SATX-NEM: Impact 11/11/2025

A special election has been called in Schertz to fill the city’s Place 7 council vacancy.

Latest update: During a Nov. 3 special city council meeting, the Schertz City Council unanimously approved an election to take place on Saturday, Dec. 20. The election will fill the vacancy left by Tim Brown, who died on Oct. 19.

The election was called in accordance with the Schertz Code of Ordinances, which states that council shall call a special election to fill a single vacancy with 365 days or more left on the term. The Place 7 term expires in November 2027.

What’s next: Canvassing for the Place 7 election will end Nov. 10, Edmondson said.

Early voting for the election will be weekdays from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Dec. 3 through Dec. 16.

A new dining option—called The Hitching Post—is now open within Selma's Retama Park.

The gist: The Hitching Post, located at 1 Retama Parkway, Ste. 100, opened Nov. 5 and serves a selection of wings, sandwiches, burgers, salads and desserts. The restaurant also offers a drink menu featuring classic cocktails.

Matt Coxe, Retama Park's food and beverage manager, said there was demand for a new restaurant from people living around Retama—particularly South of I-35.

Coxe said they will also be offering happy hour deals in the near future. 

• 1 Retama Parkway, Ste. 100, Selma

• Facilities
• Environmental
• Geotechnical engineering
• Materials testing

More than 20 months after wildfires swept through the Texas Panhandle in early 2024, burning over 1.2 million acres of land, state lawmakers questioned if Texas has the tools needed to tackle another major fire.

The context: Texas is always a fire-prone state, according to the Western Fire Chiefs Association. The association’s website reports that annual wildfire risk is most severe from February-April, when dry grasses and high winds can cause fires to spread, and August-October, when high temperatures and droughts contribute to fires.

“Our purpose today is to figure out—what is our response going to look like next February and March?” Rep. Ken King, a Republican representing Canadian and other Panhandle communities, said during a Nov. 3 committee hearing. “Are we better prepared … or are we in the same position we were in 2024, when our response was lacking?”

The details: Officials said Texas owns just two firefighting aircraft, with others "essentially [subleased] through the federal government."

During peak wildfire season, this means Texas may have access to limited resources.

Gov. Greg Abbott announced his bid for a fourth gubernatorial term Nov. 9, laying out an ambitious six-pronged plan to make “out-of-control property taxes finished in Texas.”

The details: Abbott's goals include eliminating property taxes charged by public school districts, which make up the majority of an average homeowner’s property tax bill. Some conservative groups and lawmakers pushed for an end to school property taxes during recent state legislative sessions.

The governor’s plan to limit local tax increases includes:

• Limiting annual local government spending
• Requiring approval from two-thirds of local voters for all tax hikes
• Allowing local residents to petition for an election to roll back tax rates
• Requiring property appraisals to occur once every five years
• Capping appraisal increases at 3% per year, down from 10% today
• Asking voters to eliminate school property taxes