Schwaller: Drought, oil prices among issues Hays commission will face

By JONATHAN ZWEYGARDT
Hays Post

Incumbent Hays City Commissioner Henry Schwaller was elected to his sixth term Tuesday and will be joined on the commission by two newcomers.

Lance Jones and Henry Schwaller share a congratulatory handshake while Commissioner Shaun Musil looks over the final results Tuesday night at the Ellis County Admin. Center.

James Meier and Schwaller each received 25 percent of the vote and will serve a four-year term on the Hays City Commission.

Lance Jones received the third most votes and will serve a two-year term on the commission.

Schwaller said the commission is in a good place, but there are issues facing the city.

“Our biggest concern would be the price of oil and, if the drought continues, what happens to agriculture,” Schwaller said. “We will need to watch our sales tax revenues going forward.”

He also said the reconstruction of the wastewater treatment plant, expected to cost between $26 million and $28 million, and the development of the R9 Ranch in Edwards County as a water resource are two important projects going forward.

Jones said he wants help keep the city in good fiscal standing but said the city must also continue to grow.

Group — Ellis County Commissioner Dean Haselhorst and USD 489 BOE candidate Greg Schwartz look over election results while Hays City Commission candidates Henry Schwaller and Lance Jones wait for the final numbers.

“Being fiscally responsible isn’t necessarily not spending money, but it’s spending money wisely and that’s what I want to do,” Jones said.

Jones said the downtown area is a good example, because it is bringing money to the city.

The new commissioners will be sworn in and begin their terms on the Hays City Commission later this month.