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Road projects, new facilities: Read 5 top Hays County bond stories of 2025

From an overruled road bond to a proposal to fund new development with certificates of obligation, check out five of the top bond-related stories of 2025 for the Hays County area, which includes San Marcos, Kyle, Buda and Dripping Springs.

1. Hays County signals intent to fund overturned bond projects through tax rate increase: Hays County residents may see an increase to their property taxes as the county works to find alternative funds for 30 road projects, defunded after a Travis County Court case overturned a 2024 road bond election.

2. Road bond hits roadblock: A $440 million Hays County road bond was at a standstill after a Travis County judge ruled it void due to procedural violations by Hays County related to public notice.

3. $100M certificate of obligation bond makes headway in Hays County: Residents may soon see new and updated county facilities, including administrative buildings, precinct offices and animal shelters.

 
On The Business Beat
M. McCall’s Irish Pub to bring 'elevated pub fare' and live music to Buda

The pub will offer food and drinks at the Roundabout in Buda, which recently broke ground. The menu will feature classic pub food, Guinness and Irish whiskeys.

Meet the team: Jimmy Kelly, Josh Bumb, Richard Veregge and Tim Dowling will open the concept with live music, a patio and a menu modeled after Kelly’s Irish Pub. Kelly and Bumb also own the Austin pub.

“The menu will feature elevated pub food, Guinness and Irish whiskeys, Dowling said in an email to Community Impact.

What’s in a name: “The pub is named after Marjorie McCall, an Irish woman from the early 1700s who was mistakenly buried alive in Lurgan, County Armagh,” Dowling said in an email to Community Impact. “Grave robbers tried to steal the ring from her finger, and when they cut it, she woke up, climbed out of her grave and walked home...The story’s local saying became ‘lived once, buried twice.’”  

  • Opening in June 2027

 

YOUR WEEKEND TO-DO LIST

Check out these weekend events across the metro area.

To submit your own event, click here!

Austin  |  Dec. 25, 11-a.m.-7 p.m.

Christmas All-Day Brunch

More info

 

Georgetown  |  Dec. 27, 6-8:30 p.m.

A Night of Yin, Sound and Reflection

More info

 

Austin  |  Through Dec. 28

Rockin’ Around the Rooftops Holiday Bar Crawl

More info

 

Lakeway  |  Through Jan. 1, nightly from 6 p.m. to midnight

Trail of Lights

More info

 

Austin  |  Through Jan. 3, 5:45-7:45 p.m. (entry times)

Luminations

More info

 

Bastrop  |  Through Jan. 5, dusk-10 p.m.

Bastrop Christmas Tree Lighting and River of Lights

More info

 
In Your Community
We Are Blood, local YMCAs host annual Winter Blood Drive Challenge Dec. 22-31

We Are Blood is teaming up the Greater Austin YMCA and YMCA of Central Texas to host the fifth annual Winter Blood Drive Challenge.

What's happening: The end-of-year challenge, taking place from Dec. 22 through Dec. 31, aims to combat a decline in blood donations during the holidays due to travel, school and office closures, and weather. Despite a usual drop in donations this time of year, demand throughout the 10-county region served by We Are Blood often increases, according to a news release.

The details: Multiple YMCA locations across the Austin area will participate in the blood drive challenge. The location with the highest number of donations will win the challenge, taking home a trophy and earning bragging rights for a year.

Donors who participate will receive a We Are Blood sweatshirt and do not have to be YMCA members.

 

Your local team

Amanda Cutshall
Editor

Leslie Bradshaw
General Manager

Email [email protected] for story ideas, tips or questions.

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