Kyle's months-long annexation process came to a close Dec. 18 as the city finalized the acquisition of more than 300 acres.

City council put the final touches on annexing property it said would boost its tax base and contribute to the funding of infrastructure to facilitate further growth of the booming city.

About 375 acres in all were poised to be bagged by the city, but motions to annex a 70-acre tract of land and another of 5 acres failed.

"That was very disappointing to me," City Manager Lanny Lambert said after the meeting. "We've worked on this for months and months simply to fail because of a technicality."

The meeting began with four council members and Mayor Lucy Johnson present.

Councilwoman Samantha Bellows-LeMense was absent due to illness, and Becky Selbera had to be escorted to the meeting due to issues with her vehicle. Selbera later arrived, but not before two of the 14 annexation-related items were defeated.

Council members Ray Bryant and Diane Hervol voted against items 7 and 8 as well as other items that garnered the required four "yes" votes.

"My vote has not changed from the very beginning," said Bryant, who represents the northeastern District 6. "I have a problem because this whole process has been rushed."

While not against annexation in itself, Bryant had hoped for a process that allowed for more public input, he said.

He voted for items 1 through 6 on the agenda because it was urgent that the city take action to acquire those properties lest they be snatched up by another city, such as Niederwald, he said.

"For the benefit of the city, I needed to vote for that," Bryant said.

The 75 acres that were not annexed contained a "major convenience store" and other properties from which the city of Kyle would have been able to capture funds, Councilman David Wilson said.

"They'll develop outside of the city, and they'll be under the county's jurisdiction for that development," Wilson said. "It'll impact our sales tax that we were hoping to gain."

Before the meeting was adjourned, Selbera made a motion to reconsider the two items that fell through. But, under Robert's Rules of Order, only the prevailing side of a motion could request reconsideration.

Because Selbera was absent during the vote and not among those that defeated the measure, her motion was .