Barton Springs District board chooses interim director

Buda resident Mary Stone was named last night as interim Pct. 1 Director for the Barton Springs Edwards Aquifer Conservation District. She will replace former Pct. 1 Director Chuck Murphy of Buda, who was forced to resign when his employer transferred him out of the state.

 

Stone will hold the position until voters choose a new director in May. She has already indicated she will be running for the position in the May election.

 

The other board members, who went into closed session for about 30 minutes before emerging to make a decision, appointed Stone on a 3-1 vote. The lone dissenter was Board Chair Bob Larsen, who said that he did not want his opposition to Stone to be construed as opposition to any particular issue affecting Precinct 1. He did not specify the particular issue.

 

All the board members expressed then need to expand the board’s diversity by including a woman. Stone is a former nurse, a photographer and a member of the PTA. She also serves on the board of the Hays Education Foundation, and is a founding member of Buda Buy Local. She was the only candidate present at last night’s meeting.

 

Board members praised all three candidates as having “highly qualified” backgrounds, but Stone beat out two others. Chase Baromeo is an engineer and is the co-founder of Travis Associates Consulting Engineers, of which he also served as President. His firm has worked on many public and private projects. Rahm McDaniel works for Hewlett-Packard and serves on the Buda Planning and Zoning Commission.

 

Stone says she is most excited about “serving the people” and sees responsibly managing growth in the district as the most important issue in Precinct 1. She will be officially sworn-in at the next BSEACD board meeting on Feb. 14.