Photo by By JJ VelasquezThe city of Kyle officially has a new mayor.
Todd Webster, who won a runoff election for the seat on May 31, was sworn in June 10 at a special City Council meeting. A council member from 2002–2007, Webster takes the reins from Lucy Johnson, who decided not to seek another three-year term.
He received 69.16 percent of the votes in a runoff against Brad Pickett, who garnered 30.84 percent of the tallies. The general election was held on May 10, when former Mayor James Adkins fell out of the running.
Webster said ahead of his first meeting as mayor on June 17, he plans on educating himself about the city's upcoming budget process.
"There are lots of things [about the budget] I don't know yet," he said. "Before we can start figuring out as a group what we need to prioritize, I need to get quite a bit better acquainted with that.
"It's been a long road to get to the starting line. So right now, I'm focused on getting through this afternoon."
Before Webster was sworn in, Johnson gave a farewell speech in which she related to the audience the story of how she first ran for Kyle City Council.
"I remember getting inspired to run sitting down at dinner one night in 2007 with my mom and [Kyle resident] Lila Knight, and they really did get me drunk that night," she said. "It's one of the best things that ever happened to me."
Johnson gave credit to the people of Kyle for setting a foundation for the city to prosper.
Adkins, whose tenure as mayor overlapped with Webster's time as a councilman, supported Webster's runoff election campaign because they share "the same direction and the same compassion for the people of Kyle."
From 2000–2010, Kyle grew from roughly 6,000 to 28,000 people. The population growth played out smoothly in large part because of Webster's efforts on the council, Adkins said.
"He is the right fit for the position," he said. "I think we can go a long way."
The council, however, will be shorthanded for the next two months. Councilman Chad Benninghoff resigned in May due to a move out of the state. The council has decided to hold a special election to fill the vacancy on Aug. 9, which will require a reallocation of funds from the city's 2013-2014 coffers.
"Having a six-member council, it's workable," Webster said. "But anytime you have a vacancy, you want to get it filled as quickly as you can."
