Former Mayor James Adkins and former City Councilman Bradley Pickett and Todd Webster are in the running to replace outgoing Kyle Mayor Lucy Johnson, who opted not to seek re-election after four years in office. Early voting for this race and others in the city of Kyle and San Marcos CISD takes place April 28–May 6. Election day is May 10. For more information about voting times and locations, look for the election guide in the next issue of Community Impact Newspaper, out on April 17.

How would bringing a Lone Star Rail station to Kyle help or hurt the city?

Webster: A rail station would provide significant opportunities and benefits to Kyle. Any transportation corridor, rail or otherwise, offers great economic development potential. However, the Lone Star proposal also offers Kyle residents a future alternative to I-35 traffic congestion. Furthermore, it is a viable means of rerouting the majority of the existing freight rail out of the city, which has been a desire for many years. As with any proposal of this scope and duration, city leaders need to act cautiously to ensure that the financial arrangement is sound and that the project is a net benefit to the community.

Pickett: There is currently not enough information to do a good analysis regarding the proposition to the city of Kyle from the Lone Star Rail group. There is still too much due diligence that needs to be done before anyone can make a decision on this project. April 29 will be the first time the City Council or the citizens will have the opportunity to ask the necessary questions to see if this is the right thing for Kyle. It is a 36-year commitment that is aimed at Kyle giving upwards of $100 million towards the overall project.

Adkins: Traffic control and mobility is an important issue in any growing area in Central Texas and the I-35 Corridor. I think rail service to our area will contribute another way for our citizens to have access to nearby cities, and it can also bring people from outside Kyle to shop and enjoy our local services.

Why should voters choose you?

Webster: I am a committed and able public servant with a great deal of experience that will be beneficial to the community as we work to balance our needs and the financial pressures we are facing. In addition to my prior service on the City Council, the planning and zoning commission and the board of adjusters, I was the chief of staff at an agency with more than 1,000 employees and a $23 billion budget. I have a great deal of experience making tough budget decisions and the vision to help lead Kyle through difficult times. I get things done and done well.

Pickett: During my term serving on the City Council we were able to bring a debt limit that was approved overwhelmingly by the voters of Kyle. I also spearheaded a zero-based budgeting process to the City Council. I have a degree in finance and a 24-year career in finance. The revenue and debt failures over the previous decade (2001-2010) are due to a lack of finance experience. This lack of experience is what we are paying for now in higher taxes and water rates. My finance experience will bring much needed stability to our rates, while still moving forward with our road bond projects, a vision for growth and how we're going to pay for it.

Adkins: I've gotten the message that Kyle needs to get back to a city government [that represents] all the people of Kyle. The support I've gotten from my fellow citizens makes me feel like I've been called on to serve as mayor and to provide leadership to build Kyle into the great city it can be. One thing I learned in my former terms as mayor is how to efficiently conduct City Council meetings to legislate city business and direct the city manager to carry out those decisions. I think taxpayers want and deserve efficient and responsive city government.

What is the most pressing issue facing the city?

Webster: I am very concerned about the deterioration of the city's infrastructure and the impact it may be having on our ability to attract commercial investment and future employers. Robust and diverse economic growth is the answer to the city's budget problems and increasingly high taxes. Recommitting ourselves to properly positioning the city to compete for capital-intensive, high-wage and large-scale employers so as to add an extra dimension to our economy will be a top priority. To do so, we will have to act quickly to address the growing problems with our road, water and sewer systems.

Pickett: Taxes and water. These rates have been soaring for years and are causing many of our neighbors to move to surrounding areas. We have made unnecessary incentives to already incoming businesses that will continue to inhibit the ability to collect several millions of dollars in revenue over the coming 10-plus years. We have also bypassed tens of millions of dollars in project funding that have left Kyle taxpayers with over $70 million of debt, when we should be much closer to $30 million in debt. The mismanagement of our revenue and debt has caused the current squeeze we are all feeling in our tax and water rates.

Adkins: We need to be prepared to handle growth that is already happening in the area. City Hall needs to create an environment that reassures people that Kyle is open for business. The City Council has to work hand-in-hand with other entities like Hays County, the Texas Department of Transportation and the school district to plan, build and maintain an infrastructure that provides opportunities and accommodates diverse patterns of growth.