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From new construction and development changes to data center bans and forensic audits, the City Councils of San Marcos, Buda and Kyle and the Hays County Commissioners Court have made major recent decisions.
Check out four government updates from across Hays County.
1. Construction to begin on new Buda park with swimming hole, trails
A new park situated on 40 acres of natural area along Onion Creek is expected to break ground in Buda this summer.
The details
Construction on John D. and Byrd Mims Garison Memorial Park is scheduled to begin in late July and expected to take approximately 360 calendar days with completion slated for summer 2027, according to a news release.
Buda City Council approved a $13.9 million construction contract with SpawGlass Contractors Inc. on June 16.
Zooming in
Once completed, the park will offer residents direct access to Onion Creek and numerous outdoor amenities.
According to the release, Phase 1 improvements will include:
2. Kyle Vista Park no longer considered for Eastside Campus
On June 23, the Hays County Commissioners Court voted to no longer consider Kyle Vista Park as a potential location for the approximately $65 million Eastside Campus administrative facility.
The big picture
The county will begin looking for a new location outside of the city’s jurisdiction to develop the three-story building that would house a total of 175 staff members and a variety of services on the east side of Hays County.
“It's a very expensive project, and putting a very expensive project on leased land from the city of Kyle wasn't ideal,” Precinct 3 Commissioner Morgan Hammer said.
At a June 2 meeting, the Kyle City Council approved a request for an independent third-party forensic audit to evaluate any financial misconduct amid a $14.2 million budget shortfall with a 5-2 vote.
A forensic audit would search for financial irregularities and any misuse of funds, unlike a standard financial audit, said Mayor Yvonne Flores-Cale.
Looking ahead
City staff will work to bring the council options for retaining an independent third-party firm to conduct the forensic audit, including proposed scope, costs and timelines.
“At the end of the day, accountability is about ensuring that the public's trust is earned, protected and enforced through transparency and independent review,” Flores-Cale said.
4. San Marcos council votes to prohibit data centers
The San Marcos City Council passed a final vote approving a multitude of amendments to the city’s Land Development Code and Design Manual at a June 16 meeting, one of which places an absolute restriction on data centers.
What happened
A motion to prohibit data centers in all city zoning distinctions was made by Place 6 council member Amanda Rodriguez on April 21 but failed to pass, with three votes in favor and four dissenting.
Place 5 council member Lorenzo Gonzalez, who voted against Rodriguez’s April amendment, made a motion to reconsider the proposed update to fully prohibit data center development at the June 16 meeting.
The amendment passed with four votes in favor and three dissenting. In addition to Gonzalez and Rodriguez, Place 3 council member Alyssa Garza and Place 4 council member Shane Scott voted in favor of the amendment.
“The city of San Marcos is not going to wait for the state or federal government to do their jobs and protect our communities, our resources and our opportunities,” Rodriguez said. “We took decisive action that reflects the wishes of our constituents and the values of our tight-knit community.”
The other side
Mayor Jane Hughson, Place 1 council member Matthew Mendoza and Place 2 council member Josh Paselk voted against the amendment.
