Local governments in the Hays County area have seen significant shake-ups and made major decisions, from a council member resignation to budget and tax rate adoptions.

Check out three government stories from Kyle, Buda and San Marcos.

1. Kyle council member Claudia Zapata issues resignation: City of Kyle council member Claudia Zapata submitted her resignation from office on Sept. 25. She has served on the council since November 2025.

2. Buda raises tax rate with new $57 million budget: During a Sept. 15 meeting, the Buda City Council adopted its fiscal year 2026-27 budget.

The approved $57.28 million budget continues city investment in areas including public safety, water supply and infrastructure, streets, parks and operations, according to a city of Buda news release.

3. San Marcos tackles forecasted $4 million shortfall with new budget: The San Marcos City Council adopted the budget and property tax rate for fiscal year 2026-27, addressing a projected $4 million shortfall and approving a tax rate above the no-new-revenue rate.

A San Marcos stained glass business that has been in operation for over a year recently moved into a new studio location, expanding its offerings to community members.

The gist: Esaltare Arts, owned by Sondra Kretschmar, offers custom stained glass commissions, installations, public art commissions and repairs for residential and commercial spaces.

The business holds multiple stained glass classes for beginners. Class listing can be found on the business's website. Additionally, Esaltare Arts offers private small group classes for four or more participants.

The details: Kretschmar follows a structured approach to every custom stained glass project, according to the business’ website, including:

• Consultation

• Design

• Fabrication

• Installation

• Repair

Esaltare Arts approaches custom commissions with an emphasis on communication, craftsmanship, reliability and long-term client satisfaction, according to the website.

• 2701 Dees St., San Marcos

Check out the latest transportation project updates across the Austin metro.

Upcoming projects

Centerpoint Road Crossing Overpass

Project: Crews will construct an overpass over the Union Pacific Railroad crossing on Centerpoint Road in San Marcos. The project will feature a widened roadway with a median and shoulders and shared-use paths on both sides.

Update: The project secured a $39.23 million federal award through the Federal Railroad Administration.

• Timeline: 2026-30

• Cost: $52.9 million

• Funding source: Hays County, FRA, UPR

Completed projects

I-35 Capital Express Central: MLK Jr. Boulevard Bridge Segment

Project: The project included reconstruction and widening of the MLK Jr. Boulevard bridge over I-35 in East Austin, adding sidewalks, shade structures, a safety barrier, and rebuilding I-35 entrance and exit ramps in both directions.

Update: The bridge is now fully operational, as two lanes reopened in each direction in early August. Crews are finishing shared-use paths and wider sidewalks this month.

• Timeline: 2024–26

• Cost: $34.4 million

• Funding source: TxDOT and Capital Area Metropolitan Planning Organization

The Texas comptroller's office is reviewing the finances and spending decisions of four public school districts: Austin, El Paso, Prosper and Barbers Hill ISDs.

The overview: The review was requested by Gov. Greg Abbott in August and will identify whether schools are directing taxpayer dollars toward students, teachers and classrooms over administrative costs, according to information from the two state agencies.

Zooming in: For the 2024-25 school year, the Texas Education Agency gave the selected districts the following financial ratings:

• Austin ISD: B rating; score of 88 (about 69,000 students)

• El Paso ISD: A rating; score of 92 (about 46,000 students)

• Prosper ISD: A rating; score of 94 (about 33,000 students)

• Barbers Hill ISD: A rating; score of 100 (about 8,000 students)

More details: Austin and Prosper ISDs are in Community Impact's coverage areas. According to previous reporting, Austin ISD passed an $887 million general fund budget for fiscal year 2026-27 after making $205 million in gross cuts this summer. Prosper ISD adopted a budget with an expected $42.2 million shortfall.