Stressing the importance of transparency and community support, West Lake Hills City Council agreed to postpone the November bond election to May 2020 during a July 10 meeting. The bond would fund necessary capital improvement projects and facility plans in West Lake Hills. Included in the bond are roadway and drainage projects on Camp Craft Road, Redbud Trail, Westlake Drive, Laurel Valley Road and Terrace Mountain Drive as well as a new police department and city hall building. “The more I think about this, the more I strongly feel that November is too soon,” Mayor Linda Anthony said. “We haven’t had time to make our case to the community about it, and summer is a terrible time for outreach.” City Council held a special meeting July 9 to discuss the potential project plans. Anthony said unfortunately the only attendees were members of the press and the planning and zoning commission. She emphasized the importance of community support and admitted council needs to become more proactive with informing the public. “We want to be transparent,” Anthony said. “We’ve got one shot at this, and I’d really rather take more rather than less time.” Council agreed a better approach would involve pushing the bond back to May 2020. The only downside would be a potential escalation in cost. “Construction and material costs keep going up and up," Anthony said. Despite this possibility, council feels the benefits of postponing the bond outweigh the costs. If council were to proceed with the original timeline, it would be required to submit official plans to Travis County by Aug. 1. Council Member Beth South said it was an unimaginable goal for the council. This action did not require an official vote or approval from City Council.