All incumbent candidates seeking re-election to Lakeway and Bee Cave’s city councils in May have secured their seats without opposition, with two incumbent council members re-elected in Lakeway, and five in Bee Cave. One non-incumbent council candidate and city mayor were also elected in Lakeway without facing opposition.

In West Lake Hills, three council seats are up for election, with only one seat contested.

Lakeway

On Jan. 15, both cities opened applications for council positions. In Lakeway, council members Christopher Forton and Kent O’Brien as well as Mayor Pro Tem Gretchen Vance and Mayor Thomas Kilgore faced expiring terms.

All except Vance were re-elected, as she had already served three consecutive terms and was therefore ineligible to appear on the May ballot.

Louis Mastrangelo, chair of Lakeway’s Zoning and Planning Commission, ran unopposed and will also serve on council alongside Forton and O’Brien.

An ordinance declaring all of these unopposed candidates elected to council was passed Feb. 21, and can be viewed on the city’s website.

Bee Cave

In Bee Cave, a general election for three council seats was held, as well as a special election for two vacated council seats left by former council members Courtney Hohl and Jon Cobb.

Both of these seats had a remaining term of one year, and council members Blake Sbrocco and Kit Crumbley were elected by council to fill them until a formal election was held.

Following that formal election, Andrea Willott and Kit Crumbley will now fill the unexpired terms, with Blake Sbrocco being elected instead to a standard two-year council position.

Mayor Pro Tem Andrew Clark and Kevin Hight will fill the remaining two-year terms.

As was the case in Lakeway, all council members were elected via ordinances which cancelled the special council election and the general council election in Bee Cave.

West Lake Hills

In West Lake Hills, three incumbent candidates filed to run for city council. The only seat contested is council member Dana Harmon’s, with candidate Joe Swider having filed to run against her.

More information, including candidate filings, can be found on the West Lake Hills city website.

What else?

Though council elections were cancelled in both cities, residents of Bee Cave and Lakeway will still need to decide on several ballot items seeking voter approval on May 3.

In Lakeway, a proposed 0.25% sales tax collection for road improvements known as Proposition A and 6 charter amendments, Propositions B-G, have been put forward. The amendments primarily address changes to city processes, job positions, and boards and commissions.

In Bee Cave, a new public safety building has been placed on the ballot following the passage of Proposition G in November, which requires all city land purchases, sales, and alterations to receive voter approval.

Additionally, a road tax similar to Lakeway’s will appear on the Bee Cave election ballot, with the city requesting to collect 0.125% of sales tax for a road maintenance fund.