Kyle Mayor Miguel Gonzalez stirred up a contest Friday, announcing his run for Hays County Precinct 2 Commissioner in the Republican primary next March against Hays CISD Trustee Mark Jones. Gonzalez joins a wide open race for the seat held by Jeff Barton (D-Kyle), who is widely assumed to be planning a run against County Judge Liz Sumter (D-Wimberley) on the Democratic side.

The city council in Kyle voted last month to annex nearly six square miles to its city limits in a final reading on the matter last month. However, the city did not bring in one area, known on the annexation map as Area 13, located west of downtown. The area includes The Winfield Inn, which has been vociferous in its opposition to being brought into the city.

Kyle Councilmembers are looking at a program to make about 20 purchases for a total of $6.1 million and pay it off in seven years. The purchases would add about ten percent to the city’s $66 million debt load.

In an effort to drive more tourism into Kyle, the Kyle City Council appropriated $130,000 to the Kyle Area Chamber of Commerce (KACC) last week for promotional expenses.

The Hays County Commissioners Court approved a 20-year tax abatement deal with H-E-B, which is planning to double its 750,000-square-foot distribution warehouse on Hunter Road. The City of San Marcos made a similar deal with the local grocery giant last month. Also, the court agreed to maintain Kyle Mayor Miguel Gonzalez as the county’s city representative on the Capital Area Metrpolitan Planning Organization (CAMPO).

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.