Buda officials are going ahead with plans to replace their dedicated patrol from the Hays County Sheriff’s Office with their own police force. The city already has tabbed Bo Kidd to run the department after Hays County Sheriff Tommy Ratliff demoted him from leadership of the county’s Buda patrol last summer.

Challenger Bill Huddleston came out firing against Hays County Sheriff Tommy Ratliff in the San Marcos Area League of Women Voters debate last week. Huddleston and Ratliff are competing in the March 2 primary election for the Democratic nomination.

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.

Buda is one step closer to having a 500,000-square-foot US Foodservice headquarters and distribution center, though opponents of the facility, unmoved by their defeat at the Third Court of Appeals last month, have said they will apply for a re-hearing with the court. The city is allowing the developer – 2428 Partners, LP – to submit a traffic impact analysis (TIA) under the city’s guidelines for non-residential developments.

A state appeals court last week turned back Buda citizens who hoped to vote down a land use change, saying a city council decision clearing the way for US Foodservice to locate in the eastern extraterritorial jurisdiction (ETJ) is not subject to referendum.

A pair of Buda residents is suing the city for refusing to allow residents to vote on a city council decision that greases the skids for US Foodservice to locate east of town.

A group wishing to keep a US Foodservice facility out of Buda is giving the city council one more meeting to allow a referendum on the matter. Otherwise, Budadfirst is threatening to sue.

Buda officials say they’re better off starting their own police department than maintaining a service agreement with the county after Sheriff Tommy Ratliff, left, busted down former Buda patrol Captain Bo Kidd, right, and re-assigned him to the narcotics force without telling them first.