Updated June 27, 2008, 1:30 p.m.
The Hays Highway
Meet and greet city the manager candidates
Citizens can meet the five finalists for the Buda city manager position today at Buda City Hall.
(June 27, 2008)
See the Buda Mercury story.Buda adopts BS/EACD watering schedule
Buda has implemented the Barton Springs/Edwards Aquifer Conservation District’s lawn watering schedule on a mandatory basis after the water district called an alarm stage drought earlier this week.
(June 27, 2008)
See the Buda Mercury story.
Council to pass youth curfew
Now that Buda has a law enforcement arm to watch the streets, the passage of a youth curfew next month is inevitable.
(June 20, 2008)
See the Buda Mercury story.
Buda announces city manager finalists
The City of Buda has identified its finalists for the city manager position. The city council will interview the candidates on June 28.
(June 17, 2008)
See the Buda Mercury story.
Dodd beats Gray in Buda council run-off
Fewer than 300 Buda voters participated in last Saturday’s run-off election, which could shape a the majority on the city’s expanded city council.
(June 17, 2008)
See the Buda Mercury story.
Buda Area Chamber of Commerce notes
Among the notes this month from the Buda Area Chamber of Commerce are the first graduates of Leadership Buda, a couple fundraisers and the post office’s attempt to find a new space.
(June 11, 2008)
See the Buda Mercury story.
Buda council abstains in PEC votes
Rather than risk a conflict of interest with Buda Councilmember Sandra Tenorio running for the PEC board, the Buda City Council abstained on its 58 votes in the coming PEC director election.
(June 5, 2008)
See the Buda Mercury story.
Buda's prearious PEC ballots
The Buda City Council has 58 votes in the PEC director election, and de facto council majority leader Sandra Tenorio is a candidate for the $40,000 position. How about that?
(June 3, 2008)
See the Buda Mercury story.
Voter turnout varies in Saturday elections
Saturday’s elections brought out little interest in the San Marcos school board, but considerable interest in the Buda City Council.
(May 13, 2008)
See the Buda Mercury story.
Three vie for new council seat
Buda's new city council seat attracted three candidates for today's election. Read what they say about the issues.
(May 10, 2008)
See story.
Buda Place 1 candidates speak
The two Buda Place 1 candidates, Ron Fletcher and Gerry O'Brien, answered questions for voters last Saturday, one week before today's election.
(May 6, 2008)
See story.
Buda looks into Main Street program
Buda business owners want the city to join the Main Street program, which has helped to enliven downtown San Marcos during the last 20 years.
(May 6, 2008)
See story.
Tyson wins as Buda races boom
Vendors reported record sales as Tyson finally reached the winner's circle as the Buda Wiener Dog Races continued their growth.
(May 2, 2008)
See story.
Buda council talks computers
Buda councilmembers talked Tuesday night about how technology affects open government and personal privacy.
(April 19, 2008)
See The Daily Drive entry.
Buda's crowded election
Buda's city council election will definitely seat three new members with at least one crucial decision to make off the bat.
(March 26, 2008)
See The Daily Drive entry.
Signs of what times?
Commentary
Did the quaint, historic feel on Main Street, supposedly protected by the city's minimal business sign allowance, ever actually exist in Buda?
(March 4, 2008)
See The Daily Drive entry.
Buda hires interim, sort of
The Buda City Council named finance director Sarah Mangham as interim city manager last week, but former Hays County Judge Eddy Etheredge will work in her shadow.
(February 24, 2008)
See story.
No Faulk, no problem
A year ago, a citizen named Sharon Faulk was the only reason Buda even held a city council election. Now, Faulk is apparently gone and seven different players have filed for the May city council race.
(February 21, 2008)
See The Daily Drive entry.
Buda filings flying
Less than a week into the filing period for the May elections, Buda already has drawn at least one candidate for each of four openings on the city council.
(February 15, 2008)
See The Daily Drive entry.
Groundhog Day
Buda economic development chief Warren Ketteman's contract is up for renewal, which doesn't mean Tuesday was entirely different from any other day.
(February 13, 2008)
See The Daily Drive entry.
