Permits, fees boost city revenue page 2
Lady Tigers take down Champion
Pie Social sees sweet turnout
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News-Dispatch Volume XXXVII No. 27
Serving Western Hays County, Texas since 1982
75¢
Thursday, April 13, 2017
Sales tax increase for North Hays Rescue? BY MOSES LEOS III The need to diversify revenue is driving the Emergency Service District (ESD) 6 to take a proposition for implementation of a sales tax to area voters this May. The proposition calls for one quarter of one percent of sales tax to be implemented within unincorporated areas in its 244-square-mile district. ESD 6, which is the North Hays County Fire Rescue, serves approximately 35,000 people in the Dripping Springs city limits and the majority of the city’s extraterritorial jurisdiction (ETJ). If the proposition is approved, roughly a quarter of one penny
chief, said they couldn’t implement a sales tax within the city of Dripping Springs, which currently is at the maximum 8.25 percent rate set by the state. According to ESD 6, if the measure is approved, it could generate $160,000 annually that goes directly to the fire rescue. “One person said … if the fire department is successful, people can self direct where their money goes,” Collard said. “The city doesn’t get it. The county doesn’t get it. It goes straight to funding fire rescue services.” Should voters approve the proposition, ESD 6 would add a secondary source of revenue
BE SURE TO VOTE Early voting for elections in Hays County begins April 24. See a list of early voting locations at haysnewsdispatch.com.
would be taxed on all taxable goods and services in areas of the district not already at the state maximum of 8.25 cents. ESD 6’s proposed amount would fall within two percent reserved for local governments within Texas’ 8.25 percent sales tax. Hays County collects onehalf of one percent of sales taxes. However, Scott Collard, ESD 6
ESD 6, 7
PHOTO BY MOSES LEOS III
The North Hays County Fire Rescue, also known as Emergency Service District (ESD) 6, will take to voters May 8 a proposition for a sales tax of one quarter of one percent.
Water district choice bill moving ahead BY MOSES LEOS III
Watch for houses on Trautwein
PHOTO BY MOSES LEOS III
A large gash in the pavement was the result of an issue suffered by a trailer hauling a large home to Trautwein Road in Dripping Springs April 7. An Austin area company suffered some bad luck late last week when its trailer suffered a tire issue while hauling a large home in the early morning hours along U.S. 290. No one was injured in the incident, but it took several hours for crews to remove the home from the middle of Trautwein Road, causing homeowners to seek alternative routes.
Dollars flow in for challengers in Dripping Springs city council race BY MOSES LEOS III
As the race for three Dripping Springs City Council seats enters its final month, two challengers have vastly outspent their incumbent counterparts on their respective campaigns. Taline Manassian and Harrison Schultz, both political newcomers, spent close to a
combined $5,500 toward their city council bids, according to campaign finance reports that were submitted April 6. Schultz, who works in the information technology field, led all six candidates in political expenditures, as well as political contributions. Schultz spent just over $3,000 from March 1 to April 6, with the majority of his expenses going to advertising.
That includes a $1,400-plus dollar expenditure made with Ace Printing on March 21. He also outpaced all candidates by drawing just over $4,000 in political contributions. Roughly 60 percent of that total came from Joanne Inscore, the barn manager at Barn Thirteen, LLC, which is a horse riding and training venue in Dripping Springs. Schultz also received a $500
contribution from Richard and Sarah Beggs, while also receiving a $500 in-kind contribution from artist Kara Shaw. Schultz has roughly $500 left in his political war chest. Meanwhile, Tanassian, an attorney, received $1,900 in political contributions from March 2 to March 27.
FINANCES, 10
A house bill (HB) that could allow certain property owners to petition to go into a single groundwater district has gone to committee, despite local residents addressing concerns over the measure. HB 4122, authored by State Rep. Kyle Kacal (R-College Station), would allow property owners with more than 1,000 acres of more of land situated in two groundwater districts to petition to transfer into a single district. Kacal said during an April 6 House Committee on Natural Sciences hearing the bill was created as an effort to “establish consistent regulations for property owners for groundwater rights.” Kacal said one major concern is landowners’ rights to access water if their land falls within different authorities. He said the major concern is landowners having to deal with multiple regulatory bodies, each of which could manage an aquifer with a different approach. Kacal said similar situations have arisen in the panhandle. C.E. Williams, general manager of the Panhandle Groundwater District, said with
WATER BILL, 7
Locals show support for roundabout BY MOSES LEOS III With her business situated near the oddly shaped FM 3237 and FM 150 intersection, Hays City Store owner Tamara Tindol has seen her share of minor fender-benders take place. But with a proposal to potentially install a roundabout at the intersection, Tindol said it could not only make traffic safer, but could make the area more appealing. The idea of a possible roundabout was brought up at the March 27 Hays County Commissioners Court meeting during an update to the county’s FM 150 Character Plan. The plan aims to gather public input on how to approach the stretch of FM 150 between Arroyo Ranch Road in Kyle and Ranch Road 12 in Dripping Springs in the future.
PHOTO BY MOSES LEOS III
Lunch time traffic speeds by a sign signifying the “fork in the road” split for FM 3237 and FM 150 between Kyle and Driftwood. Hays County has proposed a possible roundabout that could go in that intersection as part of its Hays County FM 150 Character Plan.
Casey Cutler, who is the director of public outreach
with the Driftwood Historical Conservation Society (DHCS)
and a member of the FM 150 Citizens Advisory Panel ) CAP) , said the proposal of the roundabout was created out of synergy between the county and citizens. He said county officials are working as a team with the CAP to look at what is best at moving traffic through Hays County. One of the ideas was to include a potential roundabout at the FM 150 and FM 3237 intersection, which he believes could slow down traffic. Cutler, who lives in the Driftwood area, said he could hear the sound of screeching tires whenever he is near the intersection. “People fly down 3237 and they don’t understand what they’re about to face when they go on 150,” Cutler said. He
ROUNDABOUT, 10