Celebrating 126 Years of Serving the communities of Devine, Natalia, Lytle, Bigfoot, and Moore in Medina, Frio, and Atascosa Counties
Category: City & County Politics
Information you need to know about the City of Devine, Medina County Commissioner’s Court, City of Natalia, City of Lytle, and our local Emergency Service Districts.
Notice Is Hereby Given To All Interested Persons, the City Council of the City of Lytle, Texas will hold a public hearing on the following: AN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF LYTLE, TEXAS, APPROVING THE ZONING OF 284.04 ACRES TO “I” INDUSTRIAL ZONING DISTRICT ON LAND CONSISTING OF THE FOLLOWING PROPERTIES:
A 129.21 ACRE-TRACT OF LAND LYING IN THE H. RANSING SURVEY 517, ABSTRACT 0817, MEDINA COUNTY, TEXAS, DESCRIBED IN DEED NUMBER 2026001392, OFFICIAL PUBLIC RECORDS OF MEDINA COUNTY, TEXAS; AND…LOGIN TO CONTINUE READING at www.devinenewsmembers.com. You will get instant access to our full E-edition, and begin getting the newspaper delivered to your home next week for $42 a year in Medina County. Support important local city, county, and school news like this!
The City Council of the City of Lytle will conduct a public hearing at City Hall, 14916 Main Street, Lytle, Texas on Monday, October 19, 2026 at 6:30 PM, during an open meeting to consider the application by Rowan Lytle LLC to designate certain property located in the City of Lytle’s extra territorial jurisdiction as a Reinvestment Zone that will be eligible for property tax abatement under Chapter 312 of the Texas Tax Code, if and when the area is annexed into the City of Lytle, and the reinvestment zone is to be named the “Reinvestment Zone Number Two – City of Lytle” (the “Zone”). The property in the Zone is approximately 284.25 acres in Medina County primarily in the Lytle ISD and is included in Medina County Appraisal District property tax parcels: 7865, 7868, 7809, 83866, and 516178. The property is intended for use as a…LOGIN TO CONTINUE READING at www.devinenewsmembers.com. You will get instant access to our full E-edition, and begin getting the newspaper delivered to your home next week for $42 a year in Medina County. Support important local city, county, and school news like this!
The City Council of the City of Lytle, Texas will hold a Public Hearing for the Proposed Extension of the Lytle municipal boundaries by Voluntary Annexation of the territory located West of Hwy. 132 and North of CR 683 , Lytle, Texas 78052, and described as: A combined total of 288.10 acres, as described in Deed Number 2026001392 of the Deed Records of Medina County, Texas, and consisting of a 129.21 acre tract of land, legally described as H. RANSING SURVEY 517, a 127.47 acre tract of land, legally described as M. DENSON SURVEY 449, a 25 acre tract of land legally described as G. RISSMAN SURVEY 450 1/2, and a 2.36 acre tract of land, legally described as G. RISSMAN SURVEY 450 1/2. The Public Hearing will be held at …LOGIN TO CONTINUE READING at www.devinenewsmembers.com. You will get instant access to our full E-edition, and begin getting the newspaper delivered to your home next week for $42 a year in Medina County. Support important local city, county, and school news like this!
DMS Principal Kandi Darnell speaks about the campus C accountability rating among other campus news. Enrollment figures were shared to show the school’s size and grade distribution. With an enrollment of 445 students, 151 students are sixth graders and 158 are seventh graders, making the seventh grade the largest of the three middle school grades.
Board approves a final payment of $85,456 for the new tennis courts
By Anton Riecher At this week’s Devine ISD school board meeting, the board voted 5-0 to approve a final payment of $85,456 to Austin-based Hellas Construction for the new tennis courts at the athletic facilities outside Warhorse Stadium. Completion is scheduled for mid-November. The motion to approve final payment was made by board member Chris Davis and seconded by Ali Buvinghausen. Board members Candace Esparza and Carl Brown were absent for the Monday meeting. Exemption to armed security guard requirement By a 5-0 vote, the Devine School board approved a resolution for an exemption to the new state requirement, which required public school districts to place at least one armed security officer at every district campus during regular school hours (Texas Education Code Section 37.0814).