Buda vacuum
Buda suddenly operates with a leadership vacuum, now that City Manager Robert Camareno has resigned for a position in his hometown. The city now has no mayor or city manager as it transitions to home rule while the majority of its city council seats go up for election in May.
(February 12, 2008)
See The Daily Drive entry.
Bashed in Buda
Hays County Judge Liz Sumter met an angry crowd Monday night at Hays Hills Baptist Church, where citizens urged the commissioners court to get moving on roads.
(February 5, 2008)
See The Daily Drive entry.
Lane joins White in mayors race
Mayor Pro Tem Bobby Lane has filed to run for mayor. With Councilmember Hutch White already on the mayor ballot, it's all but guaranteed Buda will have three new councilmembers in May.
(January 28, 2008)
See story.
One mistake with a train
Last week's horrifying misfortune on the railroad tracks near Main Street is mindful of an old driver education instructor's wise counsel.
(January 21, 2008)
See The Daily Drive entry.
Hold-up at Stagecoach Park?
The former supervisor of Buda's Stagecoach Park project said completion might be delayed until after May.
(January 17, 2008)
See story.
Forbidden fireworks
Buda police issued only one citation for fireworks over the New Year's holiday. Bo Kidd, captain of the city's law enforcement force, said he hopes residents are learning that it's illegal to set off fireworks within the city limits.
(January 16, 2008)
See The Daily Drive entry.
Two businesses in one
What do you have when your restaurant is on Buda's Main Street and your coffeehouse is on the other side of the railroad tracks? If you're Richard Skanse, you have a decision to make.
(January 8, 2008)
See The Daily Drive entry.
Parking vs. greenbelt
The Buda City Council very briefly considered a proposal to place 10 parking spots on the Main Street greenbelt at this week's meeting.
(January 5, 2008)
See The Daily Drive entry.
White runs for mayor
Three-term Buda City Councilmember Hutch White said Thursday night that he will run for mayor in the May election.
(January 4, 2008)
See story.
Buda in 2007
Nothing earth shattering happened in Buda in 2007, but the city took on a series of important changes.
(December 26, 2007)
See The Daily Drive entry.
Buda council draws seats
As required by the new city home rule charter, Buda councilmembers drew seats last week for a new election structure in which council candidates will run for specific places.
(December 12, 2007)
See The Daily Drive entry.
Buda beat
Commentary
A high asking price will slow down the sale of a venerable building on Main Street. And what was the Buda City Council supposed to do about Buda Business Park?
(December 9, 2007)
See The Daily Drive entry.
Budafest beats gloom
A dreary Saturday morning didn't stop the 28th Budafest from opening without a hitch.
(December 2, 2007)
See story.
The first sign, perhaps
The old Buda bank building on Main Street is up for sale, bringing hope to Main Street shop owners that revitalization is coming.
(November 20, 2007)
See story.
Trube on Buda's future
Former Mayor John Trube's wish list for Buda: Spice up downtown with mixed uses and an updated liquor law, and see what can be done about that garbage dump in the gateway.
(November 13, 2007)
See story.
Super free ride
Commentary
The Texas Legislature tried to sneak a fast one past taxing entities, but Buda's city council was Johnny on the spot.
(November 13, 2007)
See The Daily Drive entry.
White 'pleased' with city change
John White, the son of long-time Buda servant Grey White, said he's pleased to have helped write the city charter that's up for ratification on Nov. 6.
(October 31, 2007)
See story.
Starting the stagecoach stop
Ten years after the city purchased its old stagecoach stop, the Buda will open the grounds as a park next May. The first shovels turned Tuesday evening.
(October 24, 2007)
See The Daily Drive entry.
Buda to decide on home rule
Buda voters will decide whether to adopt home rule in a Nov. 6 election. Early voting begins Monday.
(October 19, 2007)
See story.
A tree grows in Buda
Before Buda starts looking like Lubbock, the city council passed code revisions Tuesday requiring residential developers to replace trees they remove.
(October 17, 2007)
See The Daily Drive entry.
Buda passes gun ban
While the Hays County commissioners struggle through a firearms ordinance, Buda passed a comprehensive ban on firing within city limits last week.
(October 11, 2007)
See The Daily Drive entry.
