. Freezing taxes will hurt the city’s ability to attract new businesses, he said.

“We’re not Austin. We don’t know what’s coming next year,” he said.

Jon Claeton, a tattoo artist and Kyle native, is highly critical of the outgoing city administration. Too many members haven’t lived in the city for more than a few years, he said, and are “emulating Washington by plunging us $73 million into debt.” He also said many are angling for higher office instead of doing their jobs as council members.

Claeton, also in the running for the District 5 spot, supports a moratorium on all nonessential city projects, but said he is in favor of the planned new police station.

“If the tattoo freak says we need a new police station, we need a new police station,” he said.

The final District 5 candidate, Army veteran and postal worker Johnny Simmang, said his aim is to “keep Kyle hometown Kyle.”

Simmang said he wants to keep the historic district as it is and put new growth near the new Seton Medical Center Hays, on the east side of Interstate 35.

In the District 6 race, banker Russ Huebner has a three-point plan to solve the city’s debt problem: putting a five-year moratorium on new debt, making a planned tax increase next year the last for five years, and increasing the city’s strategic plan to look at least 15 years ahead instead of five.

Huebner said a new police station should be a top priority but added that the city should save for a few years then pay for it in cash. The city has many places for new businesses and industries, he said, but no business will want to come to Kyle if the tax rate keeps increasing.

“As a banker, I understand what debt means for people,” said Huebner.

The second District 6 candidate, Rhonda Cox, said she would like a referendum on a proposed $20 million recreation center.

Cox, an administrator at the University of Texas, said she would prefer hiring police officers over a new station, if forced to choose between the two, and opposes a tax freeze, saying it will put the city “10 or 15 years” behind.

“If we don’t put money into our infrastructure, no one’s going to want to come to Kyle,” she said.

pgeorge@statesman.com; 512-392-8750

Part I: Johnson, Lopez discuss Kyle mayoral election

San Marcos Local News
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By LANCE DUNCAN
News Reporter

Three seats on the Kyle City Council will be on the line in a special election on Feb. 13 after four councilmembers filed to run for higher offices. Two of those councilmembers — Lucy Johnson and Michelle Lopez — are running for mayor in that special election.

The dominoes began to fall when Kyle Mayor Mike Gonzalez announced in December his run in the Republican Party for Hays County Precinct 2 Commissioner against Hays CISD Trustee Mark Jones. Councilmember Ray Bryant then announced his run on the Democratic side for the commissioner post. Johnson and Lopez announced they will run for mayor. Gonzalez, Bryant and Johnson were all compelled to resign by state statute with more than a year remaining on their terms. Kyle spokesman Jerry Hendrix said Lopez also resigned, though her term on council expires in May.

Local banker Russ Huebner and Planning and Zoning Commissioner Rhonda Cox are running for Bryant’s seat in the Feb. 13 election. The election for Johnson’s seat consists of four candidates — John Claeton, Mike Fulton, Jaime Sanchez and John Simmang.

In this first installment of a two-part interview, the San Marcos Local News sat down separately with the two mayoral candidates, Lopez and Johnson, to highlight the differences between them and give them an opportunity to talk about why they are running for office and what they want to accomplish if they win.

Both of the candidates currently serve on the Kyle City Council and are frequently outspoken on important issues. Lopez has been a councilmember since 2007, and Johnson since 2008.

San Marcos Local News: Why are you running for mayor, and what qualifies you for this position?

Michelle Lopez: I’m running for mayor because I want to continue my commitment to the families of Kyle, and continue to ensure that we are planning for Kyle’s future. I believe that I’ve been able to listen to the citizens’ concerns, and effectively take action to address their needs. I also believe that because I share many of those concerns, it helps me to better understand the impact that our decisions on council make on families and homeowners and everyone who lives in the Kyle community.

My experience includes serving on city council since 2007. The last two years I’ve had the opportunity to serve as mayor pro-tem, and assume the mayor’s responsibilities when he is not around. I chair the economic development and tourism committees, I chaired the charter review committee in 2005 for the city, I was a member of the parks board, and served on the building committees for both the library and the recreation center. I’m a member of the Kyle Area Chamber of Commerce, and also am active in both the United Way of Hays County and St. Anthony’s Catholic Church. I believe I’ve had many opportunities to understand the needs and concerns of the community in Kyle, and how to address those concerns through effective partnerships.

