Kyle's longest-serving mayor announces resignation
Kyle mayor announces resignation
Travis Mitchell has held the position for nearly a decade, making him the longest-serving mayor in Kyle.
KYLE, Texas - City of Kyle Mayor Travis Mitchell announced his resignation on Tuesday.
Mitchell has held the position for nearly a decade, making him the longest-serving mayor in Kyle.
Kyle Mayor Travis Mitchell speaks out
Local perspective:
Kyle City Mayor Travis Mitchell is stepping down from the role one year short of fulfilling his term.
"I'm really, really proud of where the city is at, and I feel like this is just time for me to move on," said Mayor Travis Mitchell. "The city is in a good place."
"I'm at the point in my life personally where it makes more sense for me to move on than not," said Mitchell. "I really have to think about the family as a part of this decision."
Mitchell has held the position for nearly a decade, making him the longest-serving mayor in Kyle.
"For the last eight years as mayor, and you know, nine years on the city council, I've always felt that the calling to do the position was worth the sacrifice that it takes," said Mitchell.
Mitchell said he came to the decision over the past month or so, and his timing to resign a year ahead of schedule was strategic.
"This window of time in the summer is when I needed to announce in order for us to call an election that would coincide with the district one and district three race for the city council," said Mitchell. "It will give the council time to process this transition, and also it will give the public time to engage in the upcoming election."
Mitchell said he has gotten a lot of questions about his next steps, but he is focused on finishing out his time until he leaves the seat in November.
Special election called for November
What's next:
The City of Kyle has called for a special election to replace Mitchell on Nov. 4.
The city says that, per the City Charter (Sec. 3.04), it is required to hold a special election to fill a vacancy within 120 days of its occurrence.
Because the general election scheduled for November 4, 2025, falls within that timeframe, the special election will be held on that date to elect a new mayor who will complete the remaining year of the current term.
An election packet and application, along with key dates and filing deadlines for interested candidates, is available here.
Until a new mayor is elected and sworn in, Mayor Mitchell will continue to serve as a holdover pursuant to both state law and the City Charter.
Swatting call at Kyle City Council meeting
Dig deeper:
Kyle police responded to multiple threats made against City Hall just before Tuesday's city council meeting began.
At around 6:53 p.m., KPD received a call claiming that a bomb had been put under a nearby vehicle; the caller also said they were armed and intended to shoot officers as they arrived.
Officers already there for the meeting evacuated and secured the building, then conducted a thorough search. However, no credible threats or suspicious items were found.
Investigators now believe this was a case of "swatting", or the act of making a false emergency report with the intent of prompting a heavy police or SWAT response.
The Source: Information from interviews conducted by FOX 7 Austin's Katie Pratt and previous coverage