Rink promoter skates
Commentary
A winter skating rink in Buda's city park is off the table now, leaving us to wonder what to do with our ice skates.
(September 14, 2007)
See The Daily Drive entry.
Buda-fication to begin
Commentary
Five years after securing a grant to beautify Main Street, Buda finally will turn shovel this week. The end product should be well worth the wait.
(August 11, 2007)
See The Daily Drive entry.
Lane steps up to mayor
The city council in Buda unanimously appointed eight-term councilmember Bobby Lane as mayor, filling the vacancy created with the resignation of John Trube.
(August 8, 2007)
See The Daily Drive entry.
Paying the cost to be Cabela's
Commentary
So, Cabela's isn't exactly paying through the nose for falling short of employment promises made to local governments. On balance, it still seems fair enough.
(July 6, 2007)
See The Daily Drive entry.
Signs and soccer fields
Commentary
Buda's coming Sportsplex Park is taking shape with soccer fields and without tall signs.
(June 27, 2007)
See The Daily Drive entry.
Ms. Sumter goes to Buda
Hays County Judge Liz Sumter, no friend of a failed road bond proposal, visited Thursday with Buda voters who badly want road improvements. (June 8, 2007)
See story.
Small dogs, big crowds
No one with the Buda Lions Club could estimate how many people came out to this year's wiener dog races. All anyone really knows is that the event has grown to, at least, its present capacity.
(April 30, 2007)
See The Daily Drive entry.
Copper wins again, then retires
Copper, the eight-year-old dachshund who has won the Buda wiener dog races six times, ran for the last time with a victory Sunday afternoon.
(April 30, 2007)
See story.
The wieners are coming
The Buda Lions Club is putting on its tenth annual wiener dog races this weekend, expecting 15,000 to 20,000 visitors and about 500 race contestants. The dogs will try to unseat Copper, the five-time champion.
(April 25, 2007)
See The Daily Drive entry.
Taking on truck traffic
City councilmembers in Buda had their first look Tuesday night at a long-awaited ordinance that would prohibit heavy truck traffic on Main Street between RM 967 and IH-35. The ordinance probably would take effect in June.
(April 18, 2007)
See The Daily Drive entry.
What's next for Dorsett's 221?
Commentary
The former location of Dorsett's 221 Truck Stop, once one of Buda's signature features, has apparently been reduced to a gambling den.
(April 8, 2007)
See The Daily Drive entry.
Buda completes county cops pact
Buda still doesn't have its own police department, but city officials believe they've agreed to a much better arrangement.
(April 5, 2007)
See story.
Buda's Harold Stassen?
Commentary
Even if Sharon Faulk loses again, she does Buda a fine service simply by running for the city council.
(March 16, 2007)
See The Daily Drive entry.
Fire chief to council: 'Help!'
Buda Fire Chief Clay Huckaby went to the Buda City Council Tuesday with a warning that the city is outgrowing the fire department's capacity.
(March 8, 2007)
See story.
Buda council supports housing plan
After taking a public relations hit for backing down from opponents of an affordable housing project in 2005, the Buda City Council supported a similar project last week. (February 13, 2007)
See The Daily Drive entry.
Counting on cops
Buda and Hays County officials hope they're only a few weeks away from an agreement that would dedicate sheriff's deputies to the city. (February 6, 2007)
See The Daily Drive entry.
Buda bites engineers
Buda's engineering firm figured on a simple amendment to its agreement with the city last week. Instead, the city council, in effect, told PBS&J to go away. (January 29, 2007)
See The Daily Drive entry.
Sign of silence
Commentary
Buda's city council didn't even humor Wal-Mart when the retailer asked for a 100-feet-tall sign for its parking lot on IH-35. (November 21, 2006) See The Daily Drive entry.
Fine art
Buda aesthetes came out in force for the third annual Fine Arts Festival. (October 6, 2006) See The Daily Drive entry.
Buda to try buyng cops
A proposed contract with the Hays County Sheriff's Office would increase Buda's police protection. (October 5, 2006) See The Daily Drive entry.