Lucy Johnson: I was born and raised in Kyle. I went away for college, but I came back here because I love Kyle and I think it’s a great place to live. I want to work hard to make sure that Kyle continues to be the city that I grew up enjoying. I have enjoyed making a difference in my community on city committees and on the council. I seek to continue to lead the city as mayor by better representing its citizens and offering the services that they deserve from the city council. I know that I have the time and the energy and the commitment that it takes to be the mayor of a growing city, and I am more than willing to do the service in order to make Kyle a great place to live and work.

I have served on the city council for a year and a half, I’m chair of the parks and recreation committee, I represent Kyle on the Capital Area Council of Governments, and I have the unique advantage of living in Kyle my whole life and understanding the issues affecting all of its residents.

SMLN: Kyle has three major upcoming projects: the new library, new police station, and the recreation center. What do you feel the priority is among these projects?

Lucy Johnson: The police station and the library are essential projects for the city, and the police have been under-served. We have had a low crime rate for a long time in Kyle. I think some people have taken that for granted, but we have grown so much as a city that I think the police department no longer has the resources to adequately serve our citizens. The police are working out of an old post office building. This is obviously an inadequacy that needs to be addressed, and we need to do that soon. We need to give them a proper building.

We have already started the process of purchasing land and developing the plans for a new library. The library is something that all of our citizens can use. It offers a service that the least fortunate people in Kyle can really rely on. It offers internet access and classes to help people find jobs and help people figure out their taxes. It offers a place for children to go and do something other than watch TV. And their community meeting room is rented out almost constantly.

Currently, the city council still intends to take the rec center bond issue to the voters sometime in the future. If that was approved, that would mean taxpayers would have another 12-14 cents added to their property tax bill. I would love for Kyle to have a rec center one day, but I don’t think we can afford to build one at this time, especially with all the other pressing needs of our city and our current debt load.

Michelle Lopez: I do firmly believe that they are three very important projects for Kyle’s future. We’ve always had an understanding as council that we would bring the rec center to citizens as a vote, and I believe we still need to do that. I also believe that the library and police department are existing services which need to be enhanced to keep up with our city’s demands. So I would want to continue looking at our budget and determine how we can do that in the next few years.

SMLN: What kind of incentives, if any, do you think Kyle should offer to developers?

Michelle Lopez: I believe that it’s going to be based on the kind of projects that we’re dealing with. For example, we’ve used sales tax incentives. But it may be partnerships in developing perhaps raw land, which might be a development of a research or industrial park. I think we need to weigh the return on investment for our community versus the type of incentive that we would consider as a city.

Lucy Johnson: I think keeping property taxes low is one of the best incentives for attracting businesses to Kyle. Large national or state chains are going to come here because Kyle has the population to support them. We should make Kyle as attractive as possible for businesses looking for new locations, but offering millions of dollars in incentives is just another burden to the people who already live here that we don’t need right now. I am confident that we can continue to attract new businesses and grow our current businesses without burdening our taxpayers with millions of dollars in cash and tax breaks to national companies.

SMLN: What do you feel is an appropriate debt level for Kyle to have, and what do you think should be the highest tax rate for the city in the next few years?

Lucy Johnson: I would like to keep our tax rate as low as we responsibly can. I think councilmembers or other individuals who have set goals of a specific number for a tax rate may be shortsighted. If you set a maximum tax rate of say, 52 cents, staff will come back with a budget that has a tax rate of 51.99 cents. We have to look at each budget individually, and try to cut projects and expenditures that are not essential.

Currently, our debt payments take up the majority of our city property taxes each year. This needs to change. The first thing that we can do is to stop creating new debt, and we do that by putting all non-essential capital projects on hold, and also by waiting to see an increase in city revenues and sales taxes before we allow ourselves to increase spending.

Michelle Lopez: I think we need to determine a debt level where we can continue to provide some affordable living opportunities for families who are here or who are moving here. I think the ratio is one that we are reviewing right now through the debt management policy, and I think until we can actually analyze what we currently owe, I’d like for us to determine our current ratio and determine from there where we should stand. While we know that taxes have been as high as 51 cents, I don’t know that we need to get there in the next few years. But I still want to try to weigh what the return on investment is for the projects that need to happen in our community and continue to listen to what citizens feel are also important projects, and still maintain an affordable community for families who are here and who will be moving here.

