Claudia for Kyle City Council, District 4

Why Claudia is Your Choice for City Council

Claudia Zapata is running for Kyle City Council in District 4! She is an experienced policy writer, budget analyst, and lover of people seeking to empower Kyle residents! Claudia has worked and volunteered in the public sector for 10+ years as a legislative aide, budget and workforce analyst, community advocate, policy writer, and nonprofit project manager. She has the skills, expertise, and heart needed to represent you.

Claudia’s main priorities include:
✅ Improving Pedestrian Safety & Reducing Traffic
✅ Making Developers Pay Their Fair Share & Reduce Property Taxes
✅ Investing in Community Enjoyment
✅ Creating a Sustainable and Protected Future

Claudia’s family moved to Kyle in the late ‘90s, and she has seen it grow significantly over the last three decades. There are certainly benefits to growth like more opportunities for fun, restaurants, and a larger economy. However, growth—if left unchecked—can also be harmful to residents by increasing property taxes, exacerbating low water levels, and growing without infrastructure needed to support our larger community.

The good news? We can build a Kyle that is vibrant and supportive, where everyone's well-being and quality of life are enhanced. Her experience as a community advocate and policy writer gives her significant insight into what works for a growing city and its residents and what doesn’t.

“City Council has the job of balancing a city’s present and future. I have invested my future into Kyle: this is where I’ll be starting a family. And this is my present. I’m an experienced policy writer, even more experienced community advocate, and I have the vision to ensure that Kyle and it’s residents are empowered, celebrated, and respected.” - Claudia ❤️

☀️ Plan today for a better tomorrow!

⏰ Election Day is December 9!!

Donate today!

Policy Ideas

These policy ideas are a starting point for our community to discuss, improve, and develop TOGETHER! 🫱🏽‍🫲🏻

Claudia welcomes all feedback, comments, and questions! Good policy isn’t created by one person, it’s created by many.

Read below for insight into possible solutions for Kyle.

Empower Our Residents & Protect Our Community

✅ Reduce traffic: Create walkability requirements for developers, Require that all new developments must consider or meet minimum pedestrian and bicyclist entrances/exits between zones. This makes it safer & easier for pedestrians to move about Kyle!
✅ Increase pedestrian safety: Improve and expand our sidewalks! Ensure sidewalks with adequate lighting and shade are present along major corridors like Stagecoach Road and Veterans Drive. There is no reason why families and students should put themselves in danger for walking in their neighborhoods. Let’s fix that!
✅ Protect Downtown from Big Businesses and Outside Groups: Ensure the heart of our city remains a haven for small, local businesses. Establish a special zone to limit large corporations' influence, preserving the unique charm of our downtown while empowering local entrepreneurs to flourish.
✅ Create a Historic Landmark Commission

Invest in Community Enjoyment: Discover, Learn & Play in Kyle

✅ Expand Opportunities to Learn: Empower our residents with knowledge through expanded community education and library programs such as babysitting certification, lifeguard training and certification, dog & puppy training classes, grow with grit workshops, engineering summer camps for kids + more!
✅ Lake Kyle Haunted Maze: Cultivate community bonds and create lasting memories with an annual Lake Kyle Haunted Maze. Create memories at home!
✅ Artist Residency Program: Support our local artists and attract up-and-coming artists from across the world with an Artist Residency Program that allows talent to be developed and showcased here in Kyle. This program can be fully funded by grants meaning no extra money coming out of your pocket.
✅ Food Truck Pavilion: Build a permanent food truck pavilion at Gregg-Clarke Park financed by increasing our hotel occupancy rate by 2%! Let’s create a space for families to enjoy!
✅ Ghost Kitchen Program: Provide a place for our city’s many home cooks & bakers who service people from their homes to operate in a community kitchen with commercial appliances to help them grow their businesses and meet demand. More yummy bites for us to try!

Make Kyle Work for You: Create a Stronger Local Economy & Workforce

✅ Limit How the City Uses Downtown Land Acquisition: Assist small and local businesses by leasing downtown city-owned properties at an affordable rate. If your tax payer dollar is used to purchase these properties, then we must ensure that money goes back to tax-payers like you—not big businesses or outside developers.
✅ Contract with Local Businesses First: Champion local economic growth by adopting procurement practices that prioritize registered local small businesses to receive city contracts, under or at a certain dollar amount. Our community thrives when our businesses succeed.
✅ Workforce Development Commission: Launch a dedicated commission focused on finding innovative ways to work with employers and businesses moving into Kyle to create job opportunities and skills-building programs for our residents.
✅ Test a Ready to Work Apprenticeship Program: Pilot a local apprenticeship program that is supported by a Department of Labor grant. Technical skills are more important and sought after than ever.

Create a Sustainable & Protected Future

✅ New Developments Must Be Drought-Friendly: Require developers to utilize rainwater harvesting or pay up. Currently, city code only “encourages” rainwater harvesting.
✅ Residential Rainwater Harvesting: Make it easier to harvest rainwater at your home. Whether that means creating an incentive program or providing supplies to jumpstart your efforts, let’s look into it!
✅ Historic Landmark Commission: Create a Historic Landmark Commission to protect the history of Kyle by allowing the city to designate certain buildings, areas, and homes as protected heritage sites. Let's keep the essence of small-town life alive.

OH HEY, FOR BEST VIEWING, YOU'LL NEED TO TURN YOUR PHONE