Local city/school ELECTIONS…Feb 14 filing deadline


City of Lytle council ballot

Filing ends at 5:00 pm on February 14, 2025 at the City of Lytle office, 14916 Main St. Positions expiring May 1 are: Districts 1, 2 and 3 currently being held by Aldermen Aguirre (1), Hughes (2) and Emery (3).
Filings so far for a place on the ballot are Richard Hughes for District 2 and David Emery for District 3, as of Tuesday morning, Feb. 4. The City of Lytle operates with a Mayor-Council form of government. The council consists of five Aldermen that each serve a single member district.
The City Council’s primary duty is policy making. The council identifies the needs of the city’s residents and provides programs to meet the changing requirements of the community and measure the effectiveness of ongoing services in the city. See qualifications for becoming a Council member at lytletx.org. Currently serving are : Ruben Gonzalez-Mayor; Miguel Aguirre-Alderman, District 1; Richard Hughes-Alderman, District 2; David Emery-Alderman, District 3; Michael Rodriguez- Alderman, District 4; and Matthew Martinez- Alderman, District 5.

Nine more days to file for City of Devine council
February 14 deadline
The City of Devine will be calling for a mayoral and city alderman election to be held on Saturday, May 3, 2025. Positions currently held by Butch Cook, Mayor and Michael Hernandez (District 2) and Debbie Randall (District 5) are expiring.
Filing so far are: Butch Cook for Mayor, Hal Lance, Jr. for District 5 and Michael Hernandez for District 2. Deadline to file for a position is Friday, February 14th by 5:00 p.m. at city hall.
All voters can vote in the mayoral election. You have to live in the district you want to run for. And you must live in the district to vote on a district race.

Feb. 14 deadline to file for Devine ISD trustee election
Devine ISD will be calling for a school board election for District 2 and the two At-Large positions to be held on Saturday, May 3, 2025. Positions currently held by Carl Brown (District 2), Renee Frieda (At-Large) and Chris Davis (At-Large) are expiring. So far only Chris Davis has filed for election, At-Large position, and Carl Brown (District 2).
Deadline to file for a position is Friday, February 14th by 5:00 p.m. at the Superintendent’s Office.

Feb. 14th filing deadline on Lytle ballot


Filing opens January 15, 2025 and end at 5:00 pm on February 14, 2025 at the City of Lytle office, 14916 Main St..
The City of Lytle operates with a Mayor-Council form of government. The council consists of five Aldermen that each serve a single member district.
The City Council’s primary duty is policy making. The council identifies the needs of the city’s residents and provides programs to meet the changing requirements of the community and measure the effectiveness of ongoing services in the city. See qualifications for becoming a Council member at lytletx.org.

Feb. 14th deadline to file for City of Devine council

Feb. 14th deadline to file for City of Devine council election for District 2 and 4

The City of Devine will be calling for a city alderman election to be held on Saturday, May 3, 2025. Positions currently held by Michael Hernandez (District 2) and Debbie Randall (District 5) are expiring, as well as the Mayor’s seat and Mayor Butch Cook expressed his intent to re-file this week.
Deadline to file for a position is Friday, February 14th by 5:00 p.m. at city hall.
Combined elections-Devine ISD will hold election jointly with the City of Devine and all costs will be shared. If the City of Devine cancels their election, the district will contract with Medina County to hold the election.

Medina commissioners approve$1.9 million loan from general fund

By Anton Riecher
In what amounts to an annual tradition, Medina County commissioners voted Monday to borrow up to $1.980 million from the county general fund to pay upcoming debt obligations that will eventually be covered by tax collection.
County Auditor Eduardo Lopez said he did not anticipate needing to use the entire amount authorized by the commissioners.
“We haven’t collected enough from the tax office yet, so what we do every year is borrow from the general fund,” Lopez said. “As soon as we receive revenue from the tax office we pay back the general fund.”
The borrowed funds will be used to make payment on a certificate of obligation, plus two tax anticipation notes (TANs). A TAN is a short-term debt security issued by government to fund project secured by future tax revenue.
Lopez said he anticipates receiving the December 2024 tax report from Medina County Tax Assessor-Collector Melissa Lutz within the next few days.
On a motion by Precinct 2 Commissioner Larry Sittre, seconded by Precinct 1 Commissioner Jessica Castiglione, the commissioners approved borrowing the funds by a 3-0 vote. Precinct 3 Commissioner David Lynch was absent from the meeting due to illness.
The monthly auditors report presented by first assistant county auditor Jennifer Konegni showed a cash balance of…

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New ESD4 commissioner pushes for homestead exemption tax break

By Anton Riecher
Medina County Emergency Services District No. 4 board commissioner Jerry Beck urged fellow board members to consider granting a homestead exemption to MCESD4 residents over age 65 during the board’s Dec. 11 regular meeting.
“In all reality it’s not really that big a deal,” Beck said. “It’s a gesture.”
Homestead exemptions reduce a home’s appraised value and, as a result, reduce property taxes. In Texas, any taxing entity may offer a local optional exemption of at least $3,000 for taxpayers either disabled or over age 65.
Beck, who joined the ESD4 board in October, compared it to the action taken by the Medina County Commissioners Court to freeze property tax appraisals for residents over 65. Beck formerly served as the Precinct 4 county commissioners.
The exemption can be granted directly by the governing body or approved by a vote of the taxpayers, Beck said. Given the cost of conducting an election and the near certainty that such a proposition would pass, the more economical route would be action by the board.
MCESD4 consists of 4,567 homesteads over which 1,936 belong to people age 65…