The road to somewhere
Commentary
A sign of the times has struck the intersection of FM 1626 and RM 967: a traffic light. (September 30, 2006) See The Daily Drive entry.
Buda council contemplates tax increase
Buda can expand its budget because it's swimming in sales tax revenue. So, why would the city council consider increasing property taxes? (August 17, 2006) See The Daily Drive entry.
Could Buda cash in more from Cabela's?
The state's sanctions against the Cabela's for failing to meet contracted employment levels could portend an even larger payment to Budda. (August 16, 2006) See The Daily Drive entry.
Business belt to make east Buda boom
The city is arranging $34.6 million of roadways to complement a planned one million square feet of commercial and retail projects on the east side of IH-35. (August 16, 2006) See story.
Do you want fries with that?
Commentary
You may have heard that the location once famous as Dorsett's 221 Truck Stop was about to become a strip joint. It's not going to happen. (August 9, 2006) See Daily Drive entry.
Buda upper campus survives
Hays CISD officials have done away with plans to close the upper campus of Buda Elementary School. The decision might have saved a bit of embarrassment. (August 2, 2006) See Daily Drive entry.
Going (not so far) for groceries
Commentary
The grocery shopping scene in Buda is about to change in a big way. (July 26, 2006) See Daily Drive entry.
Is the rock crusher crushed?
Here's an alphabet soup: NOPE might defeat KBDJ in an appeal with the TCEQ. (July 22, 2006) See Daily Drive entry.
Peace and prosperity
Commentary
Every city manager is either controversial, dead, or Robert Camareno. (July 20, 2006) See Daily Drive entry.
Buda seeing the money
What does a city do when it first learns it's rich, and getting richer? (July 20, 2006) See story.
Buda school plan gains momentum
The Hays CISD is likely to vacate the historic upper campus of Buda Elementary School. (June 16, 2006) See story.
The votes are in
Buda voters went for more of the same in Saturday's municipal elections. (May 13, 2006) See Daily Drive entry.
Quiet election in Buda
Tension has lifted in Buda through the years, meaning today's city council election will be pretty quiet. (May 12, 2006) See The Daily Drive entry.
Copper strikes fifth gold
Someday, perhaps, Copper will meet his match in Buda. As of now, though, he is the five-time Buda wiener dog racing champion. (April 30, 2006) See story.
Wieners win for Buda
Can Buda hold 25,000 people all at once for this weekend's wiener dog races? It's bound to happen sometime. (April 28, 2006) See The Daily Drive entry.
Buda celebrates with 3,000 at parade
A crowd larger than expected turned out the wish Buda another 125 years. (April 1, 2006) See The Daily Drive entry.
Buda hits 125th birthday
Commentary
If only we could answer the question: Where did that name come from? (March 30, 2006) See The Daily Drive entry.
Buda can plan its roads, but not SH 45
The road Buda needs the most will have to be built by the state. (Dec. 1, 2005) See story.
New Buda administrator will administrate, not dictate
New Buda City Administrator Robert Camareno, right, comes to his job with a straight forward approach, bringing no preconceived notions and articulating no big ideas. But he knows exactly how he'll go about the job. Camareno arrives from Copperas Cove, where he served for three years as assistant city manager and director of finance. "My job is to manage and coordinate (projects) and make sure they are completed," Camareno said. More ...
City delays transportation hearing
Buda's planned Nov. 17 public hearing on a transportation plan has been pushed back two weeks. Meanwhile, transportation commissioners hope to hear new ideas for Old San Antonio Road. More ...
Commission begins home rule process
The city seated a home rule commission last week, hoping to deliver itself from general law status within a year. More ...
Council tables truck ordinance
Mayor John Trube said he's tired of the angry phone calls from citizens. Councilmember Cathy Chilcote complained about the noise, the mess and the dangers of truck traffic. Councilmember Tom Crouse said a ban on large trucks "is an idea that's time has come." But that time probably won't come for another 6-9 months. More ...
Gas company wins numbers game
Chances are, you read it here first. Natural gas rates are going up. Buda City Councilmembers figured they couldn't do anything about it in the long run, so they decided to not do anything about it in the short run, either. In the process, they believe they've saved the city a substantial chunk of wasted legal fees. More ...