Part II: Kyle mayoral candidates Johnson and Lopez

San Marcos Local News
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Kyle Mayoral candidates Michelle Lopez, left, and Lucy Johnson, right, at a recent Kyle City Council meeting. Photo by Lance Duncan.

By LANCE DUNCAN
News Reporter

The San Marcos Local News recently sat down separately with the two mayoral candidates, Lucy Johnson and Michelle Lopez, to highlight the differences between them and give them an opportunity to discuss why they are running for the office and what they want to accomplish if they win.

Both of the candidates currently serve on the Kyle City Council and are frequently outspoken on important issues. Lopez has been a councilmember since 2007, and Johnson since 2008.This is the second installment of our interviews with the two candidates.

Early voting began Wednesday. Election Day is Feb. 13.

San Marcos Local News: What kind of initiatives would you take to bring more Kyle citizens into the political process, specifically young families?

Michelle Lopez: I want to continue my council chats, and implement more technology to allow families who can’t attend a meeting or a chat to participate. I think that maybe we should have more opportunities during our community events to have a City of Kyle table, with a councilmember or a staff member to take feedback on a regular basis. I would like for us to try to look at ways to go ahead and purchase the equipment which we need to install, such as cameras in the council chambers so we can begin to broadcast our meetings. I do believe that if we’re going to really engage families, particularly with younger children, we can look at creating partnerships with the local school district and community groups, to see that we’re getting our information out.

Lucy Johnson: I don’t think there is enough public involvement in the local council meetings and in public planning. I believe that’s because we haven’t done a good enough job in communicating and using customer service to reach out to our citizens. I think there is a disconnection between the average Kyle resident and City Hall, because City Hall actually makes it hard for citizens to come and reach out to both the city council and to staff. It’s very hard to get someone on the phone when you call City Hall, and public postings are not easily found by the public. They’re in different newspapers every month, sometimes they are not posted to our website, and the website is out of date. We don’t make enough of an effort to reach out to our citizens and to make it easy for them to reach out to us. I think there are lot of people who want to get involved in Kyle, but don’t know how.

SMLN: How do you feel about the county judge’s recent suggestion that it might be wise to hold our on issuing the remaining available debt for road projects? What is at stake for Kyle in this situation?

Lucy Johnson: The (November 2008, $207 million) road bond has been immensely important to Kyle’s growth and to the safety of our residents, especially those who are commuters into Austin and San Marcos. The overpass that we are replacing is one of the worst I-35 overpasses in the state of Texas. Work has already begun on the construction of the new bridge, and it would be ridiculous to delay funding now. Work has also started on new frontage roads in Kyle, and one of the most hazardous points of driving in and around Kyle is on the two-way frontage roads and the dangerous entry and exit ramps, in which commuters have to deal with oncoming traffic. The road bond package was already approved by voters in 2008. We need to make sure these improvements happen as soon as possible because accidents happen on these roads every month. If (Hays County Judge Liz) Sumter wants to delay funding for this because of budgetary concerns, I am holding our judge responsible for those accidents.

Michelle Lopez: It would concern me if our road project is in jeopardy, because it is essential to the mobility within our city. This project will also help increase potential economic development projects. I would hope that we could find ways to ensure that the project continues, so that we can fulfill the desires of the community members who voted for the road bonds.

SMLN: What is the biggest challenge facing Kyle?

Michelle Lopez: I think our biggest challenge is setting our priorities for the next 20 to 30 years. We need to engage our citizens and ensure that they are actively participating, so that when we make decisions they aren’t made in a vacuum. For example, we need to determine how we will complete our economic development strategic plan to bring more construction companies or manufacturing companies into Kyle. And city council will need to be creative in forming partnerships with other entities that can help us achieve our goals with the city, the region and even the state.

Lucy Johnson: It is probably managing our growth without incurring significant debt. There are so many improvements we could make to this city to improve the lives of our citizens. Maintaining and expanding our roads to meet the needs of growth and limiting congestion has been a huge challenge. We need to balance the needs of our growing city with reducing our burden of debt on taxpayers.

SMLN: Tell us your compelling vision of the future for Kyle.