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Medina County supports plan for seawater desalination plant near Corpus to supply more water for Texas

By Anton Riecher
John J. Byrum, the authority’s executive director, told Medina County Commissioners that with its two major reservoirs operating at 19 percent of capacity the Nueces Basin is registering a daily deficit of nearly 235 million gallons. That deficit is expected to grow to 402 million gallons daily by 2070.
That estimate only includes population growth, not industrial demands, Byrum said.
“We need water and God gave us a big puddle of water just south of Corpu Christi called the Gulf of Mexico,” he said.
The Nueces River Authority serves as a regional water resource planning agency for all or part of 22 counties in South Texas, monitoring state and federal activities affecting the Nueces Basin. The desalination project calls for removing water yet replacing the brine as not to effect the deep sea ecology.
Support from Medina and other counties will be important when the authority approaches the Texas Legislature to fund the project, Byrum said.

Water, sewer analysis puts Devine utility half a million in the red within five years

By Anton Riecher
Without appropriate water rate increases the city of Devine could find itself nearly half a million dollars short in covering expenses within the next five years, according to a utility rate analysis prepared by a non-profit consulting group.
The analysis prepared by Community Unlimited, a national organization that provides technical assistance at no cost to rural communities shows that very little growth in water sales is anticipated in the near future.
“Unless I missed something you don’t have too many new customers,” Community Unlimited regional coordinator Raul Gonzales reported to the Devine City Council on Dec. 10. “So that doesn’t help.”
The city council took action to help resolve the issue in November, approving a water rate increase ranging from 21.5 percent for low-end residential customers to 38.8 percent for high-end commercial users effective January 1.
That increase is only part one of a two-step plan that would see the lowest level water rate increase 18.14 percent by October 2025 as required to obtain $11.5 million in state financing to cover the mandated replacement of lead water lines serving local homes.
Mayor Butch Cook prefaced Gonzalez’ report with….

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Medina County News….

Commissioners replace ESD4 board incumbents to help guide local EMS

By Anton Riecher
Applications by incumbent Medina County Emergency Services District No. 4 board members George Moralez and Viola Potter seeking fresh two-year terms were rejected by the county commissioners Monday in favor of two new candidates.
Patrick DuBose, owner-operator of JP Dump removal and hauling, and Steve Smith, owner of Smith Pastures and closely associated with the Devine Markets Association, were named to the board, replacing Moralez and Potter.
Precinct 4 Commissioner Danny Lawler made the motion to name DuBose and Smith to the board, seconded by Precinct 2 Commissioners Larry Sittre. The vote to approve was unanimous.
Moralez, completing his first term as an ESD commissioner, served as the board’s assistant treasurer. Potter, the board’s vice president, has served as an MCESD4 commissioner since 2018.
According to Medina County Judge Keith Lutz, Potter’s application was rejected as incomplete prior to Monday’s vote.
DuBose and Smith, together with former county commissioner Jerry Beck who joined the MCESD4 board in October, played prominent roles in protests that erupted…

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Lytle council reaffirms previous vote rejecting manufactured home park

By Anton Riecher
The Lytle City Council Monday again voted unanimously to deny approval for a proposed 30-acre manufactured home park, reaffirming its decision in November citing the project’s failure to conform to current zoning of the property.
City Administrator, Zachary Meadows, explained that the final plat for Lytle MHC Mobile Park had been resubmitted by the developers after the council’s previous action.
“The state does require that with the changes that were done under the local government code regarding platting when we receive basically a request to reconsider it, we have 15 days to hear it,” he said.
Since the council does not have another meeting schedule before 2025, the request to reconsider was placed on the Dec. 9 agenda.
District 3 Alderman David Emery made the motion to deny the request “as the final plat does not conform to the City of Lytle comprehensive plan and related zoning regulations.” District 2 Alderman Richard Hughes seconded the motion.
Meadows reported in November that both the city staff and the city planning and zoning commission recommended denying approval for the mobile home park.
“Staff has communicated…

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Hondo firefighters confront county commissioners over ESD clash

By Anton Riecher
Volunteer firefighters in Hondo who ceased operations in November in a contract dispute with Medina County Emergency Services District No. 6 brought their grievances to the Medina County Commissioners Court Monday.
Hondo Volunteer Fire Department president Phillip Batteau told commissioners that ESDs have a responsibility to ensure funding for fire protection and medical response in their communities.
“Unfortunately, Medina County Emergency Services District No. 6 has failed to meet these goals, leaving our community in a precarious situation,” Batteau said.
Hondo VFD decided in October to terminate their contract with ESD6, citing lack of transparency in its decision making on funding emergency equipment and operations. The volunteers also rejected an attempt by the ESD board of commissioners to appoint a new fire chief without their approval.
As of late November, ESD6 has taken direct charge of fire protection by hiring its own firefighters. ESD1 in Castroville has also lent assistance in maintaining fire protection.
Speaking during the public comments portion of the county commissioners agenda, Batteau said that of the estimated $1.9 million in taxes collected by ESD6 last year, less than…

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