Taylor makes history with first-ever voter-elected mayor

Voters in Taylor head to polls to elect first mayor

The people of Taylor headed to the polls Saturday to pick their first mayor.

TAYLOR, Texas - With local elections spanning across Texas, one Williamson County city made its own history on Saturday.

New voter-elected mayor in Taylor

For the first time, the choice for the city’s mayor appeared on the ballot, sparking a new chapter in Taylor’s election process.

What they're saying:

"I feel like it’s a great place to raise our family, so to be involved in something that big is pretty special," said Joe Gonzales, a local resident, as he stood outside city hall during voting. 

In years past, voters have elected four city council members and an at-large member. Those officials then appointed a member from the city council to act as mayor, serving a one-year term. That was changed in a 2024 charter amendment, where voters elected to replace the at-large position with a mayoral position that would be decided by Taylor residents. For the time, that amendment went into place on Saturday as voters flocked to the polls.

"It's vitally important. I mean, people want to be heard, so I'm 100% behind it," says Dwayne Ariola, the outgoing mayor of Taylor. He was first elected to the city council in 2017 and has been the appointed mayor since 2024. According to Ariola, the need for a voter-elected mayor comes as the city continues to see a steady increase in growth.

"Everybody needs five minutes with the mayor. And the only obligation per the current charter is the second and fourth Thursdays of every month, is your council meetings," says Ariola. "It's no longer two Thursdays a month because people want to talk to you left and right."

Growth in Taylor

A large part of Taylor’s growth is due in great part to the tech companies the city has been able to attract.

"So right now, you know, I'm dealing with Samsung, Soulbrain, iMarket, a couple of data centers," says Ariola.

In South Taylor, Samsung is set to complete construction of its $17 billion dollar semiconductor plant later this year. So far, the tech giant has donated around $3 million to Taylor and Taylor ISD since the facilities groundbreaking in 2022.

The backstory:

In late March, Taylor City Council unanimously approved the annexation and zoning of a 220-acre data center which will be constructed near the Samsung Semiconductor plant. Just last summer, the city council also approved another $1 billion data center to be constructed on the city’s southeast side. According to the city, only data centers with a closed-looped cooling system will be allowed, which uses the same water repeatedly in its replenishment system instead of continuously pulling from a water source. Over the next ten years, the city estimates these two data centers will bring in around $175 million of revenue for Taylor to be used for the city’s infrastructure and school system.

"You need to be smart about how these developments come in, especially data centers. There’s a lot of issues with them that people are finding out about all around the country," Scott Gibbs told FOX 7 as he sat outside voting at city hall. He’s a part of a local group of Taylor residents pushing for officials to take a more cautious and transparent approach to data center roles in the city.

"We want them to establish zoning regulations that address the possible effects of data centers," said Gibbs. "If they’re going to affect our water, our electricity, and the noise levels that come from it."

Other Taylor residents are a little bit more on board with new projects like data centers coming to town but still want officials like the new mayor to make sure developers uphold their end of the bargain.

"We need data centers; they’re coming and if they’re coming, I’d like to see them contribute to our community. Ask, how can we help with infrastructure? How can we help with beautification? How can we help downtown?" says Joe Gonzales.

As a new mayor is set to take the reins after Saturday’s election, Ariola warns that they might have their hands full balancing the city’s rapid growth.

"It's going to take a toll on the future mayors," says Ariola.  "It's going to be more and more time, that county officials want to meet with you, that city developers, general contractors, all those want to meet."

But at the end of the day, preserving the spirit of Taylor still remains some voters’ top priority for the new mayor.

"My family came here to be a part of a community that’s growing but still is preserving its history," says Gonzales.

The latest poll results around 10 PM on Saturday show Jim Buzan leading with round 74% of the vote, Taylor Stubbs following with 20%, and Sandra Wolff holding with around 4% of the vote.