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.

Tense negotiations between Kyle’s city staff and the city’s police officers for a meet and confer agreement spilled into the city council chamber last week. Kyle city councilmembers wound up approving a two-percent raise for police outside of the meet and confer process, though with reservations.

The Kyle City Council moved forward this week on building a new library, though with some discussion as to whether the proposed 20,000-square-foot facility will be large enough to meet the city’s needs.

Once upon a time, Kyle city officials and the city’s feedback from residents stoked dreams of a $20 million recreation center. But the times have changed, and the city struggles to decide if it wants to go through with such a much-anticipated amenity now that the city is $73 million in debt and more than half of the city’s 42.4-cent tax rate goes to debt service.

Facing $73 million in debt already, Kyle Councilmembers decided last week to slow down on a $20 million recreation center project. Kyle officials were hoping to put the proposal on the May 2010 ballot.

The budget season is upon Kyle with another difficult set of problems as the city faces debt service on $73 million in borrowed funds with more money likely to be borrowed in the next year.

Now that Kyle Parkway is opened east of Interstate-35, the city will paint the lanes west of the interstate to inform drivers they can go straight. Meanwhile, the city council named three new members to its public safety committee.