Because of funding and staffing constraints, the board determined the district qualifies for a good-cause exemption and will use an alternative safety plan. With the exemption, our district’s alternative plan includes…LOGIN TO CONTINUE READING at www.devinenewsmembers.com. You will get instant access to our full E-edition, and begin getting the newspaper delivered to your home next week for $42 a year in Medina County. Support important local city, county, and school news like this!
By Anton Riecher Without further public debate, the Devine City Council unanimously approved a zero increase tax rate of $.5900 per $100 valuation to support a previously approved fiscal year 2026-2027 budget of $5.865 million. While average homestead values within the city have increased by about 4.25% , the council voted for a rate even lower than the no-new revenue rate which will decrease the total tax levy from $1.57 million to $1.54 million. (Editior’s Note: While you will often see boards vote for a “tax rate decrease” it generally still generates more total revenue than the previous year. However, Devine City Council opted for a true tax decrease).
Due to the increasing home values, tax on the average homestead will still see a slight increase from $1,093 to $1,140 (about $46) on the average homestead. On a motion by District 3 Council Member Jeff Miller, seconded by District 1 Council Member Ray Gonzales, the council approved the combined maintenance and operations tax rate of $.48640 together with the debt service tax rate of $.10360. Separate votes on the M&O and debt service rates preceding the combined vote were also unanimous. Mayor Butch Cook noted that the new tax rate was consistent with the preliminary figure discussed during the approval of …LOGIN TO CONTINUE READING at www.devinenewsmembers.com. You will get instant access to our full E-edition, and begin getting the newspaper delivered to your home next week for $42 a year in Medina County. Support important local city, county, and school news like this!
Battalion Chief David Powers delivers reports to local emergency service district board members.
By Anton Riecher The Medina County Emergency Services District No. 4 board of commissioners voted Sept. 16 to approve a fiscal year 2026-2027 budget of $927,821 supported by a 2026 ad valorem tax rate of $0.0548 per $100 valuation, the maximum rate allowed under state law without the risk of a repeal election. According to Medina County Appraisal District calculations, the new tax rate represents a 5.18 percent increase over the previous year. The average homestead taxable value is calculated at $201,873, an increase of 4.79 percent over the previous year. No comment against the increase was raised during a public hearing preceding the 4-0 vote of the board on both the budget and the tax rate. Board treasurer Debbie Randall was absent for the meeting. Board vice president Patrick Bourcier made the motion supporting the new budget and seconded the motion favoring the rate hike.
“Because we have so much going on I’m a little concerned not so much about what we know as what we don’t know and could pop up and bite us,” he said. “I know that we have the legal right to go to the voter approved rate. And if we get through next year and come out in great shape and decide we…LOGIN TO CONTINUE READING at www.devinenewsmembers.com. You will get instant access to our full E-edition, and begin getting the newspaper delivered to your home next week for $42 a year in Medina County. Support important local city, county, and school news like this!
In action taken Monday, the Medina County Commissioners Court approved the cost of engineering services by Union Pacific Railroad for improvements near the Project Cinco data center construction with the cost to be reimbursed by the project developer, Rowan Lytle LLC. Both approved unanimously, the two motions required were made by Precinct 3 Commissioner David Lynch and seconded by Precinct 4 Commissioner Danny Lawler.
The action by the county was necessary because Union Pacific refused to contract directly with anyone other than a government entity, County Judge Keith Lutz said. The work discussed centered on preliminary engineering services for improvements to railroad tracks and roadway in the area of the construction site near County Road 683 and State Highway 132. That engineering phase would determine the extent of any further construction necessary related to the railroad tracks and right-of-way…LOGIN TO CONTINUE READING at www.devinenewsmembers.com. You will get instant access to our full E-edition, and begin getting the newspaper delivered to your home next week for $42 a year in Medina County. Support important local city, county, and school news like this!
