Three challengers, Place 3 council member Mahoney declare for Place 7 election
Three outside candidates and a current Cibolo City Council member will contest for the city’s at-large Place 7 position this November.
In a nutshell: After the Aug. 18 filing deadline, four submissions were sent to the city. Candidates for the Place 7 position are Cody Hicks, Summer Marie Brown, Shari McDaniel and current Place 3 council member Robert Mahoney.
The winning candidate will replace Joel Hicks, who has served as council member since November 2017, according to the city's website.
Mahoney has served as Place 3 council member since November 2022. Brown and Cody Hicks ran for mayor and Place 2 council member in 2022. Brown earned 1,851 votes, or 20.41%, while Hicks received 542 votes or 47.21%, according to official election results from the city.
What else? The Cibolo ballot for Nov. 4 will include races for at-large Place 7, as well as Place 2 and Place 3 council elections. The city’s mayoral position is also up for election this fall.
South Texas Blood & Tissue opens donor center in Live Oak
A new location is now open to donate blood and tissue in Northeast San Antonio.
The gist: On Aug. 27, South Texas Blood & Tissue, located at 7529 N. Loop 1604 E., Ste. 115, welcomed residents in Live Oak and beyond to its donor center location.
South Texas Blood & Tissue Center began providing blood to the South Texas region to ensure a "safe and adequate blood supply through proper testing, storage and distribution to hospitals," according to the center's website.
Along with blood and tissue donations, the organization accepts donations of marrow and stem cells as well as cord blood and birth tissue. South Texas Blood & Tissue has other donor centers in the San Antonio, New Braunfels and Boerne areas, according to its website.
Universal City proposes property tax rate increase
Universal City council voted 4-2 on Aug. 19, establishing a proposed property tax rate increase for fiscal year 2025-26.
The council established a previously discussed $0.0156 increase from the current tax rate, going up to $0.53 per $100 valuation for FY 2025-26.
How we got here: According to previous reporting by Community Impact, the proposed rate would bring in approximately $312,000 in extra revenue for the city.
Finance Director Christine Green previously said the higher rate could take care of items like increased demand for staffing and the sunsetting of American Rescue Plan funds for police and fire.
The proposed rate increase comes after several years of Universal City dropping the rate by $0.087 between FY 2019-20 and FY 2024-25, according to previous reporting. The increase results in a change of $0.83 per month on a homeowner bill per $100,000 in taxable value.
Communities in Texas’ Flash Flood Alley may soon have to install flood warning sirens
Some communities in Flash Flood Alley, which stretches through Central Texas and includes the Colorado and Guadalupe River basins, would be required to install flood warning sirens under a bill advanced by state House lawmakers Aug. 26.
The details: Under Senate Bill 3:
The Texas Water Development Board would identify areas impacted by the deadly July 4-5 floods that have “a history of consistent or severe flooding.”
Local governments in the identified areas would be required to install flood warning sirens if they are not already present.
The state would distribute up to $50,000 in grants to help cities and counties install warning systems.
Lawmakers have said they were concerned that some Hill Country residents and visitors missed or did not receive emergency alerts related to the July 4 floods, which began before sunrise.
Next steps: House lawmakers passed SB 3 unanimously Aug. 26, returning it to the Senate with a minor amendment. If senators sign off on the amendment, the warning siren bill will head to the governor’s desk.