Lucy Johnson: I want to see a healthy and vibrant business community in Kyle. I want to expand our commercial businesses. I want us to expand our tax base. I want to keep Kyle an affordable place to live. I grew up in a rural community and got to enjoy the rivers and streams and open spaces that make Hays County and Kyle such a beautiful place to live and grow up in. I want to make sure that those streams and open fields and rivers and beautiful vistas are going to be around for Kyle citizens to enjoy in the future. I want Kyle citizens to know that this city can remain a great place to live, work and raise their families in.

Michelle Lopez: When I think of the future of Kyle, I see a billboard that says “Destination: Kyle,” because everyone is wanting to join our community or come visit Kyle to find out why Kyle is so unique. When they arrive, they find it’s a community that’s composed of diverse families, of people who have a chance to work here in our vibrant economy, enjoy their free time with friends participating in outdoor sports activities or attending concerts, plays, and a regular poetry reading at the library. With all of these new and cultural activities happening, we continue to honor the heritage of our city through the train depot museum and the historical landmarks that we’ve continued to preserve for our city. For every resident, Kyle is a point of pride and is home.

Vote

Hello, Friends!

We are in the last week of the campaign, and I so appreciate all of your support. I wanted to send you information about the help I will need this week, for the campaign. If you have any time that you can give, I would really appreciate it. Thanks so much for your support! Feel free to call me if you have any questions

Ways to Volunteer/Assist with Michelle’s Campaign:

VOTE! Early voting continues this week at Kyle City Hall

o Monday, 2/8 from 7am to 7pm

o Tuesday, 2/9 from 8am to 5pm

GET YOUR FRIENDS AND FAMILY TO VOTE (who live in the Kyle city limits)!

o This is such an important election. If you can get your friends and family to vote, please encourage them, drive them or remind them. And, hopefully you can persuade them to cast a vote for me. J

PREPARATION FOR ELECTION DAY (Friday, February 12^th)

o On Friday evening, we will be preparing for election day beginning at 7pm. If you are available to help with that, we’d love to have you assist. The address is 231 Masonwood Drive, in The Trails Subdivision.

o We will need people to help with addressing final push post cards, determine which volunteers we have lined up to hold signs the next day and other duties.

o I’ll have some snacks for all!

ELECTION DAY (Saturday, February 13^th)

o Get out Final Push Cards

o Smile and Hold Signs at City Hall (7am to 7pm)

o Assist with following up with voters across town

o Staff the Campaign Headquarters and keep drinks/snacks refreshed

Again, I do appreciate all that you have done to support me in this campaign, and previously. Let me know if you have any questions or have any ideas about how to improve our voter turnout. J

Thanks!

Michelle

Commercial

Stepping Stone School to Open in Kyle’s Plum Creek Mixed-Use Master-Planned Development

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Demand for Early Care and Education in North Hays County Brings 16th Largest Privately Owned Child Care Provider in the Nation to Kyle, Texas

02.01.2010 – KYLE, Texas – Today, Stepping Stone School and Plum Creek Development Partners announced the recent closing on the site for a Stepping Stone School Child Development Center in Hays County. This will be Stepping Stone School’s first location in Hays County and eighteenth location in Central Texas.

The child development center will be built in Kyle’s Plum Creek master-planned community on a site located near Kyle Parkway (FM 1626) and Dorman Lane, adjacent to the newly opened TrustTexas Bank. Occupying 1.1 acres, the Kyle center will be an estimated 9,600 square feet. Stepping Stone School will provide early care and education to children from the ages of six weeks through 11 years old. Before and after-school programs will be offered for school age children, with Stepping Stone School transporting children from local elementary schools. School-age holiday care and a summer camp will also be offered.

Brett Arabie and Andrew Childers of Oxford Commercial represented Plum Creek Development Partners in the transaction.

“Stepping Stone School has proudly served the Austin and Bryan-College Station areas for over 30 years. We are thrilled to be opening a state of the art school in Kyle, Texas,” said Rhonda Paver, founder and executive director of Stepping Stone School. “The community and families of Kyle are a perfect match for Stepping Stone School. We are committed to the goals and values that lead the Kyle community. We look forward to a wonderful partnership with each and every family at our new center and in this region.”

The addition of Stepping Stone School is part of Plum Creek Development Partners’ plans to offer a New Urbanist community that suits a variety of ages, incomes and uses. This plan has unfolded over the past few years; in 2006 Plum Creek added local employer RSI and in 2009 brought Austin Regional Clinic, TrustTexas Bank and a 264-unit multifamily residential community to the development. A+ Federal Credit Union has also purchased a site in Plum Creek.

