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Local governments in the Hays County area have seen significant shake-ups and made major decisions, from a council member resignation to budget and tax rate adoptions.
Check out three government stories from Kyle, Buda and San Marcos.
1. Kyle council member Claudia Zapata issues resignation
City of Kyle council member Claudia Zapata submitted her resignation from office on Sept. 25. She has served on the council since November 2025.
Zapata cited prolonged “harassment and dehumanization” she has experienced since taking office as the reason for her resignation, according to a news release.
She referenced posts made in social media groups dedicated to Kyle politics and comments made at City Hall during public meetings.
“I am deeply concerned about what hate and coercion are doing to our city,” Zapata said in the release. “Residents have told me they stay silent, avoid speaking before Council or decide not to run for office because they fear becoming the next target.”
Community Impact reached out to the city of Kyle's Communications Department for comment but did not receive a response before press time.
Looking forward
The city will hold a special election to fill the vacant seat on Dec. 23. Zapata will continue to serve in her role until a new candidate is elected to the position and qualified to serve.
During a Sept. 15 meeting, the Buda City Council adopted its fiscal year 2026-27 budget.
The approved $57.28 million budget continues the city's investment in areas including public safety, water supply and infrastructure, streets, parks and operations, according to a city of Buda news release.
This is a decrease of approximately $22.3 million, or 28%, from FY 2025-26's $79.61 million budget, according to city officials.
Diving deeper
The council approved a property tax rate of $0.3895 per $100 of taxable value, a $0.0319 per $100 increase from FY 2025-26. A homeowner with a median taxable value of $383,550 will pay $8.03 per month more than in the previous year, according to the release.
3. San Marcos tackles forecasted $4 million shortfall with new budget
The San Marcos City Council adopted the budget and property tax rate for fiscal year 2026-27, addressing a projected $4 million shortfall and approving a tax rate above the no-new-revenue rate.
The big picture
The council approved a total operating budget of $406.56 million, a 9.5% increase from FY 2025-26, during a Sept. 15 council meeting. The city faced a forecasted $4 million shortfall at the beginning of the budget planning process, according to agenda documents.
Additionally, the city budgeted $1.4 million for the newly established Emergency Medical Services department. City staff addressed the shortfall and funding needs and presented the council with a balanced budget, which the council subsequently adopted.
Multiple cost drivers influenced major increases in the city’s general fund, according to agenda documents, including:
$2.6 million in increased personnel costs
$775,000 in expiring federal funding
$230,000 in increased social services in addition to HSAB funding
$24,000 in new Risk Terrain Modeling software
To address rising expenditures, the city saved $2 million by implementing a retirement incentive program that eliminated 20 positions, saved $540,000 by holding departments’ operating budgets flat and saved $2 million with an ongoing managed hiring program.
Also of note
The council adopted a property tax rate of $0.6515 per $100 of taxable value. While the tax rate remains the same as in FY 2025-26, the rate has a 2.5% increase when compared to the no-new-revenue rate of $0.635574 per $100 of taxable value, according to agenda documents.
