Articles

In the wake of the shooting at Ross Elementary in Uvalde, school and law enforcement officials across the country turned their attention to improving school safety and security. Local officials in Dripping Springs were no different.

Hays County Elections Administrator Jennifer Doinoff has been chosen to co-chair the statewide education advisory committee of the Texas Association of Counties County Elections Academy.

Anti-gun violence protests were held in multiple cities across the state over the weekend, while the state has imposed additional measures designed to strengthen school security.

I am a proud product of Texas Public Schools, from first (there was no public school kindergarten in the 1950s), and now that I’ve earned two graduate degrees in education, I can say with some authority, the professionals who taught me were experienced, dedicated and fulfilled as educators. They were mostly all great teachers.

The Hays County Commissioners Court adopted a proclamation declaring June 2022 as a month-long celebration of Juneteenth in Hays County. Included in the proclamation were several dates for various Juneteenth events and celebrations around the county, with events in San Marcos, Buda and Kyle.

In the absence of a Pride Month proclamation, the city of Dripping Springs has chosen to cosponsor this year’s Pride of Dripping Springs festival.

ADULT

June 15

A display at the recent Young’s Plant Farm Annual Garden Tour caused quite a stir not only within the industry that day, but on my Facebook page as well. I would like to take credit, saying it was my beautiful photography but to be honest when you look at a planting and say something like Holy Wow or Oh Wow, it is always the plants. The display was really a trifecta of award winners that just happened to come together and the Crème de la Crème was Blue Mohawk rush or juncus.

In helping a client with a tax issue involving Travis and Hays County, I was surprised to learn how much higher property taxes are in Hays County for the same value home. Some may think it’s because of skyrocketing tax appraisals, but that is not true. Hays County homeowners’ taxes are higher than necessary (and higher than those in Travis County) because your Hays officials, especially the Commissioners Court and School Boards have not adopted the 20% homestead exemption authorized by Texas Tax Code section 11.13(n). By comparison, Travis County, the City of Austin, and Lake Travis ISD have adopted it.

The Hays County Sheriff's Office is taking applications for the 2022 Summer Junior Deputy Academy.

The rates for Dripping Springs residential trash and recycle collection services are scheduled to increase, following a city council meeting last week. The new rates will go into effect July 1.