Government

Glynis Crawford Smith

The Highlander

The Marble Falls City Council on Tuesday, April 5, attended to a wide-ranging agenda that included the first reading of its annual budget amendment, a contract for a Comprehensive Park Plan and approval to move the historic first parsonage of First Baptist Church from the west side of US 281 to the east side.

By Glynis Crawford Smith

The Highlander

Citizens have one more chance on Tuesday, April 12, to review the work on a Comprehensive Plan Update for the City of Marble Falls.

An open house is set for 6 p.m. at Lakeside Pavilion, 307 Buena Vista Drive.

By Emily Hilley-Sierzchula

Horseshoe Bay city administration is starting to see results in its battles with an alphabet soup of federal and state agencies, including the Lower Colorado River Authority (LCRA), the Federal Emergency Management Association (FEMA), and the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ), according to city council discussions Tuesday afternoon, Oct. 21.

FEMA

A city official declared “good news” in the FEMA Floodplain Study saga that began in 2012.

“We received written notification from FEMA that the new maps the city submitted will be effective Oct. 31,” said Eric Winter, development services manager.

Last year, HSB officials challenged the agency's 2012 floodplain maps with a letter of map revision (LOMR) after hydraulic engineers surveyed several creeks and “proved the city right,” said Mayor Steve Jordan at the Sept. 16 city council meeting.

By Emily Hilley-Sierzchula

Amidst national debate over the efficacy and need for marijuana laws since legislatures and citizens in 21 states and Washington, D.C. have acted to either legalize marijuana outright, with regulations and taxes similar to alcohol, or for medical use, some wonder where Texas fits in to this picture. An advocate for reforming marijuana laws and law enforcement officials weighed in on the issue.

Allen Vogel is one of the organizers of the “reeferendum” that hinges on a vote for Jamie Balagia, Libertarian Party candidate for attorney general, on Nov. 4. Vogel is co-organizer of the Medical and Personal Freedom Political Action Committee supporting Balagia’s campaign.

Balagia, a defense attorney former Austin police officer, is running against Republican Ken Paxton, Democrat Sam Houston, and Green Party member Jamar Osborne.

By Emily Hilley-Sierzchula

Early voters in Burnet and Llano counties are getting ready to cast their ballots ahead of the November elections, with statewide, county and three council seats in Horseshoe Bay up for grabs.

Marble Falls, Highland Haven and Cottonwood Shores do not have city council or mayoral races in November.

Early voting in both counties starts Monday, Oct. 20 and will last through Oct. 31. The general election is Tuesday, Nov. 4.

Voters within the Burnet County Consolidated School District (in both Llano and Burnet counties) will decide on whether to approve a proposed $26.7 million bond.

All voters will decide whether to adopt a constitutional amendment pertaining to the use of state highway funds.

Burnet County

The county has 2 voting places for early voting with 18 more on Election Day.