In a broadside against Kyle City Manager Tom Mattis, the Kyle City Council voted 5-2 Wednesday night to kick him off the council dais. It was one of new Mayor Lucy Johnson’s first acts to motion for Mattis to move, and two new councilmembers joined Johnson and two holdovers to make it happen.

Hays CISD Trustee Mark Jones had no trouble dispatching former Kyle Mayor Mike Gonzalez in the Republican primary for Hays County Precinct 2 Commissioner Tuesday. Jones now will prepare to face former Kyle Councilmember Ray Bryant in the general election.

A newly composed Kyle City Council will meet for the first time Wednesday night. One item on the agenda could be resolved with City Manager Tom Mattis being moved from the council dais.

Recent Kyle Mayor Mike Gonzalez and Hays CISD Trustee Mark Jones, the Republican candidates for Hays County Precinct 2 Commissioner in the March 2 primary, answered some questions about the role of a county commissioner. The winner in March will face Democrat Ray Bryant in the November election.

Sales manager Jason Welch and legal administrator Diane Hervol have announced their candidacies for the at-large Place 1 seat on the Kyle City Council. Councilmember Michelle Lopez, who presently holds that seat, has not announced if she will run for re-election.

Kyle-area native Lucy Johnson, 26, won election as mayor of Kyle Saturday night, 18 months after first winning election to the city council to fill the unexpired term of a resigning councilmember. The special election also landed Kyle native Jaime Sanchez and local banker Russ Heubner on the city council.

A special city council election Saturday in Kyle won’t only determine who fills three of seven seats, but it also will nudge the chain in the May election, during which two other seats will be decided.

Todd Ruge, who failed in a bid to join the Buda City Council in 2008, has announced his candidacy for the council’s Place 2 in the May 8 election. No other candidates for the position have announced. The seat is presently held by Councilmember Kelly Allen. Another council seat, Place 1, also will be on the May ballot. That seat is held by Councilmember Ron Fletcher.

Buda residents wary of more industrial development than allowed by the city’s master plan and opposed to the construction of a 500,000-square-foot US Foodservice facility suffered a blow dealt by the United States Third Court of Appeals Monday.

Kyle mayoral hopefuls Lucy Johnson and Michelle Lopez talk about the city’s future in this second part of our two-part interview with the candidates. The election for mayor and two city council seats will take place Feb. 13 in Kyle.