Population growth in Kyle has spurred demand for retail and services. Businesses and developments that have arrived to the area within the past three years include a City Lights Movie Theater, HEB Plus!, Kyle Marketplace, retailer Kohl’s, Seton Medical Center Hays and a Target department store.

“Rapid growth along FM 1626 is helping us realize our vision,” said Plum Creek Director of Operations, Peter French. “The value of a well-planned community has helped us sustain growth, even in an environment where capital markets are tight.”

About Stepping Stone School:
Stepping Stone School, the largest privately owned child care provider in Central Texas and the 16th largest in the nation, has been locally owned and operated since 1979. Its founders and employees apply the principles of the school’s nationally recognized curriculum while providing the highest quality early education and care. In addition, the founders consistently exercise their philanthropic commitment to their community through donations of time, money and resources to organizations whose missions are to better the lives and education of children and families. For more information, please visit the Stepping Stone School web site at www.steppingstoneschool.com.

Two Kyle council members vie to be mayor

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Two Kyle council members vie to be mayor

Johnson and Lopez have different ideas on city’s growth

By Patrick George

AMERICAN-STATESMAN STAFF

Lucy Johnson wants to cut debt load

Michelle Lopez wants better infrastructure

SAN MARCOS — The two Kyle City Council members running for mayor in Saturday’s special election have different visions on how the future of Kyle the fifth fastest-growing city in Texas should take shape.

District 1 Council Member Michelle Lopez and District 5 Council Member Lucy Johnson are running for the mayor’s seat vacated by Mike Gonzalez, who resigned to run for a spot on the Hays County Commissioners’ Court. Early voting ends today. Election Day voting is from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. at the Kyle City Hall, 100 W. Center St.

The dominant issue for both candidates is how to best manage the city’s growth.

Lopez, an administrator at Texas State University, is also the chair of Kyle’s Economic Development Committee. She’d like to create an industrial park to attract more manufacturing and production jobs and improve infrastructure, city services and the community’s involvement in government, she said.

Johnson, a graphic designer, bills herself as the “more fiscally conservative candidate” and wants a more comprehensive growth plan and trims to the city budget.

With the addition of new retailers, restaurants, bars and the Seton Medical Center Hays, the bedroom community is rapidly changing.

Since 2000, the population of Kyle has increased almost fivefold, from 5,314 in 2000 to 26,103 in 2008, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. That growth has come with a few headaches.

Kyle’s police department is dramatically understaffed compared with similarly sized cities. At the same time, the city has a relatively low crime rate, with 141.9 violent and property crimes per 10,000 residents. The statewide average is 449.4 per 10,000; the rate in Cedar Park and Georgetown is about 160 per 10,000, according to Texas Department of Public Safety reports.

The department is housed in an old post office building that is too small and fails to meet current needs, city officials said. The city’s five-year capital improvement plan includes a new station, but no funds have been set aside for it.

Johnson said the city carries $73 million of debt because of efforts to address rapid growth. She wants to push that down and keep the tax rate from rising.

She’s against a proposed $20-million recreation center, which the city probably will finish planning for in the next few months. The council would need to approve the project, before asking voters to approve a bond election to pay for it, something Johnson doesn’t think voters will support.

“We just can’t afford it right now,” she said. “Kyle is in a possibly difficult period with the economy.”

Lopez supports the recreation center, as did many residents before the economic downturn. But she wants to wait to bring it before voters until after November, when the election was originally planned, she said.

Johnson said she was the only council member who voted against the city budget in 2008, saying it had too many programs the city didn’t need. She also voted against a $100,000 plan to add an electric trolley service.

Lopez supported the trolley purchase — which is running one route — calling it a progressive step toward public transportation and reducing the city’s carbon footprint. “Most cities our size do not have trolleys, but it is a good step for us,” she said.

Lopez said she wants to see more citizen-based committees to advise the council. She also wants the city to have more civic events, such as Veterans’ Day parades and Martin Luther King Jr. Day festivities, so residents don’t have to go to Austin or San Marcos.

While he said he’d stay out of the race and wouldn’t endorse a particular candidate, Hays County Commissioner Jeff Barton , whose precinct includes Kyle, said both candidates were smart and hard-working members of city government.

“Kyle’s lucky to have two strong choices,” Barton said.

pgeorge@statesman.com; 512-392-8750