By Anton Riecher The completion date of a new elevated water storage project in Lytle has shifted again, now extending from the previously expected September due date to November 20, the city’s engineering consultant reported to the Lytle City Council Monday. Council members expressed concerns that the continuing delays were not communicated earlier and means further impact on nearby residents as the unfinished project affects the area’s appearance. Engineering consultant Scott Horowitz with TRC Engineers reported that he had received a schedule update from the contractor an hour and half before the meeting. “I haven’t had an opportunity to dive into it too much but the schedule has shifted from last month’s completion date of the middle to end of September to Nov. 20,” Horowitz said. Asked why by the council, Horowitz replied that the contractor had given him a one sentence response saying that crew availability is impacting the schedule. City Administrator Zachary Meadows noted that the…LOGIN TO CONTINUE READING at www.devinenewsmembers.com. You will get instant access to our full E-edition, and begin getting the newspaper delivered to your home next week for $36 a year in Medina County. Support important local city, county, and school news like this!
The matter of the dog attack this past May will be discussed again at a future meeting council said in response to a Devine resident who presented new information and questions to the council during the public comment’s portion of Tuesday’s meeting.
By Anton Riecher Land-use decisions, infrastructure funding and long-term action on code enforcement occupied the Devine City Council during a regular meeting held July 21. City Permits Director Juanita Romero noted the wide ranging variety of land-use decisions facing the council. “Today we have a little potpourri of what planning and zoning actually does,” she told council members. Leading the agenda on land use, the council voted to approve a preliminary plat for a new coffee shop at 635 East Hondo Ave. The brick-and-mortar drive-through coffee location extends a brand established in nearby Lytle. A public notice was mailed to 23 properties within a 200-foot buffer of the shop site, together with an ad published July 1st and 8th in The Devine News, Romero said. Of those properties only two owners replied, both in favor of the new business. With the plat meeting all city design requirements, the council voted to approve the plat on the recommendation of the city staff. Zoning Issues The council also approved a rezoning at 105 Anderson St. that changed two acres of a 16-acre tract from Class A residential to Class B residential to allow placement of a U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development financed manufactured home. Class A zoning allows only a standard single-family home while Class B allows manufactured homes. Notice was mailed to 16 properties within a 200-foot buffer and advertising notifying the public of the zoning request published in The Devine News. Two responses to the mailed notices were received by the city, both positive. The owners of the property, on hand for the council meeting, explained that the land had belonged to the same family for many years. The council discussed…LOGIN TO CONTINUE READING at www.devinenewsmembers.com. You will get instant access to our full E-edition, and begin getting the newspaper delivered to your home next week for $36 a year in Medina County. Support important local city, county, and school news like this!
County Clerk Gina Champion displays a specially designed container designed to preserve historic records on file with her office. (Photo by Anton Riecher)
By Anton Riecher A contract with a Dallas-based company specializing in restoration and preservation of historical records for governmental agencies was unanimously approved by the Medina County Commissioners Court Monday. Outgoing County Clerk Gina Champion reported that the current preservation project undertaken by Kofile Technologies, Inc., involving digitizing records as well as preservation of the original documents had been completed. “I’m coming to the end of my time with the county clerk’s office,” Champion said. “Since the beginning of my term in office I’ve worked on numerous projects and I’ve very proud of the present preservation from deterioration project that has been completed.” Precinct 3 Commissioner David Lynch took charge of the meeting in the absence of County Judge Keith Lutz who was scheduled to testify before Texas Senate Committee on Finance Monday in Austin on issues of infrastructure in counties adjacent to large metropolitan areas. The purpose of the Kofile Technologies project is to protect records from deterioration, create a digital backup for vital records in case of natural or man-made disaster, and improve public access to records in digital form. Subject covered…LOGIN TO CONTINUE READING at www.devinenewsmembers.com. You will get instant access to our full E-edition, and begin getting the newspaper delivered to your home next week for $36 a year in Medina County. Support important local city, county, and school news like this!
