Quick Skim of What's on the Ballot Outside Austin

Since Austin city elections were moved to November, the Travis County spring ballot has been a little thin. But if you vote in one of the smaller jurisdictions, there are a few races of interest for the May 4 election day (early voting ended April 30). In Lakeway, incumbent Mayor Sandy Cox is being challenged by businessman Tom Kilgore – who successfully sued the city for agreeing to pay a legal debt Cox incurred as a candidate last year. There are also seven candidates for three open seats on the Lakeway Council.

Among the other local elections (Round Rock, Pflugerville, Briarcliff), probably the most important potential investments and bellwethers of voter sentiment are the bond elections for Eanes ISD (on the Travis ballot) and Hutto ISD (Williamson County). Eanes is asking voters to approve $80 million, primarily for facilities and equipment, and (speaking to KUT) Superintendent Tom Leonard bluntly attributed the proposal to the increasing burden of recapture payments to the state. Hutto has a bigger ask – $194 million to accommodate rapid growth (as well as "equity and health and safety"), including a new middle school. According to the districts, neither bond will result in a property tax increase.